Whether it’s table games or slots, Vegas has it all – and some! But when it comes to discussing the most popular games, there are a few that stand out above the rest. We are of course, talking about Blackjack, roulette and slots. These three seem to attract the largest audiences and it’s easy to see why casino-goers enjoy them so much – they’re easy to play, fast-paced and fun. But most of all, they can provide some hefty pay-outs, as we’re about to see.
These five people have won big and they won these life-changing sums of cash in Sin City.
Biggest slots win
The biggest ever slots win in Las Vegas was back in March 2003, when Ethan Miller, a then-25-year-old from Los Angeles visited the Excalibur casino. He had wagered $100 in a Megabucks slot machine and the odds were well and truly stacked against him at 1:16.7 million. But he pulled the lever and lady lucky was clearly on his side. Miller won an extortionate $39.7 million!
Who knows if he ever went back to his job as a software developer, there isn’t much information on him online and it’s believed he had wanted to remain anonymous. With a win like that, who can blame him?
Another big slots win
Only a couple of million behind him, Cynthia Jay-Brennan is still Vegas’ second-highest winning slots player to date. She was working in the city at the time as a cocktail waitress and had wagered $27 in a Megabucks slot at the Desert Inn. She won a hefty $34.9 million. But it wasn’t all good news for Jay-Brennan, who suffered an unfortunate car accident after her win, leaving her paralysed.
Biggest blackjack (and baccarat) win
Australian media tycoon and billionaire, Kerry Packer witnessed the highs and lows of gambling. He took a trip to Vegas in order to increase his wealth – and that’s exactly what he did. It’s believed he won $33 million combined on the blackjack and baccarat tables in one visit to the MGM Grand Casino in Vegas. He often won as much as $7 million every year on his annual holidays to the UK, which involved wagering in various London casinos.
He wasn’t always so fortunate though…
Biggest roulette win
Who else but Ashley Revell who hit the blackjack table for a Sky One mini-series entitled Double or Nothing? Gambling-obsessed Brit, Revell decided to sell all of his possessions, including his clothes, and raised additional funds through car boot sales and auctions – even changing his name by deed poll to Ashley ‘Blue Square’ Revell after the bookies contributed to his fund. He visited the roulette table at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Vegas and gambled $135,300 on a single spin of the wheel, betting on red. The ball landed on 7 red and he doubled his money.
Revell used his winnings to set up an online poker company, called Poker UTD (which combined football with poker) which later went out of business. He has since gone into recruitment and has a business that matches online gambling companies with job applicants.
As well as featuring on the Sky One show, he has also featured in an E! documentary, alongside famous poker, blackjack and gin player, Stu Ungar.
Are you feeling lucky? Go for double or nothing yourself and visit the online roulette table from the comfort of your own home: https://games.paddypower.com/c/roulette.
