The Largest Slot Machine Payout In History

Slot machines are so popular at both land-based and online casinos because of their simplicity and pretty wide betting range. Allowing to wager even for beginners and those who are afraid to take big risks, slots are capable of very large payouts. So, it's no wonder that the biggest cash prizes that have made some gamblers really rich come from slots.

So, we're here to tell you about the most promising slot machines - online and offline options - capable of really big payouts, as well as the top 5 biggest jackpot payouts in the history of slot machines.

Best Offline and Online Slots Paying Big Cash Prizes

Speaking of big slot wins, one can't help but think of Megabucks, the slot machines installed at land-based gambling halls of Las Vegas. These state-owned slot machines offer large slot machine jackpots, and make large payouts quite often. A retired stewardess was the first among the jackpot slot machine winners who were lucky enough to hit the jackpot of over 20 million dollars. It is noteworthy that before getting this one big life-changing payout, the woman spent only 300 dollars on bets.

The total number of Megabucks machines in Nevada exceeds 700. All of them are working under the large network forming a multimillion prize fund, all the money from which will go to the next lucky one who made a spin the reels at the right time and in the right place. Considered one of the biggest slot machines in the world in terms payouts it made, Megabucks continues to enjoy popularity in spite of the pandemic.

In recent years, online slots featuring progressive jackpot successfully compete with their land-based counterparts like Megabucks and others. Mega Moolah, a slot by NetEnt, is a record-breaker in the number of jackpot payouts made, as well as the maximum amount of cash prize. In addition, there are many other online progressives capable of multi-million-dollar jackpot payouts.

Top 5 Big Online Slot Wins

We begin this list with a curious story that happened to one of the Resort World Casino visitors. After making some bets on the slot machines located in the casino hall, the woman saw a lucky ticket for $42.9 million. However, there was a technical error as the maximum prize in the slot she played was $6,500. Remarkably, had this prize been paid out, it would have been the largest slot machine payout in history. However, there are many other stories with happy endings - check them out below in our list.

• About $40 million. This big jackpot payout was obtained by a 25-year-old engineer who played the Megabucks slot at the Excalibur hotel-casino. Not a gambling enthusiast, the guy only made a few bets totaling about $100 before he saw that winning combination of symbols on the machine screen. Given the fact that his date of birth contains three sevens, perhaps this big win was destined to happen.
• About $35 million. Cynthia, 37, a simple cocktail waitress, was able to put the symbols together into a big payout combination in 2000. She held the record for the biggest prize at Megabucks before the engineer broke it three years later. However, the story ended tragically as Cynthia was in a car accident and she was left paralyzed.
• About $28 million. This story happened in 1998, when a retired flight attendant decided to take a risk and triple her betting budget at Megabucks. Surprisingly, the risk turned out to be worth it, as the woman received the life-changing prize that secured her cloudless future.
• Over $22.5 million. That winnings went to a woman who simply decided to spin the Megabucks reels on her way to breakfast. As it turned out, just one lucky spin separated her from becoming one of the jackpot slot machine winners.
• It was Jon Heywood, a gambler from the UK, who managed to hit a big jackpot spinning the reels of Mega Moolah, a popular online slot. This payout has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest prize in the history of online slots featuring progressive jackpot.

Closing Thoughts

Notably, over its long history, Nevada Megabucks has made more than 60 gamblers happy, paying out a total of about $500 million in cash prizes. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse effect on the offline gambling industry as a whole and led to the closure of a number of gambling houses in Nevada and around the world, making it difficult to access Megabucks machines. However, the online gambling marketplace continues to grow and thrive, offering a huge number of progressive slots with large prize pools. For example, the $20 million jackpot paid out by Mega Moolah, an outstanding title from NetEnt, confirms that the online format is an equally promising option.