Mervyn Davids

Mervyn Davids

Posted on 29 July 2022

5 Extraordinary Stories of Life Changing Casino Wins

Do you think only advantage players, experts, and high rollers can win big prizes at casinos? The truth is, that  the average Joe can win some too. Recreational players have won life-altering casino prizes and there are various stories that prove you needn’t have  a massive bankroll (or skills) to win at casino games. All you need is a little bit of luck on your side when playing at a no deposit real money casino.

Here are five extraordinary tales of life-altering casino wins:

1. Marilyn Monroe

1. Marilyn Monroe

Slot: Marilyn Monroe | Provider: Playtech | Number of Reels: 5 | Number of Paylines: 20 | Minimum Bet: $0.20 | Maximum Bet: $1,000 | Maximum Payout: 10,000 coins | Features: Stacked Wilds, Backstage Bonus | Progressive Jackpot: No | RTP: 94.1%

Did you know Marilyn Monroe’s birth name was Born Norma Jean Mortenson? This iconic 50s Hollywood superstar obviously deserved a slot in her namesake. Created by Playtech, it comes with 5 reels and 20 paylines. Marilyn is the wild symbol, and a neon-lit Marilyn Monroe logo is the scatter.

The slot draws heavily from her life; symbols used include a star on the Walk of Fame, a movie camera, stills from her movies and magazines featuring her on the cover.

Other exciting built-in features include wild-powered wins, a stacked wild and the Backstage Bonus that gives you 10 free spins to start with, along with a 2x multiplier. You could win up to 45 free spins and a 10x multiplier in all through this bonus.

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#2. Cynthia Jay-Brennan Won $34.9 Million at Desert Inn Casino

#2. Cynthia Jay-Brennan Won $34.9 Million at Desert Inn Casino

Cynthia Jay-Brennan won the second-biggest jackpot in slots history while playing a Desert Inn Casino in 2000. She hit a combination of three Megabucks icons along a payline while playing IGT’s Megabucks slot and hit a life-altering win.

Unfortunately, the lucky winner got into an accident while driving around Las Vegas with her sister. The accident killed her sister and left her paralyzed neck down. The drunk driver who caused the accident was sentenced to life in prison.

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#3. Johanna Huendl Wins $22,621,230 at Bally’s Casino

#3. Johanna Huendl Wins $22,621,230 at Bally's Casino

Johanna Huendl was heading to the breakfast buffet at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas in 2002 when she decided to try her luck on IGT’s Megabucks. Earlier, she had seen another player win a prize of $3000. Luck was definitely on her side that morning, when she won a life-altering prize of $22,621,230.

Sharing her experience later, she said that she glanced away from the Megabucks machine for a second, and when she looked back, three Megabucks icons had lined up along the payline. Initially, she thought that she had won $2 million, but she soon understood that she had won $22.6 million …How about that for an even nicer surprised!

A native of Austria, Huendl had come to the US in 1956 as a young bride. She decided to use part of her winnings to visit Austria.

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Elmer Sherwin Wins the Megabucks Jackpot …Twice!

Elmer Sherwin Wins the Megabucks Jackpot …Twice!

Winning a seven-figure progressive jackpot is an event that happens only once in a lifetime. Or so we think. Elmer Sherwin is the only player in the world who won IGT’s Megabucks jackpot twice. Each player has only a one in 50 million chance of hitting the Megabucks jackpot, so to do it twice is indeed an incredible feat!

Although Sherwin had been playing casino games since he became old enough to gamble, he won significant prizes only when he reached his sixties. After his retirement in 1989, he started travelling across the US with his wife in a mobile home. The couple stopped in Las Vegas to visit family members and play casino games.

As long as he was in Las Vegas, Sherwin would spend $100 per week at the casinos, but despite his skint bankroll, he won a $21.2 million prize while playing the IGT slot Megabucks.

In 2005, he won another life-altering prize of $4.6 million while playing at the Cannery Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas. Later talking about his experience, he said he was not after the money. He just wanted to hit the jackpot twice because nobody had done it in the past.

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Kevin Ripski Wins $1,114,079 Playing Caribbean Stud

Kevin Ripski Wins $1,114,079 Playing Caribbean Stud

People usually think progressive slots are the only casino games capable of generating millionaires. But Kevin Ripski proved you can become a millionaire if you get lucky while playing table games or card games like Caribbean Stud.

A native of Ontario, Ripski visited the Venetian in Las Vegas in 2018 and made side bets of $5 while playing Caribbean Stud with the hopes of hitting the jackpot. He created a Royal Flush and won the Sands Millionaire Progressive Jackpot of $1,114,079.

Ripski was just an average player who knew nothing about winning strategies and played blind. However, he had the habit of playing the bonus bet because he knew it would be a great disappointment if he got a Royal Flush without making the bonus bet.

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You Got To Play It, To Win It!

While we don’t advise players to blow their entire bankrolls on progressive jackpot games, it doesn’t hurt to earmark some of it for progressive slots and table games. You just don’t know when if it might be your lucky day, and hit a progressive jackpot that’ll change your life forever! Browse through our list of no deposit bonus casinos and who knows – you may just be the next big winner!

Published on: 2022/07/29

Mervyn Davids

Chief-in-Editor

Mervyn Davids is the NoDepositDaily.org editor. In his time at the website, he strives for balance and transparency. Davids is focused on providing readers with the most accurate rankings of safe and secure online casinos in the world. He is considered a voice of authority in the field and welcomes your feedback on the NoDepositDaily.org website.