For most people, a trip to the casino is a form of entertainment where the dream of a life-changing win is part of the thrill. These stories of incredible luck serve as a testament to the unpredictable nature of gambling. Here are some of the most famous and largest casino wins in history.

The Biggest Slot Win Ever
The largest slot machine jackpot in history was won in March 2003 at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. A young programmer from L.A. put some money into a Megabucks machine to kill time before a game. He wagered just $100 before the machine's reels aligned perfectly, triggering the progressive jackpot. The life-altering sum was so huge that it was structured as an annuity, paying him $1.5 million a year for 25 years. He wisely opted to keep his identity private, becoming a legend in the process.

Beating the House at its Own Game
Not all legendary wins come from pure luck. Between 2010 and 2011, a man named Don Johnson went on an unprecedented winning streak, taking three Atlantic City casinos for a combined total of over $15 million playing blackjack.

His secret wasn't card counting in the traditional sense. His strategy was to leverage his status as a whale to get better rules. These included a 20% "loss rebate" (where the casino would refund him 20% of his losses if they reached a certain amount), the ability to bet up to $100,000 per hand, and favorable rules like splitting and doubling down on any four cards. This combination of perfect play and negotiated advantages gave him a small but crucial edge over the house. After his epic winning streak, casinos became much more cautious about the deals they offered high rollers.

Winning the Jackpot... Again
The odds of winning a major lottery-style jackpot are astronomical, casino but winning it twice seems impossible. This is the incredible story of Elmer Sherwin. In 1989, at the age of 76, he won a $4.6 million Megabucks jackpot at The Mirage in Las Vegas, just 10 hours after the casino opened. He didn't stop playing, hoping for a second miracle. Incredibly, 16 years later, in 2005, casino at the age of 92, he did it again. He won a staggering $21.1 million jackpot on another Megabucks machine at the Cannery Casino. Sherwin generously donated much of his second win to charity, including relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims.