Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioTwo gamblers have hit massive jackpots on slots to provide life-changing payouts for Thanksgiving. A DraftKings Casino player in Michigan won $22.4 million with a $0.20 wager, the largest online casino jackpot in U.S. history. Meanwhile, a gambler in Nevada won over $11 million from a $5 bet at the Resorts World Las Vegas casino.
DraftKings posted an announcement on X confirming the online win and congratulating the unidentified player who hit the jackpot on the platform’s Huff N’ Even More Puff game.
On the win, Christian Bogstrand, Executive Vice President and General Manager of iGaming at DraftKings, commented, “Setting another record for the largest U.S. online casino jackpot is a major moment, and it speaks to the incredible experiences we’re creating for our customers. Topping $22 million is a milestone we’re proud of, and it reinforces our commitment to delivering a best-in-class gaming experience. Congrats to the winner!”
The jackpot is over double the previous record of $9.8 million, which was also won by a player in Michigan back in February this year. A DraftKings source told CasinoBeats that jackpots are configured differently in each state, which can lead to bigger, but less frequent payouts in Michigan compared to other states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The record online slot win of $22 million has been surpassed at Las Vegas’ casinos. The overall record win is a payout of $39.7 million back in 2002 from a $100 bet on the Megabucks progressive slot at the Excalibur.
Megabucks at Las Vegas casinos accounts for four of the top five wins in US history, with the other a $35.9 million win at a casino in Arizona. Earlier this month, a Florida gambler got lucky with a $2 million win on another game, the Dragon Link slot. The game is the subject of a legal dispute between gaming companies Aristocrat and Light & Wonder.
Vegas Player Hits $11 Million Jackpot On Megabucks
Another Vegas gambler also hit a huge payout on the Megabucks slots on Wednesday. The gambler walked away with over $11 million from a $5 bet after hitting the jackpot on IGT’s Megabucks™ Mega Vault™ slot game.
It marks the first Megabucks jackpot ever hit at Resorts World Las Vegas, and the casino was quick to congratulate the winner. It posted a message on X announcing the windfall for the lucky patron.
The guest was joined by their spouse and family on the casino floor. They had been at the machine for roughly 15 minutes before striking the jackpot at around 6 am. The chances of landing the payout were odds of about 1/50,000,000.
Woman Paid Only $2.25 Despite Hitting $43 Million Jackpot
The player will hope to avoid the fate of another Resorts World player who thought she had hit the biggest jackpot in US history. In 2016, Katrina Bookman was playing on a slot machine at Resorts World Casino in Queens when it flashed a win of $42,949,672.
This would have surpassed the 2002 Vegas record win. She even took a selfie with the screen and later said, “I can’t even describe the feeling. It’s like my whole body just got numb.”
But when she returned the next day to collect, a casino employee told her the machine had malfunctioned. Instead of $43 million, her actual payout was $2.25.
The casino’s offer to make up for the inconvenience was a complimentary steak dinner. All slot machines carried a disclaimer that “malfunctions void all pays and plays,” which meant the casino only had to pay her the $2.25 shown on her ticket.
Bookman sued the casino, arguing negligence and emotional distress. After years of delays, including the pandemic, a judge ruled in favor of the casino. She walked away without the jackpot.
