There is more than one aspect to the attraction that casinos have for people. The games themselves are a part of it; as casino customers get a great deal of excitement and entertainment from slot machines and table games.
No one could dispute that the financial part also comes into it though. People play casino games in the hope of winning themselves some money.
That is true when it comes to both digital and real world casinos. Whether you choose to play at an online poker site or go to your nearest bricks and mortar venue, the dream of winning big is always there.
It is not an impossible dream either. People do frequently win large sums at casinos and this article will look at some inspiring examples of that.
Elmer Sherwin
If you think that playing casino games cannot transform your life, you need to know about one Elmer Sherwin. He was just a normal retired 76-year-old when he decided to have a go on a slot machine in the Mirage Casino in Vegas.
By the end of his session he was a multi-millionaire; having scooped the jackpot worth $4.6 million. It would be fair to say that his life was changed by this win, as he took off on a round-the-world trip using the money.
As if that is not astonishing enough, Sherwin then went on to win a second huge payout at the tender age of 92! This was for $21 million and he chose to provide financial support to those whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, creating a lasting legacy of generosity.
Johanna Huendl
The story of Johanna Huendl would seem unbelievable if it was the plot of a Hollywood movie, but it is one hundred percent true. Back in 2002, Huendl was 74 years old and had retired from her former job as a flight attendant.
During a visit to the Desert Inn Casino in Las Vegas she opted to try a spin of the Megabucks slot. She had been playing for mere minutes when she claimed the massive $22.6 million jackpot.
This money undoubtedly changed her life for the better as it allowed her to buy a home of her own and visit all of the places in the world that she had never been able to go to before.
Charlie Deville Wells
Deville Wells earned the nickname ‘The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo’ and is proof that casino games were making people fortunes as far back as the 19th century.
A win of $1 million may not seem all that remarkable compared to some of the other jackpots featured here, but it looks different when a century’s worth of inflation is factored in. That million-dollar win was certainly life-changing in 1892.
That was when Deville Wells was playing at the famous Casino de Monte Carlo. He gambled for an 11-hour stretch – although what he played is not now known – and turned $4000 into a million.
Ashley Revell
People tend to associate the stories of massive money triumphs with slot machines, but other casino games can turn your life around too. It was roulette that Englishman Ashley Revell chose to play in 2004.
Gambling is always a risk, but Revell quite literally bet the house. He sold his home, plus his BMW car and clothes to raise a stake of $135,000 to bet on the roulette wheel.
This is not a move that we would recommend trying yourself, but for Revell it certainly paid off. He was gambling in the Plaza Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip and planned to put the entire stake on black.
Then at the final moment, he changed his mind and bet on red instead. The ball fell into the red 7 pocket on the wheel and Revell instantly doubled his money.
It was the start of a whole new life and career for him, as he launched a digital poker site and turned pro as a gambler.
Chris Moneymaker
Finally there is this man who has perhaps the most apt name ever. Moneymaker managed to get into the prestige Main Event at the World Series of Poker thanks to an internet satellite qualifier.
Few would have given the 27-year-old much chance against the best players in the world, but he went on to win it and walk away with a cool $2.5 million. His extraordinary success story not only changed his own life, but also kicked off the burgeoning interest in poker gaming.
That was because it showed people all over the world that it is entirely possible to transform your circumstances forever by playing it and other casino games.
These five big winners demonstrate why so many people love casino gaming.
