The Biggest Online Jackpot Wins of ALL time

Winning a big jackpot at an online casino is, presumably, the goal of everyone who logs in to play the games. Some of the jackpots can bring a life-changing amount of money - with responsible money management, you probably wouldn't have to work ever again! A small group of people have lived this dream, and while their names and what they did with the prize are not always common knowledge, the sheer size of the winnings is very much known. 

What is an Online Casino Jackpot and How Do I Win it?

Ah, if only it were that easy, eh? Every notable jackpot win from an online casino has come from one game: slots. Other games like poker and blackjack might have better odds for players, but they just can’t match the sheer size of slot jackpots. Progressive slots in particular can have prize pools well into the millions because these games are linked in a network, and a small percentage of every bet made by players feeds the running jackpot until it is won. Booyah!

How is the jackpot triggered? Well, it varies. It often requires betting the max for each spin, mixed with a little—okay, a lot—of luck. Slots are governed by their random number generator (RNG), and the jackpot can theoretically go off at any time. It doesn’t matter if the jackpot has been building for ten years or ten minutes, the odds remain the same. 

All the Biggest Jackpot Wins at Online Casinos

Live bricks and mortar casinos still have the records for the biggest jackpot prize payouts. The largest ever was around $39.7 million. Online casino jackpots have not quite reached these heights yet, but they are starting to catch their live counterparts with some truly eye watering prizes on offer. 

The Biggest Online Jackpot Win of All Time 

Over the last few years, many people have felt the financial pinch in the wake of COVID, war in Europe, and the general cost of living pressures. At least one man in Belgium had a pretty great 2021 though, when he won around $23.6 million playing the progressive slot Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah, at an online casino. Little is known about the winner beyond the size of the prize they won. Their name and what they did with the money is not public knowledge.

You can't really blame them though, a big stack of money like that would no doubt attract a lot of scrutiny and new friends hoping to get a slice of the very big pie. The massive prize of $23.6 million is currently the record for the most significant single win from an online casino. However, considering how popular online casinos are becoming, it would probably be a pretty safe guess that jackpots will continue to grow in the coming years, and a new title holder will emerge to take out the top spot at some point. 

A Close Second Place 

Coming in hot at a close second, another lucky player managed to win about $23.5 million playing Mega Moolah in 2018. The name and identity of this player has never been disclosed either, a common trend among jackpot winners. Some sources suggest the wagered amount was small and the person hadn't played for very long before triggering the jackpot. There is no real way to know for sure because the person has never disclosed anything about their win. While this lucky player doesn't quite have the record for the biggest jackpot of all time, they probably wouldn't be overly upset with the size of their prize, even if it is only second best.

An Unexpected Windfall 

One jackpot winner who was okay with having his name and story known around the world was Lance Corporal Jon Heywood. The 26-year-old soldier from the United Kingdom won around $20 million in 2015. Believe it or not, Heywood is yet another who won his big payday playing the Mega Moolah progressive slots. At the time, his win was even certified as the largest jackpot payout in an online slot machine game by the Guinness Book of World Records. 

An anonymous Finnish player reportedly won slightly more in 2013, but because the currency exchange rate was different at the time of Heywood's win, the British soldier took the crown for biggest win. Arguably the most interesting part of the story is how Heywood won though. 

According to media reports at the time, Heywood had recently returned from a tour of Afghanistan and decided to try online slots to help pass the time. After depositing around $40 in his account, the soldier launched the game but had one eye on a documentary about World War II tanks he had recently discovered. Even though his attention was very much focused elsewhere, after only a few minutes, Heywood's life quickly changed forever. 

Lights began to flash on his device. Heywood glanced back at his computer with glee; he assumed the jackpot would be worth at least $10,000. To his surprise the full sum was far higher. Even when the casino reached out to offer congratulations, Heywood still didn't believe it. According to media reports at the time, he planned to spend the cash to help pay for his father's medical care and buy a new car.

Another Anonymous Winner Takes Home Over $23 Million

In February of 2023 another player from the UK won a jackpot worth a massive $23.3 million while playing, you guessed it, Mega Moolah. Once again, the winner didn't want their identity known and kept it a secret from the public. No further information is known about the anonymous winner or what they did with their huge prize. You can probably assume they were pretty happy about the whole thing and their life was changed forever. 

Twitch Streamer Might Have Won Big Too  

In April of 2022 a Twitch streamer using the name TrainwrecksTV allegedly won a whopping $22.5 million during a live stream playing slots. The big win came after the streamer was working his way through 15 free spins. According to media reports, the streamer also won $14 million in March of the same year. He also apparently won another $10 million during a recent live stream in August 2023. 

It's unclear if the streamer’s jackpots are a publicity stunt for more views or as a way to gain exposure for his sponsors. Plenty of people are questioning the validity of the wins for those reasons, especially considering his total winnings from the last two years would be over $40 million. 

With slots, jackpot odds can range from one in 5,000 to as rare as one in 34 million, but hey—someone’s gotta win, right? While hitting a massive jackpot like $40 million is rare, it’s possible. Whether it’s $40 or $40 million, every spin is a shot at something big. The thrill is in knowing that any spin could be the lucky one.

Other Winners Have Taken Home Millions Too! 

In 2012 a man from Finland decided to play a slot called Arabian Nights on his mobile phone. At the time this particular slot had apparently lost a lot of its popularity after debuting in the early 2000s. Other games offered larger jackpots so poor old Arabian Nights was languishing in obscurity. The lucky player decided to give the old game a crack anyway and was no doubt very glad he did. The jackpot triggered, netting the man around $17 million in prize money. 

Only one year prior to the Arabian Nights jackpot win, another lucky player also made a fateful decision that would change the course of his life forever. During a restless and sleepless night, a Norwegian student decided to pass some time by playing slots, specifically Mega Fortune. After using all his free spins, he placed a few small wagers. 

The first ten spins yielded no results, the 11th apparently triggered a jackpot worth around $16 million. It's probably safe to assume that he didn't get back to sleep that night but for a completely different reason. Like many of his fellow winners, little is known about the player and what he decided to do with his huge prize. Undoubtedly, the rest of his studies would have been very easily funded.

Going back to the first days of online casinos in the late 1990s and early 2000s, dozens of other winners have won jackpots ranging from the low millions up to over $10 million. Most have decided to keep their identity a secret from the public. However, the casinos where the players have won are always happy to advertise the size of a jackpot to attract more people to their games. 

Modest Jackpots are Still Great if You Can Get Them 

Slots have other jackpots besides progressives. Local game jackpots are triggered when certain conditions are met, such as a specific number of symbols forming into a winning combination. The prize for a local game jackpot is usually in the thousands rather than millions but it’s far more likely to be triggered. While smaller jackpots won’t make you an overnight millionaire, they have netted many players a nice little payday.