7 Highest Ever Winners Of Progressive Slots

Source: Antoine Taveneaux / CC BB-SA

Online slot machines are arguably the simplest and most rewarding game on any online casino. They are similarly popular on land-based casinos as well, where they are played by nearly half (48%) of all visitors.

In case you’re not familiar with the game, slots are a game of chance where players win when three or more rotating reels display identical images. The images used range from standard card faces and fruits to horoscope and zodiac sign. The prizes are determined by the bets collected from previous players.

The slot machine was invented in 1891 by the Brooklyn-based Sittman and Pitt Company. It has evolved significantly since then, especially after the advent of the internet. Perhaps the most significant development since the game’s invention is the introduction of the progressive slot machine. Unlike slot machines in brick and mortar casinos, progressive slots are linked by a network. This means, the prize money is pooled from potentially thousands of machines and perhaps millions of players.

This is the reason why the biggest prize money winners on any online casino are progressive slot games such as Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune. The best part is, their winnings are not related to how much they spent – it’s all about luck.

So, let’s get to the real reason you’re here – who are the biggest ever winners of progressive slot machines on online casinos?

7. Rawiri Pou : NZ$10,144,395.82 (Approx. €5.65 million)

27-year-old Rawiri Pou of Matamata, New Zealand won the Mega Moolah jackpot in 2016. He and his mother were driven to the Heritage Hotel in Auckland for the prize-giving ceremony. After receiving his giant mock cheque, Mr. Pou attended a press conference where he shared his disbelief at winning the life-changing fortune. He confessed to feeling overwhelmed by the victory, and had trouble sleeping after learning of his win.

Mr. Pou initially deposited NZ$250 to play the game. He won NZ$1,500, which he used to play the game again. He is uncertain of what he wants to do with the prize money, but he does plan to spoil his parents and three siblings with his winnings.

6. D.P: €7.9 million

Mega Moolah contributes a second winner on our top seven list, but the victor is only identified with the initials D.P. to comply with her request for anonymity. What we do know is, D.P took advantage of a promotion where players could bet 80 times at the cost of just €1!

Microgaming, the developer of Mega Moolah, revealed that D.P made her bet using an iPad. This is not particularly surprising, according to John Quinn, the Head of Casino at Microgaming. Even in 2016, mobile casino accounts for almost half of gameplays.

5. Marcus Goodwin: $11,633,898.44 (Approx. €10.23 million)

Mega Moolah makes another appearance on our list, courtesy of Marcus Goodwin and his cool €10.23 million jackpot! Mr. Goodwin is a casual gambler who only plays for entertainment. In fact, he only started playing 10 months before striking gold on 7 November 2016. He probably owed his victory to the rain, which kept him inside the house and prompted him to play Mega Moolah accompanied by his dog (which looks like a Shih Tzu, based on his YouTube videos).

Mr. Goodwin has already planned what he will do with the money. He will purchase a big country house as well as a holiday home. He also plans to take his entire family on a holiday to Africa. Naturally, they will be flying in business class and stay in the most expensive five-star hotel there.

4. An Insomniac Student: €11,736,22

There are scant details about the €11.7 million winner of Mega Fortune’s online slot machine jackpot. What we do know is, he is a Norwegian student who had trouble sleeping. So, he decided to play at a mobile casino. The victory shocked him, and he claimed he needed some time to process the win before deciding what he will do with the prize money.

3. Jonathan Heywood: £13.2 million (Approx. €15,227,388)

A former British soldier who toured Afghanistan won the Mega Moolah jackpot in 2016 worth £13,213,838.68 with a bet of just £0.25! And it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Mr. Heywood’s grandfather had just passed away, while his father was awaiting a lung and heart transplant.

An ecstatic Mr. Heywood said the prize money will be able to help him provide his father with the best medical care. The filial son said he would give all of his winnings to get his father healthy again.

Aside from that, Mr. Heywood has no plans on his new fortune yet. But he would like to indulge himself with a yellow Bentley Continental GT.

Mr. Heywood also shared that he only deposited £30 into his account and bet conservatively, never going over £0.25 (€0.29) a spin. The rest, as they say, is history!

Source: Billy Hicks / CC BY-SA

2. Klaus E: €17,861,800

40-year-old Finnish man, Klaus E, also won the massive €17.9 million Mega Fortune jackpot with a €0.25 bet in 2013. Unlike Mr. Heywood, Klaus is a long-time online casino player whose favourite game is poker. However, after his win, Klaus E says his favourite game now is the slot machines!

After his victory, he was delirious with joy, crying and laughing at the same time. His first plan with his prize money is to hire a personal trainer to help him get in shape.

1. Anonymous: €18,915,721

On 28 September 2018, Microgaming announced a new winner of its Mega Moolah progressive slot jackpot worth about €17.9 million, which is the largest ever jackpot pay out in an online slot machine game.

Practically nothing is known about the winner, apart from the fact that he used an Android device to wager €0.75 each on 50 spins on the five-reel slot game.