Whether you gamble regularly or have the occasional flutter, the one thing that everyone who gambles has in common is the dream of the big win. Whether that be in a glamorous setting such as Las Vegas or through a spin of the wheel when betting online, over the years there have been several notable wins that have taken place all over the world.

If you too have plans in trying to turn around your fortunes, then why not read on to discover eight of the biggest gambling wins in history.

Top 7 biggest gambling winnings and winners in history

1. Billy Walters – stakes $3.5 million on the New Orleans Saints

Taking place across the year on almost every day of the year, millions are placed daily on some of the world’s biggest sports and for decades there are professional gamblers that try and win big.

One of the biggest wins in gambling history came from Billy Walters. A professional poker player, Walters saw a future in sports betting and quickly became a household name when it came to betting on the NBA and College Football.

Not willing to risk megabucks, Walters will forever live in gambling folklore when he bet on the New Orleans Saints to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. With the Colts and legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, the heavy favourites, the Saints and Drew Brees had other ideas and went about dominating the Colts right from the kickoff.

Sensing that the game would be closer than many NFL pundits had predicted, Walters staked $3.5 million on the Saints to win and would have been delighted with how the game turned out. With the Saints crushing the Colts, 31-17, Walters secured himself one of the biggest payouts in sports betting history and ensured that he would remain an icon from those within the sports betting community.

2. Gloria McKenzie – wins $590.5 million in Lottery

Winning the jackpot in the lottery is something we have all dreamed about. Offering the promise of life changing cash with often a small stake, one person who was able to make their dreams a reality was Gloria McKenzie.

Aged 84 when she won one of the biggest jackpots ever, her victory came about through the purchasing of five quick pick tickets. Winning a grand total of $590.5 million, the mother and grandmother of four became the largest lottery winner in history. Having become an almost overnight celebrity due to her huge win, McKenzie stated, “I am so grateful for this blessing of winning, but we hope that everyone will give us an opportunity to maintain our privacy for our family’s benefit.”

Opting to take the money in one lump sum, her win and the big money she won still remains one of the biggest ever lottery wins in history.

3. Cynthia Jay-Brennan – wins $34.95 million in Casino

We have all seen it in films and TV shows, about how people visit Las Vegas casinos and are able to break the bank. Few of us believe that it will ever happen to us, but one of the biggest casino wins came back in 2000, when cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay-Brenna tried her hand on the casino slot game, Megabucks.

Trying her luck, the numbers and symbols that trigger the ultimate payout hit and unbelievably she won one of the biggest Vegas jackpots ever seen. Banking almost $35 million dollars through just one lucky spin she became the largest slot machine winner of all time and some 16 years later, Brennan’s win is still regarded as one of the biggest casino wins in history and is still one of the highest ever slot jackpots ever recorded.

4. Dave Oancea – wins $200,000 in Sport Betting

Sometimes to be a successful sports bettor you need to have an effective strategy. Dave Oancea had earned a reputation amongst the many different Vegas hotel and casinos as one of Vegas’s luckiest players and casinos in Las Vegas soon started limiting his bets.

Not one to be deterred, Oancea managed to win $200,000 through the accumulation of bets that he had placed at different casinos. Although the $200,000 isn’t the largest win in this list, his strategy of ensuring the sums of money he wanted to place were all accepted deserves real acknowledgement.

5. Kerry Packer – $40 Million in Casino

When it comes to the biggest winners of all time it isn’t surprising that the bulk of big casino winners hail from America. With gambling meccas such as Atlantic City and Las Vegas, hotels such as the MGM Grand Casino, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Caesar’s and the Excalibur hotel have all laid witness to some of the biggest casino wins of all time.

Back in the early 90s it was the MGM that saw one of the biggest wins ever recorded. Kerry Packer, one of Australia’s most prominent business men walked into the MGM with $250,000 burning a hole in his pocket and after hitting the roulette wheel, by the time that Packer was finished he had amassed a $40 million fortune. Betting on red and hitting a host of other numbers, Packers 40 million remains one of the luckiest casino visits in history.

6. Antonio Esfandiari: $18.3 million poker tournament

In the late 90s and early 00’s poker had taken the world by storm. With poker playing a part in the huge online gambling boom, tournaments held across Vegas could see millions being won.

One of the biggest wins in history came courtesy of Antonio Esfandiari. A fine poker player, Esfandiari is a gambler at heart and he prides himself on being ‘able to get inside my opponent’s head.’

Not just dedicated to the thrill of poker, but in his spare time he will often be found on the blackjack tables or trying his hand in trying to win slot machine jackpots.

His biggest gambling win ever came when he won the Big One for One Drop poker tournament. Netting him a cool $18.3 million, to this day he still remains one of the largest poker winners ever. Despite that win being one of the biggest wins in casino history, Esfandiari still isn’t satisfied and won’t stop until he wins the Main Event WSOP bracelet.

7. Pedro Grendene Bartelle: $3.5 million in Roulette

Whilst many who gamble online and in casinos often try to take their casino account to the next level through trying to win the largest slot machine jackpots, one casino game that can see millions in a single sitting win in roulette.

A game where fortunes can change in an instant, Brazilian businessman, Pedro Grendene Bartelle tried his hand and after feeling lucky, placed 32k of real money onto the number 32. With his tower of chips planted on the number, unbelievably the number hit, earning the businessman a payday he would never forget. It remains one of the largest wagers ever won in South America.

The big wins can come from anywhere thanks to the rise of online gambling

Thanks to the rise of online casinos, there are a plethora of online winners every day and we often hear about people winning some of the largest online payments via a slot machine jackpot.

With some of the biggest online casinos allowing for huge slot wins you can get involved in the action via some of the best fruit slots in the industry. With Slotsjudge revealing all of the biggest slot machine games and where you can find them, you can start your journey to winning the ultimate slot jackpot for little to no stake.