It is estimated that the probability of hitting the ‘Megabucks’ progressive jackpot is 1 in 49.8 million spins – pretty low odds. He went on to win $538,000 and $117,000 in 1984, but his luck unfortunately ran out when he lost $1,000,000 on a bet, resulting in the end of his gambling. He placed his bets at the craps table, won, filled his empty suitcase, and left.

One of them was empty, but one of them contained $777,000 in cash. On September 24, 1980, he traveled to Las Vegas and entered Binion’s Casino with two suitcases. The wheel spun and the ball landed on 7 Red, earning Revell $270,600.Īlso known as the Suitcase Man or the Phantom Gambler, William Lee Bergstrom is a story of extraordinary wins – and extraordinary losses. At the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, he decided to place his entire life’s fortune on red at the roulette table. By the end of selling it all, Revell had nothing but $135,300 to his name. In the months leading up to his remarkable wager, Revell decided to sell every single possession he had – including his house, car, personal possessions, and even his clothes. Sure, there are bets higher than Ashley Revell’s bet, but not many other bettors put quite as much on the line as he did. However, Golden Gate did give $50,000 at the end to donate to charity. Betting their winnings on black for round two, unfortunately, did not win, cutting them short of their $1 million goal. Their first bet of $125,000 on red won, earning them $250,000. The boys put $125,000 on even money roulette bets and tried to roll it over 3 times, and ended up making the largest roulette bet in Vegas history of $250,000. When the MTV hit reality show, “ The Buried Life ”, came to Las Vegas with their bucket list item to try to make $1 million, they headed to Golden Gate Casino. Learn about some of the biggest record-breaking wins, along with the fascinating stories that go along with the bettors who placed those life changing bets. From literally betting it all to winning millions after just betting a few dollars, slot machines and table games in Las Vegas hold many tales. Las Vegas has a strong history with gambling, so it should come as no surprise that there have been some pretty outrageous bets and wins over the years.

Roulette winner