The biggest casino wins in the UK

The UK gambling industry has always been strong, in part because it’s been baked into the culture of all social classes for a long time now. Annual revenue is in its billions, and although the casinos are hardly ecstatic at the thought of large jackpot wins, they do occur now and again. And, it just so happens that they almost exclusively occur on gambling sites, rather than physical casinos.

Although winning big in a casino isn’t likely, the reason behind most occurrence is usually progressive jackpots – where they multiply on top of each other. 

Top 5 Biggest UK Online Casino Wins

Mr M – £15,183,085 (April 2021)

In a moment that would forever change his life, Mr M struck gold. On the 14th of April, 2021, at 32Red Casino, there was a minute 80p spin on the Book of Atem: WowPot! slot. He managed to some how trigger a bonus round that led to an earth-shattering win of £15,183,085.96. The magnitude of this victory left Mr M in disbelief, particularly because he was playing with such a small amount of money to begin win. It prompted him to Google the number of zeros in a million just to be certain. One luxury he used the money for was his dream vintage car, not to mention the generational wealth he gained too…

Jon Heywood – £13,213,838 (October 2015)

Going back a few years prior, Jon Heywood, who was a British soldier from Crewe, etched his name into casino history in October 2015. Strangely, the urge to play came after watching a World War II tank documentary, where Jon signed up at Betway Casino and began playing Mega Moolah. Within 25 minutes and with just a measly 25p bet, he landed the outrageously life-changing jackpot of £13,213,838.68. Jon’s first thought was to use the money for his father’s much-needed heart and lung transplant, showing that while rare, these jackpots can have an impact on everybody around them. In this case, many lives were changed from a 25p wager.

Neil from Aberdeen – £6,373,373 (November 2017)

Like many big wins, Neil’s story is one of extraordinary beginner’s luck. On the 17th of November, 2017, while his family was watching TV, Neil decided to try his hand at online gambling after seeing an advert for Casumo Casino (one advert that, in hindsight, they may well have regretted). With a £30 deposit and £4 spins on the Hall of Gods slot, Neil triggered a lucky bonus round that resulted in a whopping £6,373,373 win. With his winnings, he bought a holiday home in Tenerife for his parents and took his children to Disneyland.

Anonymous Player – £6,200,000 (December 2016)

Many big winners understandably want to remain anonymous. Around Christmas time in 2016, one anonymous player received an early Christmas present at BGO Casino. Again, a small wager of £1.25 on the Mega Fortune slot yielded an astounding £6,200,000 jackpot. The person apparently believed the game had malfunctioned at first, and so they contacted customer support only to have their life-changing win confirmed. 

John Orchard – £5,883,044 (December 2012)

John Orchard was a Jobcentre worker from Lincolnshire. He soon saw his modest life turn upside down in December 2012. Playing the Dark Knight slot at Butlers Bingo with a 30p stake, John hit the Mega Moolah Mega Jackpot and managed to walk away with a life-changing £5,883,044. His win let him retire early, upgrade his motor to a Jaguar, and plan a 25th wedding anniversary celebration that went hard. 

Notable recent wins

Of course, millions play at casinos each month, so it’s no surprise that there are some big winners. Looking towards more recent wins, in 2023 Michael Clark from Newcastle made headlines with a £5.4 million win on King Kong Cashpots at Betfred. His £1.40 spin actually broke Betfred’s largest payout record in their over-half-century history. He soon upgraded his partner’s engagement ring and opted for a lavish wedding at St. James’ Park – not to mention the Caribbean honeymoon.

Another big win came from an anonymous Scottish player, who secured a £4.5 million win on the Jackpot Giant slot at Gala Bingo. When we think of who this anonymous player is, we do immediately picture a man. But, times are changing, and with more women now being interested in gaming, we hope to see this reflected in the future record wins.

Final word

Progressive jackpots are the reason for these wins, because it would be unlikely for someone to be brave enough to dump £5 million on red, meaning they may win £5 million, which is similar to some record amounts. Not to mention, the casino likely wouldn’t accept such a bet, anyway. So, like the lottery, the largest casino wins tend to come from small wager that are extremely rare in how they ride the wave of progressive jackpots.