Can betting make you a millionaire? Can just one jackpot win help you pay off your student loans and make you live like a king for a day? Despite having a notorious reputation, the betting and gambling industry is more popular than ever. Thanks to new technologies that help generate massive progressive jackpots by contributors from all over the world, casino prizes are no longer only generous, they are gigantic. Reknown gaming expert Gilfred Helmonsen (more about him here), reveals that modern-day slots and games have little to do with your grandma’s slot machines.
“They are funky, cool, full of catchy tunes, breathtaking effects, have own betting sider, and massive payout potential. We are talking millions of USD, GDP, and EUR”, he explains enthusiastically, “They speak to much younger audiences than ever before. They are like video games that bring you money!”
And he isn’t wrong. Forget all about cherries, bells, diamonds, and sevens! New jackpot slots have not only bombastic prizes but also complex storylines and whole universes that can be accessed through integrated maps. Also, it is not only the casinos we are talking about.
“Sports betting has become more than a pastime. Now it’s a lifestyle and people of all generations place their bets not only on classics like football and tennis but also on esports, chess, showbiz, and politics”, says the expert. But, how much money are we talking about? Let’s take a look at some major wins that happened recently.
€8.1 Million – Deal or No Deal Megaways™
If someone offered you €8.1 million for playing just a single hand on a popular game, you would probably say “It’s a deal!”. This astonishing sum was won by a player who spent only €0.80 on a single spin on this Blueprint Gaming title. You don’t have to be good at math to know this deal was totally worth it!
$1.2 Million Bet on Tiger Woods Winning
Casino games might be fun, but standard sports bets can also be more than lucrative. In 2019, one lucky punter placed an $85,000 bet and kept his fingers crossed Tiger Woods would win the masters. As it turns out, both of them won! Tiger got the shiny new cup to add to his collection, and the hero of our story went home with spectacular $1.2 million in his pocket! Fun fact: the guy also claims this was the first bet he placed in his life!
€260K – Wheel of Wishes
Wheel of Wishes might not be the coolest kid at the table, but considering it awarded one lucky player with €260,000, you will definitely want to give it a chance. Wheel of Wishes is part of the Microgaming progressive jackpot network, and one of the most beloved slots in the industry. Considering the size of that pot, this winning spin was totally worth the effort.
Is Every Bet a Winning One?
Even though the popularity of gambling and sports betting is on the rise, as well as the size of shockingly high wins, Helmonsen says not every bet is the winning one. “Players must understand the odds of every game. If you are into sports, you have to follow everything about it – from weather forecasts for the day of the match, to athletes’ romantic relationships and personal connections”, he says and adds you should trust no one who claims to have a winning combination just for you or that they know a sports match result in advance. “There is no such thing as free lunch, not even in the world of betting”, he warns.