Everybody dreams of winning big in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Monte Carlo or any of the other gaming destinations around the world.  Whether that big win comes from a roll of the dice, the turn of a card, or the spin of a wheel, the attraction of taking home loads of cash in an instant is the core of the appeal behind all of the glitziest casinos.  While millions try every year to take home the big jackpot, only a very few actually achieve this dream.  These are their stories.

The late Bob Stupak, a Las Vegas legend who participated in every facet of Sin City life from casino ownership to politics, earned his lofty status among gamblers as an expert poker player, winning a World Series of Poker bracelet in 1989.  In January of that year, he also took down a million-dollar bet on Super Bowl XXIII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals.  Although the 49ers were favored, their 20-16 victory did not cover the seven-point spread.  Legend has it that Stupak collected his winnings in bags from the McDonald’s fast food chain.

Even Stupak’s legendary gambling pales in comparison to Australian tycoon Kerry Packer.  In 1997, Packer made a trip to the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.  During the course of a week, Packer won more than US$20 million playing blackjack and baccarat.  He would often play all the seats at a blackjack table at the highest limit available.

The most popular avenue to pursue jackpot dreams is through the “one-armed bandits”.  One young man from Los Angeles was visiting Las Vegas to bet on the annual “March Madness” college basketball tournament.  In between games, he took a few pulls on one of the progressive slot machines.  One play netted him almost enough to buy his own basketball team: forty million dollars.  He opted to take the payments over the course of twenty-five years at US$1.5 million per year.