How often have you walked into a casino and imagined yourself walking out with millions? How often do you open your casino account with high hopes? Everyone plays to win and to win big. Every day, people win in casinos, but truly large wins are rare. You can try your luck at a number of different online casinos and betting sites here.
Some players are extremely fortunate, turning a few dollars into millions. There are also winners who make their luck by tossing money at the house in the hope that Lady Luck will smile at them. Whatever path they take to these staggering sums, the taste of winning the jackpot is the same. Here are some people who have been fortunate enough to have their million-dollar dreams come true (both in land-based and online casinos).
Jon Heywood had only been a Betway Casino player for 25 minutes when things changed forever. He nabbed the £13-million Mega Moolah jackpot, which is the equivalent of C$26.5 million, in just one spin and just like that, became the largest online slot winner ever.
How It Started
Everything happened so fast on one seemingly ordinary October night in 2015. The 26-year-old who was a former soldier had been working a minimum-wage job and decided to just spin for fun after work.
He’d just joined Betway Casino and after making a deposit of C$52 (£30), began playing Mega Moolah, a hugely popular Microgaming casino slot. Heywood claims that he picked the game because he was on the lookout for a progressive jackpot slot and it stood out.
The Jackpot
Heywood began making bets but kept them low, wagering only £0.25 (C$0.43) per spin. He later admitted that he was more engrossed in a documentary showing on the TV at the time than the game he was playing, so he didn’t even have a winning strategy in mind at the time. After a few moments, however, a large wheel was displayed on the screen, and he realized he had gotten to a bonus level. When he spun the wheel, it settled on the jackpot spot, much to his surprise! He initially assumed the prize would be in the thousands of pounds. Rather, the figures that would change his life forever were staring back at him: £13,213,838.
Heywood couldn’t sleep the night of the victory because of disbelief, shock, and uncertainty about whether to go to work the next day. He went to work as usual, but nothing would ever be the same again.
How The Money Was Used
Heywood spent his winnings wisely on things that mattered to him. The first priority was to handle the payment for the best possible medical care for his seriously ill father, who needed a lung and heart transplant. Following that, he sponsored his parents’ relocation and ensured that they were financially secure. He also fulfilled a promise he made to a close friend by gifting him CAD 6.95 million (£4 million)
Of course, Heywood indulged himself as well, taking some well-deserved vacations and purchasing a new car! The remainder of the funds were carefully invested, allowing him to begin his dream job and leave his low-paying one. He ventured into the home renovation market, purchasing and renovating old houses before reselling them, and is enjoying every bit of it as the company grows.
When Betway last interviewed him in 2019, he was still buying and renovating houses while also awaiting his first child’s birth.
Jon Heywood Now
Nowadays, Heywood understandably prefers to remain anonymous. Heywood still holds the Guinness record to this day. Someone broke his Mega Moolah record in 2018 with a win of C$28.2 million, but the individual declined to claim the new Guinness record for themselves.
All who know Jon Heywood currently still refer to him to be as friendly and nice as he was before he won the lottery.
Heywood’s story demonstrates that sometimes a small investment is all that is required to win big. A step is often what it takes. People are still winning big by betting, and their lives are being changed forever. Not just their lives but that of the people closest to them. Who knows, you may just be the next Jon Heywood.
