A 20 Cent Spin Won a Michigan Gambler $22.4M on DraftKings Online Casino

^{A Michigan gambler turned mere pocket change into $22.4 million on DraftKings Casino, smashing the record for US online jackpots. (Photo: Timon Schneider)}

One lucky player in Michigan has shattered the record for the largest jackpot in US regulated online casino history by winning $22,407,248.55 at DraftKings Casino on Wednesday.

The player won the life-changing jackpot on the Huff N’ Even More Puff slot machine on a tiny 20-cent bet. That's one big way to kick off Thanksgiving, to say the least.

Jackpot More Than Doubles Previous US Record

The $22.4 million payout more than doubled the US online casino's previous record. In February 2025, another Michigan gambler set the original record jackpot by hitting a $9.28 million jackpot also on DraftKings Casino, on the Irish Potluck progressive jackpot slot.

“Setting another record for the largest US online casino jackpot is a major moment – and it speaks to the incredible experiences we’re creating for our customers,” Christian Bogstrand, executive vice president and general manager of iGaming for DraftKings, said in a statement. “Topping $22 million is a milestone we’re proud of, and it reinforces our commitment to delivering a best-in-class gaming experience. Congrats to the winner!”

To put the jackpot in perspective, the average US worker earns approximately $36.67 an hour as of September 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At that wage, a full-time worker would have to work for more than 293 years to match the jackpot payout.

Win Ranks Among the Largest in Progressive Slots History

While the DraftKings jackpot will go down as the largest regulated US online casino jackpot ever, it isn’t the biggest online payout globally. The largest known online casino jackpot was awarded in December 2023, when a player hit Microgaming’s WowPot Mega Jackpot on the Wheel of Wishes slot machine for $42,149,180.

Meanwhile, the largest land-based slot machine win ever came on March 21, 2003, when a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles won $39,713,982.25 on a Megabucks slot machine at the Excalibur in Las Vegas.

While progressive jackpots are primarily funded by player contributions – they are a known liability to casino operators that often results in a serious short-term hit on a casino’s balance sheet. When DraftKings paid out its $9.28 million jackpot in February, it saw its revenues fall 25.6% for the month. With a jackpot more than twice that size now paid out, the financial impacts could be serious for DraftKings even after the company set its monthly best for Michigan in October with over $42 million in adjusted gross revenue.

Those revenue figures have come even as DraftKings has moved to end credit card deposits at its American online casinos and sportsbooks. The company is still best known for its sports betting and daily fantasy sports products, and has also announced a plan to move into the prediction markets space after acquiring Railbird in October.