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It’s no secret that many Americans walk into a casino hoping to hit it big - chasing the dream of a life-changing win. But what if some casinos actually gave you better odds of making that dream a reality?
After analyzing more than 20 years of official jackpot data, we've uncovered the U.S. casinos where the most luck seems to strike. By looking at the highest jackpot wins, we’ve unveiled the luckiest casinos in the country - and ones you might want to earmark for your next trip.
Taking the top spot as the luckiest casino in the U.S., Excalibur in Las Vegas is the place to be if you’re dreaming of a big win. Known as the "Gambling Capital of the World," it's no surprise that Vegas is home to a casino that paid out a record-breaking $38.7 million jackpot - more than double the amount of the next highest win on the list. With a massive 92,389-square-foot gaming floor, this casino proves that if you’re going to gamble, then Excalibur might just be your best bet.
Coming in second is Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi - a city with a strong casino culture of its own. One incredibly lucky player walked away with $14.4 million here. And it's not just a one-off: three of Mississippi’s top five luckiest casinos are located in Biloxi, including Treasure Bay Casino (second-luckiest in the state) and Palace Casino (third). Clearly, this Gulf Coast hotspot is giving Vegas a run for its money.
On the West Coast, Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California ranks as the third-luckiest casino nationwide. Located within the Sacramento metro area, this resort has paid out a top jackpot of $12 million over the past 20 years. With its upscale amenities and consistent big wins, Thunder Valley is a major player in the California casino scene.
Rounding out the top four is Harrah’s Atlantic City, where one lucky visitor scored a $10 million jackpot. With nearly 177,000 square feet of gaming space and around 1,800 to 2,000 slot and video poker machines, it’s no wonder the odds of a big win are stacked in the player’s favor at Harrahs. As a staple of the East Coast casino scene, Harrah’s continues to deliver the excitement Atlantic City is known for.
Now that we know where to head to win big, which casinos should you avoid? We've rounded up the four most ‘unlucky’ casinos in the U.S. - those with the lowest jackpots ever claimed. If you're chasing life-changing wins, these might be the places to steer clear of.
At the bottom of the list is Pit River Casino in Burney, California. The highest jackpot ever claimed here was just $1.2K. A win is a win... I guess. Not far behind is Sho-Ka-Wah Casino, located in the small scenic town of Hopland, also in California. It only slightly edges out Pit River, with its biggest jackpot coming in at $1.3K.
Third on the list is Fort Randall Casino & Hotel, located east of Pickstown in South Dakota. Players haven’t had much better luck there either, with the top prize ever won sitting at $2,000. Rounding out our list of the unluckiest casinos is Brass Ass Casino in Cripple Creek, Colorado, where the highest jackpot taken home was $2,500.
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We analyzed two decades of verified jackpot win data from casinos across the United States. For each casino, we identified the single highest recorded jackpot win, allowing us to rank them from the "luckiest" to the least lucky based on this metric.
States not represented in the analysis were excluded due to either insufficient available data or the absence of regulated gambling within those jurisdictions.
