The Biggest Roulette Winners in the World

Article by: Nicholas Crouch - Casino Еxpert

Date Published: 19/04/22

Have you ever wondered how the biggest roulette winners managed to earn such great prizes? Players often hear of legendary roulette winners, earning millions in a single spin and sometimes risking their entire budgets. We will look at some of these stories and learn more about their incredible strategies.

What are Roulette Winners?

As mentioned above, the top roulette winners are people who have placed huge bets on roulette games and won impressive rewards. We will take a closer look at some of the most popular roulette winners stories. That includes details on their casino of choice and their prize. We will also examine their strategies and see how they achieved these results. However, you should always remember to gamble responsibly and have fun above all else. You can use the quick navi below to navigate this blog. Now, let’s dive into these exciting tales.

The History of Roulette and Roulette Winners Stories

Before learning about the biggest roulette win, it’s essential to know more about the popular roulette game. It first appeared in the 18th c. in France, with roulette meaning “little wheel”, and was derived from the Italian game Biribi. The original wheel had a zero and a double zero pocket, similar to the current layout of American roulette. However, it was later changed to just one zero pocket.

There are three main roulette variations: American, European and French. While each version has significant differences, the overall gameplay is the same, as you place your bet on a number or combination of numbers and hope the ball lands in the right pocket. You can only place bets until the ball starts spinning in land-based and live roulette games.

Unlike slots, roulette involves a fair bit of strategy, so following statistics and making a plan can easily get you some good prizes, which is essentially the roulette winners’ strategy. This strategic element is what makes roulette popular even today, with many enjoying RNG roulette games at the best roulette sites.

Top 10 Biggest Roulette Winners List

1. Charles Wells (2 000 000 Francs)
2. Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo (€5 000 000)
3. Ashley Revell ($270 000)
4. Billy Walters ($3 800 000)
5. Joseph Jagger ($375 000)
6. Paul Newey (£3 000 000)
7. Mike Ashley (£1 300 000)
8. Richard Jarecki ($1 280 000)
9. William Darnborough ($415 000)
10. Philip Green (£2 000 000)

1. Charles Wells – The First Big Roulette Winner

Even in its early days, roulette saw many big winners with extraordinary bouts of luck, although not all of them were reputable individuals. Charles De Ville Wells was a fraudster who had scammed many people in Britain and France with false plans for various inventions. In 1891, he would use the money acquired from scams to visit the casino in Monte Carlo.

Unlike other online roulette winners, Wells did not have a unique strategy and instead seemed to rely purely on luck. He did not use any fraudulent tactics and was able to “break the bank” by winning 1 000 000 francs. Unlike when playing at the best casino sites in the UK, land-based roulettes have a reserve, so when Wells won too much, the table was temporarily closed.

He would later make a second visit and win another 1 million francs, which he then used to buy a huge yacht. Despite this, he would continue scamming people, which eventually led to him being imprisoned several times, and he would die in 1922 after losing all his money.

His exploits would be immortalised in the song “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” and a 1935 movie.

2. Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo – Overcoming the Roulette

Some of the biggest roulette winners have inadvertently helped improve the game by discovering flaws that give players advantages. Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo is a Spanish film and music producer, often credited as one of the founders of Andalusian rock. Despite his long career in those industries, he is most famous for his gambling exploits and learning how to make accurate roulette predictions.

Gonzalo discovered that specific numbers had much higher odds of becoming winning numbers due to design flaws in the wheel. After spending months studying the wheel at the Casino Gran Madrid and enlisting the help of other gamblers, he had his eldest son and daughter play at the casino. Thanks to his accurate computer analysis, the family was able to win around 70 million pesetas in 1992.

After almost being banned by all casinos in Spain, the family went on to play in other countries, including Australia, Denmark and Las Vegas. They would win a total of 250 million pesetas and would soon retire. However, even today they work on developing new methods to help them win at the reputable online casino sites. Meanwhile, land-based casinos have improved the manufacturing process of roulette wheels to avoid imperfections.

3. Ashley Revell – All or Nothing

Gamblers risking it all and winning huge prizes is not exclusive to movies. Not much is known about Ashley Revell before his big win, except that he is an Englishman who sold all his possessions and gathered around $135 000. The goal was to go to Vegas and risk it all for a huge payout. His bet paid off and turned him into one of the biggest roulette winners in Vegas.

Unlike other roulette winners, Revell’s strategy was to bet everything he owned on red. It was an incredibly risky move, but it paid off as he managed to double his prize and win $270 600. This fascinating story caught the media’s attention, with Sky One filming the event as a miniseries, and Revell appeared in a documentary alongside famous poker player Stu Ungar.

After his win, Revell would establish an online poker site and even a company to help people find jobs at online casino sites. While his prize may not be as impressive as other roulette winners’ stories, it is an excellent example of the excitement players can experience in roulette games.

4. Billy Walters – Outstanding Winning Streak

As far roulette winners’ stories go, Billy Walters is undoubtedly among the most impressive ones. Born in Kentucky, Walters was raised by his grandmother and lived a poor life, even working two jobs when he was 13. However, with enough hard work as a car salesman, he would eventually be able to start his own automobile sales business and earn a fortune.

Walters had been gambling since he was 9, so it was no surprise when he devoted himself entirely to sports betting. He was on a losing streak until 1986 when he moved to Las Vegas and played at the roulette table in the Golden Nugget. Along with his partner, he noticed that the wheel had a bias towards the numbers 7-10-20-27-36.

After a day and a half of gambling by betting on these numbers, Walters managed to win $3 800 000, beating Richard Jarecki’s record win. Following this win, Walters would continue his gambling career, betting on sports like American football and baseball and even participating in poker tournaments. Along with a team of other gamblers, he would enjoy a 30-year winning streak.

While Walters hasn’t played roulette in some time, he still enjoys sports betting and won $3.5 million on a Super Bowl bet. Along with his wife, he even earned the Las Vegas Philanthropists of the Year award in 1997 for his charity work. It is a genuinely inspiring rags to riches story, especially for gamblers playing at the top online sports betting sites or US casinos sites.

5. Joseph Jagger – Studying the Wheel

Around ten years before Charles Wells, Monte Carlo would see Joseph Jagger achieve his biggest roulette win. Joseph Hobson Jagger was an English businessman with a textile company facing bankruptcy and needed a way to support his family. Along with his eldest son and nephew, he would travel to Monte Carlo in 1881 and risk it all to win big. However, he was not without a plan.

Using whatever money he had, Jagger hired several clerks to help him record winning roulette numbers. Similar to other roulette winners, he realised the wheel was biased towards specific numbers due to imperfections. After months of observations and several days of gambling, he had won around $375 000 in francs, worth millions of dollars today.

Although the casino caught on and changed the wheels, Jagger had cashed out his winnings, using them to buy homes for his family and retire. He would never gamble again and lived a peaceful life, while his story was immortalised in a 2018 biography. While such success is hard to replicate, modern players can enjoy an equal amount of fun at the best online live casinos.

6. Paul Newey – The Star of Star City Casino

Even in contemporary times, you can find plenty of stories about roulette winners. Paul Newey is the co-founder of Ocean Finance and later founded New Wave Ventures, a privately owned investment fund. Newey even appeared in Birmingham Post’s rich list for a few years, placing 17th in 2015. However, he is most famous for his biggest roulette win at Star City Casino in Birmingham.

Unlike other players, Paul Newey did not have a set roulette winners strategy and instead relied on his luck. That was enough to net him £3 000 000 and made the casino issue a profit warning to its investors. While Newey would later lose that money, he would not give up and moved to other gambling games.

In 2014, he would win $1.75 million on slot machines at Aria Casino in Las Vegas, similar to the ones at the best online slot sites. Additionally, starting in 2012, he would also participate in various poker tournaments, such as the World Series of Poker. These days Newey continues participating in tournaments, having earned over $4 800 000 in 2018, and even plays online poker.

7. Mike Ashley – Billionaire Wins Big

While many online roulette winners have humble backgrounds, anyone can join roulette games, including billionaires. Mike Ashley is a famous businessman known for being the former owner of Newcastle United FC and CEO of Frasers Group PLC., a retail group owning various store brands across the UK. What started as a small sports and ski shop became a huge company as Ashley expanded and acquired multiple brands.

Aside from his business ventures, Ashley is also a regular gambler. His experience shined when he placed a complete bet on 17, which involves betting on every possible combination of the number 17, for a single spin at his favourite casino, 50 St James in London. It’s a risky move with a high payout only attempted by dedicated high rollers at the top high roller casino sites.

As if Lady Luck herself smiled upon him, the ball landed perfectly in the 17 pocket, causing the crowd to applaud. After just 15 minutes and a single spin, Ashley walked away with a prize of £1 300 000. Sometimes, the riskiest strategies can certainly pay off and make you one of the biggest roulette winners.

8. Richard Jarecki – Winning Streak at European Casinos

Similar to the other biggest roulette winners, Richard Jarecki would make his fortune by exploiting the wheel. Born in Stettin, Germany, in 1931, Jarecki and his family emigrated to the US to escape Nazi Germany. He would study to become a doctor at Jersey Shore Medical Center and, after meeting his wife, moved to Germany and completed his studies at Heidelberg University.

While studying at Heidelberg, Jarecki also began gambling at casinos across Europe. Aside from being less likely to stop players on a winning streak, unlike American casinos, European roulette has thirty-seven pockets and is thus one of the casino games with the lowest house edge. He spent months studying the roulettes and discovered that the wheels became biased due to wear and tear from continuous use.

After months of analysis, he could spot imperfections by looking at a wheel and enjoyed winning streaks at operators across Europe. His biggest prize was $1 280 000 during a winning streak at Sanremo Casino. As casinos began improving the durability of their wheels, Jarecki retired to the USA and frequently enjoyed playing blackjack or roulette until the end of his days.

9. William Darnborough – Lucky Number 5

Monte Carlo appears to be a dream destination for roulette winners, as there have been multiple players who broke the bank and formed legendary tales. One of the lesser-known ones is William Darnborough. Not much is known about him before his win, but he was an American gambler who had previously played at saloons.

Darnborough would play at Monte Carlo for seven years, much longer than players in other roulette winners stories. One of his most incredible wins came when he used a simple roulette winners strategy, where he bet on the number five. This strategy helped him win for five spins, and after years of playing, he would win a total of $415 000.

After that, Darnborough retired from gambling and moved to England after marrying a young noblewoman. Aside from his death in 1958, not much else is known about his life, but his children would go on to become famous film producers or ballet dancers. Danborough’s humble tale is certainly fascinating, especially for those playing at real money online casinos.

10. Philip Green – A Mixed Strategy

Last but certainly not least, on our list of roulette winners is the businessman Philip Green. He is well-known as the former chairman of the now-defunct Arcadia Group, a retail company owning various store brands across the UK. Similar to Mike Ashley, he is a successful businessman with a net worth of around £910 million and a penchant for gambling.

While Green prefers playing blackjack, such as the games at the top blackjack casino sites, he certainly knew enough about roulette to score the biggest roulette win at Les Ambassadeurs. Using a mixed roulette winners strategy of even money bets (betting on red or black, etc.) and straight bets at odds of 35:1, he won £2 000 000.

It was a massive win for Green, but the casino had to issue a profit warning, similar to Newey’s impressive achievement. Green enjoys his wealth and occasionally gambles to this day. However, it is unknown if he has replicated the same success. Regardless, he is undoubtedly one of the biggest roulette winners in gambling history.

Roulette Winners Conclusion – Fun for Everyone

Although the achievements of these roulette winners are rare and impressive, roulette is more than just earning huge prizes. Both low rollers and high rollers enjoy the strategic elements, similar to online baccarat. They are always thinking of clever ways to increase their chances of becoming online roulette winners and make the gameplay more exciting.

Some players also enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of roulette games, whether they’re playing RNG games, live tables or at land-based casinos. They have fun competing with other gamblers and using various online casino bonuses to get extra playtime. Remember to gamble responsibly and enjoy your time with this fantastic game.

Roulette Winners FAQ

Before wrapping up our blog, we will answer all your pressing questions about the biggest roulette winners. Learn more about these impressive individuals, such as their gambling strategies and their lives before and after their wins. You can even find some additional interesting details about the history of roulette itself.

1️⃣ Who invented the roulette wheel?

Although the roulette wheel was invented in 1720 and roulette first appeared in 18th c. France, the exact creator is unknown. However, many believe that Blaise Pascal is the actual creator, with the wheel being a prototype for a perpetual motion machine. This failed design would become part of one of the most popular gambling games.

2️ Can you win big at roulette?

Yes, roulette games are well-known for having incredibly high table limits, leading to staggering prizes. Combined with the strategic element and lower house edge, the chance of becoming one of the biggest roulette winners in Vegas is high. However, as we mentioned in our roulette winners summary, you should always play responsibly.

3️⃣ What is the most someone has won on roulette?

The man who won the most among the roulette winners would be Charles Wells. Known as "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo", he would accumulate 2 000 000 francs across two visits, which would be more than $5 million today. Best of all, he did it while relying purely on his luck.

4️⃣ What happened to Joseph Jagger after his biggest roulette win?

Unlike most roulette winners stories, Joseph Jagger would completely quit gambling after his biggest roulette win. He would use the money to help his family by buying them homes and would live peacefully for the rest of his days. In 2018, a biographical book detailing his life was written by Anne Fletcher, his great-great-great niece.

5️⃣ Which is the most impressive among the roulette winners stories?

Certainly, the most impressive story is that of billionaire Mike Ashley. While others needed days of studying and gambling, he won a great sum of £1 300 000 after a single spin and only 15 minutes at the table. Even his strategy was simple, as it was a risky complete bet on 17 that paid off spectacularly.

6️⃣ Who made the riskiest roulette bet?

The riskiest bet would undoubtedly belong to Ashley Revell, who risked all his savings on a single spin. After selling off everything he owned and going to Vegas, he placed an even money bet on red and won a massive payout of $270 600. He even became the subject of a miniseries on British television.