10 biggest bingo wins in American history

10 biggest bingo wins in American history

Bingo might be a humble game of chance, but for a lucky few, it has led to life-changing payouts. Below, OLBG counts down the 10 biggest bingo wins ever recorded in the United States, ranked by their jaw-dropping prize values. (And stick around, after the top 10, read about some massive online bingo wins and outrageous noncash prizes that add extra flair to bingo’s history.)

1. The $10M Las Vegas Mystery Jackpot (2012)

Topping the list is a legendary bingo win that sounds almost too crazy to be true. In 2012, an anonymous 60-year-old woman in Las Vegas reportedly hit a $10 million bingo jackpot, which is by far the largest bingo prize in American history. This staggering windfall is nearly five times bigger than the official world-record bingo prize (~$2.1 million). Details about this Vegas mega-win are scarce (the winner apparently kept a low profile), but it remains the ultimate bingo lore: a single bingo session paying out eight figures. It eclipses anything seen before and since, making it the holy grail of bingo wins in the U.S.

2. Carol Y.’s $5.5M Win - Las Vegas (2012)

Not far behind is another Las Vegas bingo bonanza. In 2012, Carol Y., a retired school teacher, was playing at a Vegas casino when she hit a special bingo tournament jackpot worth $5.5 million. Carol had been a bingo regular for years and always dreamed of a big win. That dream became reality when she covered her card to claim the top prize of the tournament. At the time, this was one of the largest bingo payouts ever seen in the U.S. Carol’s unbelievable win allowed her to retire comfortably.

3. John T.’s $3.3M Jackpot - California (2014)

The West Coast got its turn in 2014, when a gentleman identified as John T. won a whopping $3.3 million at a bingo hall in California. John T. had been a bingo enthusiast for many years, often hoping for that one big win. It finally came during a special event at his local hall, where he hit a jackpot that instantly made him a multimillionaire. This California bingo windfall is one of the largest on record, and it highlights that huge bingo prizes aren’t limited to Vegas; even a neighbourhood bingo hall can surprise you with a seven-figure payout.

4. Susan R.’s $2.5M Win - New York (2015)

The East Coast entered the bingo record books in 2015. In New York, a long-time player named Susan R. clinched a colossal $2.5 million jackpot at her local bingo hall. Susan was a regular gambler. She hit the coverall jackpot during a special bingo event, becoming an instant millionaire. This win is noted as the largest bingo prize ever in New York, and it spread hope among bingo buffs.

5. Foxwoods’ Firecracker Bingo - $1M (2011)

One of the first bona fide million-dollar bingo wins in the U.S. took place at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. To celebrate 25 years of bingo operations, Foxwoods hosted a high-stakes “Firecracker Bingo” event on July 2, 2011, and it paid off big. Jennifer McKenzie, from Niantic, Connecticut, hit the jackpot and took home $1 million in cash. This was a landmark moment, as it proved American bingo halls could produce seven-figure winners. (At the same event, another player won a brand-new Corvette as a door prize, more on noncash prizes later.) Foxwoods’ bingo hall, the largest in North America, truly made history that day with a cool million going to one very lucky winner.

6. Birthday Millionaire at Lone Butte - $1M (2018)

In 2018, an Arizona man got an unforgettable birthday present courtesy of bingo. While playing the Bingo Millions game at Gila River’s Lone Butte Casino (in the Phoenix area), this unnamed 34-year-old hit the top prize of $1 million on his birthday. The Bingo Millions game is billed as “the world’s richest regular session bingo game,” and it lived up to its name that night. The birthday winner’s life-changing jackpot underscores how newer bingo innovations (like nationwide linked progressives) have made million-dollar payouts a reality in American bingo halls. Not a bad way to celebrate turning another year older.

7. ‘Lucky Tara’ Strikes it Rich - $250,000 (2018)

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Sometimes you don’t need a million to make bingo history. In 2018, a player known as Tara (a Pennsylvania resident visiting New York) won $250,000 at the Seneca Gaming & Entertainment bingo hall in Salamanca, New York. This quarter-million jackpot came during the Seneca casino’s 36th anniversary Million Dollar Bingo Special. Tara managed to get a coverall in 48 calls, landing the biggest bingo payout ever recorded in Western New York. She was just one ball short of the $1 million grand prize. The crowd was thrilled to witness the record-breaking win, even at a “mere” $250,000.

8. Record ‘Cash Ball’ at Santa Fe Station - $199,578 (2025)

Las Vegas makes another appearance on this list, this time with a record-setting bingo Cash Ball jackpot. In May 2025, local player Clementine K. hit a $199,578 jackpot during the 3 p.m. bingo session at Santa Fe Station casino. This win was the largest bingo cash-ball jackpot in Station Casinos’ history, according to the company. The Cash Ball is a progressive bonus in Station’s bingo halls, and Clementine’s nearly $200,000 prize had been building up for months before her lucky numbers came in. Her win generated plenty of excitement (and some joyful screaming) in the northwest Las Vegas Valley. It goes to show that even outside of special million-dollar events, bingo jackpots can creep up during regular casino sessions.

9. Dorothy Black’s Lucky Eagle Jackpot - $133,639 (2014)

In August 2014, Dorothy Black of Olympia, Washington, made headlines by winning $133,639 at the Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel, the largest bingo prize in that casino’s history. The CEO himself presented Dorothy with an oversized check to mark the occasion. She won the jackpot playing a standard session at Lucky Eagle’s bingo hall, which shows that sometimes even smaller tribal casinos can produce six-figure winners. For Dorothy, a long-time player, this amount was truly life-changing. Her big win is fondly remembered in Washington’s bingo community as proof that persistence and a bit of luck can lead to a record-breaking bingo haul.

10. Oklahoma’s Biggest Bingo Win - $100,000 (2018)

Rounding out the top 10 is the largest bingo win in Oklahoma’s history to date. In September 2018, Melissa Resendiz hit a $100,000 jackpot at the Goldsby Gaming Center in Norman, Oklahoma. She was playing the “Bingo Millions 5 Combo” game and nailed a coverall on the 47th ball, triggering the six-figure prize. Melissa’s win was part of a new bingo progressive rollout, and it set the state record for bingo payouts. “This win is life-changing and a blessing,” Melissa said afterwards, still in disbelief at her good fortune. While $100,000 is the smallest prize on this list, it’s no small potatoes — and in many bingo circles, a prize of that size is considered astronomical (and certainly crazy enough to celebrate).

Bonus: Online Bingo’s Biggest Mega-Wins (Worldwide)

Traditional hall bingo has big moments, but online bingo has produced some even larger jackpots (albeit mostly outside the USA). The convenience of internet play and massive progressive jackpots have led to record payouts that dwarf most American hall wins. For instance:

• John Orchar, a 60-year-old Brit, won 5.9 million pounds in 2012 (then, worth about $9.5 million) after betting just 30 pence on an online bingo game. This remains one of the biggest bingo wins ever, anywhere in the world. John promptly retired from his job and even treated himself to a new Jaguar with his bingo fortune.
• “Georgios M.,” an anonymous player from Greece, scored 5.1 million pounds in 2009 (then, roughly $7.4 million) on a progressive online bingo slot. He chose to keep his identity under wraps, but his gigantic win stood as a world record until John Orchard came along.
• Lisa Potter, a 33-year-old U.K. mom, casually tried online bingo in 2012 and ended up winning 1.3 million pounds (then, about $1.9 million). She only wagered 5 pounds while bored at home, talk about a lucky break.
• Other notable online bingo jackpots include players like Anita C. (who pocketed around $1.4 million) and Christine Bradfield, a Welsh grandmother who won 1.1 million pounds in a bingo hall (a world record for in-person bingo wins at the time). These stories show that whether online or offline, bingo can surprise anyone with a life-changing windfall.

It’s worth noting that due to U.S. regulations, the biggest online bingo wins have occurred in Europe, where online bingo is more widespread. Still, American bingo fans marvel at these internet jackpots — they’re the “craziest wins” in the wider bingo world.

Wildest Noncash Prizes in Bingo

Cash isn’t the only thing bingo players have won. Over the years, some bingo events have offered extravagant noncash prizes that deserve a mention. High-stakes bingo sessions (often at casinos or charity fundraisers) sometimes give away luxury items for special games or as door prizes:

• New Cars: It’s not uncommon for big bingo tournaments to award cars. For example, at Foxwoods’ $1 Million game in 2011, one player (Victoria R. of Virginia) walked away with a brand-new Chevrolet Corvette, valued at around $73,000, as a door prize. Winning a sleek sports car at bingo is certainly a story to tell the grandkids.
• Vacations and More: Some bingo halls have given out all-expenses-paid vacations, luxury cruises, or high-end electronics during special promotions. While these prizes don’t always match the cash value of the jackpots above, they still add to the crazy bingo experience. Imagine shouting “Bingo!” and finding out you’ve won a trip to Hawai’i or a home theatre setup.

These out-of-the-ordinary prizes might not make the “highest-value” list, but they underline the fun and unpredictable nature of bingo. Whether it’s millions in cash, a flashy new car, or another lavish treat, bingo’s biggest wins (and wildest rewards) continue to capture our imagination, and keep players reaching for their lucky daubers in hopes of the next crazy win.

This story was produced by OLBG and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.