The odds of one winning a Mega Jackpot in a lifetime are slim, and winning it twice is utterly unimaginable for many. An American man called Elmer Sherwin did it twice in his life, and is the only person in history to do so.
In 1989 Sherwin made his usual trip to Las Vegas to gamble at the newly opened Mirage Casino; within 10 hours after the Casino just opened he won a $4.6 million Megabucks Jackpot.
Sherwin and his wife were traveling by their mobile home and had stopped over at Las Vegas to visit family the day he won. For the past seven weeks, he had spent $100 per week hoping to win the Megabucks; he was lucky on the day he attended Mirage’s opening. On that day he gambled with his usual $100 and did not win, then borrowed an extra $20 from his wife and that was it.
After the win, being a humble man he went back to Ohio traveling by his mobile home. The first big thing he bought was a recliner chair and a Dodge Colt car six months later, a reasonably priced car. He kept on traveling from time to time and gave a fraction of the winnings to family members.
Later, he moved to Las Vegas and gambled occasionally. At the age of 92, 16 years after the $4.6 million win, lady luck was on Sherwin’s side again, and he earned a whopping $21 million from the Megabucks Slot at the Cannery Casino & Hotel. Staff at the casino recall the moment, during the verification process he turned down a dinner offer only accepting a hot dog. He chose interval payments rather than a lump-sum and continued with his simple life.
Las Vegas casino offered him several comps and free offers which he rejected. Sherwin kept playing slots and passed away at the age of 93. It seems his pleasant and humble character was the source of his luck.
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