7 Forms of Gambling That Give You the Best Chance to Win Big

One of the most appealing aspects of gambling is that it provides the opportunity to win big. You can earn millions of dollars through certain games.

Of course, you have to choose the right forms of gambling to play for fortunes. The following seven games give you the strongest chance of getting rich.

1 – Lottery

No type of gambling has created more millionaires than the lottery. Mega Millions, Powerball, EuroMillions, and SuperEnalotto are particularly notable for how many people they’ve made wealthy.

Powerball has paid out the two biggest jackpots in lottery history. It delivered a $1.57 billion payout in January 2013. Then, in November 2022, one lucky player won $2.04 billion with a single Powerball ticket.

Mega Millions has also paid some notable windfalls, too. It delivered a $656 million payout in March 2012 and a $648 million prize in December 2013.

One reason why lotteries are able to build such massive prizes is their user-friendly nature. You need only pay for a ticket(s) and pick your numbers to play.

Actually, you don’t even need to choose your numbers. Instead, you can opt for the quick-pick option and have the machine generate numbers for you.

The lottery requires little to no skill to play and features life-changing payouts. But the only drawback is that lottery payout percentages are awful.

On average, you’ll only win back $0.50 for every dollar wagered. As long as you’re fine with this, though, then you can still look forward to some excitement through lotteries.

2 – Slot Machines

Slots are similar to lotteries in that they’ve created plenty of millionaires. In particular, Las Vegas’ Megabucks, Microgaming’s Mega Moolah (online), and NetEnt’s Mega Fortune (online) have made lots of people rich.

Megabucks holds the record for the largest slots jackpot ever. In 2003, an anonymous software engineer won $39.7 million through this game at Las Vegas’ Excalibur casino.

Slot machines require you to insert money and spin the reels for prizes. You can increase your bet size in hopes of winning larger payouts.

Many slot games have started to offer progressive jackpots. These prizes are awarded at random on qualifying bets. The prize is usually larger than standard jackpots because thousands, if not millions, of players have paid into it.

Much like the lottery, slots don’t require any true strategy. The main strategy is to look for games with high return to player (RTP) and properly manage your bankroll.

Most online slots offer around 96% RTP. Slot machines in land-based casinos only pay between 90% and 95% on average.

3 – Poker

Poker is one of only two games on this list that can offer long-term profits. By improving your skills, you subsequently boost your chances of winning over the long haul.

But as much skill as this game involves, it also features a ticket to riches in poker tournaments. Some tourneys have multimillion-dollar prize pools and offer seven-figure payouts at the top.

The World Series of Poker Main Event is a perfect example of such a tournament. It has offered a $1 million prize or larger to the champion every year since 2019.

Pros have dominated the Main Event in recent years. But amateurs sometimes get lucky and take down this prestigious tourney.

Chris Moneymaker is the most famous example. After winning his $10k Main Event seat online, the accountant and amateur player won the 2003 WSOP ME and $2.5 million.

Jamie Gold is another example of the dozen-plus amateurs who’ve triumphed in this tournament. The Hollywood talent agent won the 2006 WSOP ME and $12 million.

High-stakes cash games offer another route toward winning big in poker. However, you must be quite skilled to grind your way up the ladder and into these games.

4 – Daily Fantasy Sports

Although not as popular as it was several years ago, daily fantasy sports (DFS) still deliver some big prizes.

Case in point, DraftKings holds a $10m NFL Millionaire Maker contest that pays the winner $2 million. Not far behind, FanDuel offers a $6m NFL Sunday Million that delivers $1 million to the champ.

Aside from the huge events, DFS is a skill-based game. It’s also similar to poker tournaments in terms of structure and prize money.

Your knowledge of professional athletes’ values will help you maximize your lineups. You can also submit multiple entries into guaranteed prize pool tournaments to increase your chances of winning.

The only problem is that DFS pros do most of the winning. However, you can still take a shot at the huge tourneys even if you’re not the most skilled at daily fantasy.

5 – Bingo

Bingo is the most underrated gambling game that can make you rich. One reason for this is the typical setting, which, in America, often involves a church basement.

In reality, commercial bingo is big business. Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino has been so successful with the game that they’ve built a 3,600-seat bingo hall.

The largest bingo operations are able to offer massive prizes that might shock you. In some cases, players can even become millionaires with the right games.

John Orchard is the biggest bingo winner of all time. The Brit scooped a £5.9 million payout at an online bingo site in December 2012. That was worth more than $7.7 million at the time.

Orchard was a 60-year-old job center worker prior to his massive jackpot. After winning a multimillion-pound prize on a 30p bet, he was finally able to retire.

Most bingo prizes aren’t quite as large as Orchard’s windfall. However, his story shows what’s possible with the biggest games.

You can win great prizes by playing online bingo games as well. Of course, you will want to make sure you understand the difference between online and land-based bingo halls before you play.

6 – Progressive Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the more strategic games in the casino. It gives you a solid chance to beat the house with the correct strategy.

However, blackjack can also offer progressive jackpots. Such games deliver the progressive prize if you get the right combination of cards.

You can also look forward to smaller side payouts. Here’s a common setup for progressive blackjack payouts:

You must make a $1 side bet to qualify for the jackpot in most cases. This is a small price to pay when considering that certain prizes can be worth more than $250,000.

As for the jackpot, you need to be dealt four suited aces in consecutive order. If your first two cards are suited aces, then you’d want to keep hitting in pursuit of the top prize.

7 – Caribbean Stud

Caribbean Stud Poker is another card game that can offer large jackpots. In fact, this game is well-known for its progressive payouts.

Beginning with the basics, Caribbean Stud involves trying to get a better poker hand than the dealer. Assuming you make the separate $1 side bet, you’re also hoping to qualify for the jackpot.

You can fold and surrender your ante bet at this point, or you can double your ante wager. From here, a series of things can happen based on your hand and the dealer’s hand.

What’s more important to our discussion is what happens with the side bet. You win 100% of the jackpot with a royal flush. Meanwhile, you collect 10% of the jackpot with a straight flush.

Some progressive jackpots are worth over $200,000. That said, you’ll find the $1 side wager worth making.

Are You Ready to Get Rich Gambling?

Millions of people gamble every day with the hopes of winning a life-changing amount of money. The seven types of gambling above give you the best chance of realizing that dream.

Find out more about casino games by reading our latest casino blogs.