The 5 biggest roulette wins in the 21st Century
Roulette is the most popular game in the casino, thanks to its simple-to-understand format, beautiful colors, and chance to win big on any spin. How big can these wins be? Well let’s take a look. Below are the 5 biggest roulette wins in the 21st Century (so far), ranked in ascending order.
Ashley Revell, $270,000, 2004
English gambler Ashley Revell sold all his possessions, including his clothes and Essex house, and travelled to Las Vegas to bet it all (£135,000) on one spin at the Plaza Hotel & Casino. He chose correctly, winning double his money. Revell used the proceeds to set up an online poker company, which went bankrupt in 2012. Also, Essex property prices have trebled in the years since his win. So did Revell really win, especially when adjusting for risk? I don’t know. It’s a great story, though.
Pedro Grendene Bartelle, $1,225,000, 2017
This Brazilian gentleman has two entries on this list. The first of them was won at the Hotel Conrad at Uruguay’s Punta del Este resort, for $1.25 million, in January 2017. As the nephew of a famous Brazilian tycoon, Bartelle could afford to bet $35,000 on a single spin, using a modified complete bet strategy. For Bartelle’s greatest win, read on.
Mike Ashley, £1,300,000, 2008
Newcastle United soccer team owner Mike Ashley hit the headlines in 2008 when winning almost $2 million on a single spin at a casino in Mayfair, London. Ashley had been at the table for just 15 minutes, making complete bets on his favorite number (17 black), when he hit the big time. He told the croupier, “that’ll do me”, collected his winnings, and left. He hasn’t been so lucky with his Newcastle team, as the Magpies have suffered two relegations from the English Premier League since then.
Philip Green, £2,000,0000, 2004
Now disgraced English retail tycoon Philip Green almost bankrupted London casino Les Ambassadeur’s Club in 2008 thanks to an incredible winning run over the course of a few weeks. The biggest win came with a near $3 million winning spin, but there were plenty of other million-dollar plus wins which forced the casino to issue a profit warning in the late noughties. The casino is still going strong in 2021, however – unlike Philip Green’s Arcadia group, which went bust during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pedro Grendene Bartelle, $3,500,000, 2019
This lucky Brazilian returned to the scene of his 2017 victory for the world record roulette win in 2019. Again, playing with the unique modified complete bet strategy, focusing on the number 32, Bertelle bet $100,000 a spin. It worked out rather well for him once more, as he and his entourage walked away with three and a half million dollars.
The wins above show the enormous potential of the roulette wheel. But as with any casino game, the more you can win, the higher the potential loss involved. While roulette is a negative sum game for players (i.e., the house wins over the long run) you can increase your chances of surviving longer by practicing first at an online roulette table for low stakes before you attempt to become the next Pedro Grendene Bartelle.