The world of gambling and casinos is by nature highly competitive, so it’s no surprise that the Guinness World Record holders in this area boast some pretty mind-blowing stats. The Guinness Book of Records is often lauded as the best-selling reference book of all time and appearing in its pages can become a lifelong obsession for many. For over six decades, the British-based publication has created an annual list of world records, cataloguing the most incredible human achievements and extreme natural phenomena of all time, and naturally some of these relate to gambling and casinos.
From 100-hour poker tournaments to the biggest online casino win the world, here are the gambling world records that have left us speechless.
Longest Ever Poker Game
Anyone who has played poker will know how immersive a good game can be; before you know it you’ve been at the table for hours, but one player in particular took his devotion to the extreme. Cypriot poker pro Phil Laak currently holds the record for the longest running individual poker game at a staggering 115 hours at the poker table in 2010. He played for nearly five days with no sleep at Nevada’s famous Bellagio Hotel & Casino, smashing the previous record (a meagre 72 hours) in an event watched by over 100,000 people. We can only hope that Phil took loo breaks!
World’s Oldest Croupier
Professional casino dealers have a unique skill set that goes above and beyond slick card-handling – one that takes years to hone. Joanna Dodd holds the record as the oldest ever croupier. Born on 15th January 1936, Joanna worked the tables in a Vegas casino until the age of 79 years and 36 days, registering her achievement in 2015 and beating the previous record by one day.
Most Casinos Visited
How many casinos have you visited in your lifetime? Whatever the number, we guarantee that Edwin Wheeler has you beaten. The American gambling fan visited a whopping 358 different casinos between 1955 and 2002. His travels, which took him all over the USA, occurred before the dawn of the online casino craze, and we wonder if Edwin would have embarked on his quest with the same enthusiasm if he’d been able to play his favourite card games online?
Most Valuable Casino Chip
Usually the whole purpose of a casino chip is that it has no inherent value, but this isn’t the case with the chip created by Gerald N. Lewi in 2013. The designer created a decadent poker chip worth an astonishing Canadian $450,000 (around £300,00). The handcrafted chip was made from 22-karat rose gold and studded with 5-carat pink diamonds around its edge. The two faces have the raised shapes of 7 and 8 studded with (you guessed it) yet more diamonds. This is a chip you really wouldn’t want to spend!
Biggest Online Gambling Payout
Sometimes a shot in the dark really pay off, and whether you’re a casual Baccarat player or a devoted poker pro, it’s always fascinating to read about big wins that come out of the blue to ordinary people. The largest ever online lottery pay-out was won by Berlin-based Christina, who scooped a staggering €90 million (approximately £79 million) in 2018. The incredible sum was paid out by Lottoland Ltd., transforming the former cleaner’s life forever.
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