Has Anyone Won a Million Dollars on ‘Press Your Luck’? The Answer Frustrates Fans
"I almost feel bad when they get excited that they won a prize in rounds 1 or 2."
Published July 11 2025, 2:48 p.m. ET
Fans of Press Your Luck love watching contestants try to avoid Whammies and rack up prizes. Many fans, however, ask the same question over the years: Has anyone won a million dollars on Press Your Luck? The answer, surprisingly, is no, and that frustrates viewers who think the game has become too difficult to truly beat.
The show’s classic version from the 1980s never even offered a million-dollar prize. The most famous win came from Michael Larson, an ice cream truck driver who stunned producers in 1984 by winning $110,237 in cash and prizes. However, it wasn’t luck at all — he studied the show’s light patterns at home, memorized them, and used that to land only on money spaces while avoiding Whammies.
Has anyone won a million dollars on ‘Press Your Luck’? Viewers believe the big prize is nothing but a tease.
In newer versions of Press Your Luck, the rules include a special bonus round where the jackpot can hit a million dollars. Despite multiple seasons with Elizabeth Banks hosting, no contestant has ever actually taken home that grand prize.
One reason? Fans argue the bonus game feels stacked against players. On Reddit, viewers point out that the first rounds seem like filler — players win prizes early, only to lose them in final rounds that really matter. One user described it as “poor game design,” while others compared it to balancing a budget by making the hardest games unwinnable.
"The production company has a prize budget, and they will balance that over the course of taping shows," One fan added to the discussion on Reddit. A second individual chimed in, agreeing they always "assumed" there was a limit on how many of each prize can be given away during each season of the show.
Big wins still happen, sparking debate over who holds the record.
While no one has reached a million, the show has produced some huge payouts. In the 1980s, Michael’s $110,237 win was the biggest single-day game-show haul of its time, and when adjusted for inflation (making it equivalent to $357,231 in today's dollars), many argue it’s still the largest Press Your Luck prize.
In July 2024, however, a contestant named Dylan set a new raw-dollar record under the current format. TV Insider reported that he ended the episode as the show’s “biggest-ever winner” with a grand total of $152,333. Unfortunately, this was still a far cry from the million dollars.
To date, fans debate over whether Michael or Dylan deserves the crown. Furthermore, some argue whether Michael deserves the title of “winner” at all, given his iconic and scandalous strategy for winning.
Why do fans continue to watch a game show that leaves them so frustrated?
The mixture of chance, strategy, and risk is exactly what continues to keep Press Your Luck popular. That possibility of a huge jackpot — even if no one has won it — adds drama every time someone spins.
Unfortunately, no one has ever walked away with that million-dollar prize. Understandably, that frustrates viewers. But it's that same history, strategy, and controversy that keeps those frustrated viewers equally fascinated.