Gambler bets $9 on popular slot machine — then wins life-changing prize in Las Vegas

A gambler got lucky at a slot machine in a Las Vegas casino.

Now, they are $1,183,314.91 richer.

The player sat at a “Wheel of Fortune” slot machine at Encore at Wynn, International Game Technology said in a Jan. 16 Facebook post.

IGT is a gambling company that produces slot machines.

The gambler bet $9 on the popular game, hit spin and watched as symbols flashed across the screen. Then a jackpot message appeared.

“We have our first One Million+ dollar jackpot on Wheel of Fortune Slots in 2025!” the gaming company said in the post.

The Wynn and Encore are two hotels with curved bronze-colored towers on the northern end of the Strip.

Another Las Vegas gambler recently hit a big jackpot.

The player was at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, which is off the Strip, when they sat at an Abundant Fortune slot machine, McClatchy News reported.

The visitor bet $1.76 and won $31,595.20.

This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Gambler bets $9 on popular slot machine — then wins life-changing prize in Las Vegas."

Helena Wegner

McClatchy DC

Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.