Gambler from California bets $1 on slot — and hits jackpot at Las Vegas casino

A lucky gambler visiting from California won a big jackpot at a Las Vegas casino.

The player sat at a Big Dollar Gold slot machine Sept. 19 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the casino said in a news release.

The visitor bet $1, hit spin and watched as the symbols flashed across the screen until a jackpot message appeared that she won $20,000.

But this isn’t the only win to happen at the same casino recently.

Another player also visiting from California sat at a Huff N’ Even More Puff slot machine Sept. 14 and won $27,786, McClatchy News reported.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is about a 2-mile drive southeast from the Las Vegas Strip.

This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Gambler from California bets $1 on slot — and hits jackpot at Las Vegas casino."

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.