Gambler bets $5 on slot machine — and hits big jackpot at Florida casino

A lucky gambler walked away from a Florida casino with a huge jackpot prize.

The visitor won big while sitting at a Lightning Link slot machine Sept. 23 at 4:30 a.m. at Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino in Okeechobee, the casino said in a news release.

The player bet $5, hit spin and watched as the symbols flashed across the screen until a jackpot message appeared.

The gambler won $124,276.27. The jackpot begins at $100,000 and continues to grow until there is a winner, casino officials said.

And the visitor had a remaining credit of $75 at the time of the win.

Okeechobee is about a 70-mile drive northwest from West Palm Beach.

This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Gambler bets $5 on slot machine — and hits big jackpot at Florida 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.