Gambler turns $3 bet into life-changing jackpot prize at casino near Las Vegas

A lucky gambler turned a few dollars into a life-changing jackpot at a Nevada casino.

The player sat at a “Wheel of Fortune” Cash Link Big Money slot machine Oct. 17 at Sunset Station Hotel & Casino in Henderson, the casino said in a Facebook post.

The visitor bet $3, hit spin and watched as the symbols flashed across the screen until a jackpot message appeared.

The gambler won $1,048,675.87.

Henderson is in the Las Vegas metro area, about a 15-mile drive southeast from the Las Vegas Strip.

International Game Technology shared the big win in a Facebook post and a few people commented congratulating the winner.

“Congrats to the lucky winner!” one person said.

“Big hit! Congrats!” wrote another.

This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Gambler turns $3 bet into life-changing jackpot prize at casino near 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.