Some of life’s greatest moments can happen on a whim. For one incredibly lucky 21-year-old jackpot casino winner in Arizona, that’s exactly what happened.
Luis Rodriguez Gomez won a $1,100,075 jackpot while playing at Gila River Casino in Lone Butte, simply because his brother talked him into going to the Arizona casino the night of his win. He had this to say about his improbable experience:
“I was actually down to my last hand when I put down a $15 bet and put $5 on the progressive circle. When I realized what I had won I immediately jumped on top of my brother.”
According to the Arizona Department of Gaming (APG), it is the largest table games jackpot in state history.
The payoff of the progressive jackpot
Gomez was playing the new King of Cards Table Games Progressive at the Lone Butte casino when he hit the progressive.
For the casino, a moment like this was exactly what they hoped the progressive jackpot would achieve. Kenneth Manuel, chief executive officer of Gila River Resorts & Casinos, said:
“I am so happy for Luis. When we installed the new King of Cards Table Games Progressive this is exactly the exciting win we hoped to have.”
As for what to do with the winnings, Gomez said he has a few ideas in mind:
“I want to buy my parents a new house and I’d also like to buy a new car for me and my family.”
It was not only a big night for Gomez and the casino, as it is the largest table games jackpot in state history, according to the Arizona Department of gaming.
How does the Gila River progressive jackpot work?
The progressive jackpot works by linking multiple table games at all three Gila River Resorts & Casinos locations. Once the jackpot is hit, the game resets to $1 million across all locations. It’s the largest progressive jackpot in the state.
Other recent big wins in Arizona casinos
An anonymous Wheel of Fortune slot machine player won $1,316,234.47 after hitting the progressive jackpot on Nov. 10 at Talking Stick Casino. It was the largest jackpot since April.
On Sept. 14, a guest at Talking Stick Casino known as “Michael W.” won $120,126 off a six-card straight flush. The flush consisted of the three of clubs through the eight of clubs.
On July 4, an anonymous guest at Desert Diamond Casino’s West Valley hit a grand progressive jackpot. The winner went home with $521,437 after playing the Buffalo Diamond slot machine game.
