Gambler from Sacramento bets $2.50 on slot machine — and wins big jackpot in Vegas

A gambler from California experienced a “magic moment” after winning a life-changing jackpot from a Las Vegas casino.

The player, who was visiting from Sacramento, went to the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa on Jan. 9, the casino said in a Facebook post.

The visitor sat at a “Wheel of Fortune” slot machine, bet $2.50 and hit spin.

Then the player watched as the symbols flashed across the screen until a jackpot message appeared saying they had won $481,941.47.

“The magic moment happened at 2:35 a.m. on Jan. 9—proof that big dreams happen late at night!” the casino wrote in the post.

Last month, a gambler sat at a video poker machine at the same casino, bet $1.25 and won $44,725, McClatchy News reported.

Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa is about a 10-mile drive northwest from the Las Vegas Strip.

This story was originally published January 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Gambler from Sacramento bets $2.50 on slot machine — and wins big jackpot in 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.