Big wins in the US and UK
The stars have aligned for lucky gamblers this week across two continents. A slot player in Las Vegas, Nevada and a sports bettor from London, England can now call themselves millionaires after winning big.
slot player in Nevada turned a $5 stake into more than $1.5m
On Monday night, an anonymous slot player in Nevada turned a $5 stake into more than $1.5m in The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. The news follows a long list of large slot wins already seen in Vegas so far this year, including two of more than $1m each in The Venetian over the past three months.
Meanwhile, an unidentified London-based bettor has won over $1.36m from a $15.50 bet placed partly on the PGA Tour. The wager formed part of a six-leg parlay taken by UK-based sportsbook operator Betfair. It featured two soccer matches and four outright winners on the weekend’s golf tournaments.
A new Vegas millionaire
According to The Venetian, a casino guest won more than $1.5m wagering on its IGT-powered Wheel of Fortune slot on Monday night. The win came when the lucky symbols lined up to activate the progressive jackpot, making the anonymous player a millionaire with one spin.
The casino, which resides on the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce the big win:
Over the past three months, two other gamblers have also taken home more than $1m while playing at The Venetian. In April, a man named Roger L. won $2.9m wagering on the Wheel of Fortune slot. The casino did not announce how much Roger had placed in the machine before the win. More recently, a poker player won $1.2m after triggering the “mega tier” of The Venetian’s Millionaire Progressive promotion with a Spade Royal Flush.
Golf punt secures more than $1.36m
UK-based sportsbook operator Betfair tweeted on Tuesday to confirm that one of its bettors from London had won more than $1.36m wagering on odds of 90,396/1:
The £11.50 ($15.50) six-leg parlay, placed on June 22, required the Croatia and England international soccer teams to win their respective games in the UEFA European Football Championships. The wager then needed four different golfers to win tournaments over the weekend, including Steve Stricker, Nelly Korda, Viktor Hovland, and Harris English.
I thought I was going to have a heart attack”
The unidentified bettor became a millionaire early on Monday morning after English won one of the longest playoffs in PGA Tour history. The 35-1 outside shot claimed victory by making a 16-foot birdie putt, beating Kramer Hickok to take the title. “When he won the playoff, I was very relieved,” the London gambler commented. “I thought I was going to have a heart attack when the winning putt went in. I couldn’t believe it.”