Gambler from California wins life-changing jackpot off $3 bet at Vegas casino

A gambler from California bet a few dollars on a slot machine in Las Vegas and won a life-changing jackpot.

The player sat at a Whitney Houston slot machine Saturday, April 12, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the casino said in a news release.

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

This lucky gambler won $1,515,034.61.

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is near the Las Vegas Strip.

Another gambler also scored a big jackpot in Vegas recently.

The player from Michigan bet $4.80 on a “Wizard of Oz” slot machine and won more than $546,000 at the Four Queens Hotel & Casino, the hotel announced on X, formerly Twitter.

This story was originally published April 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Gambler from California wins life-changing jackpot off $3 bet at Vegas 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.