Picture by One other Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0. Through Wikimedia Commons.
The layover grew to become the spotlight of his journey.
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A traveler recognized solely as “Anthony” received greater than $3.3 million at Harry Reid Worldwide Airport in Nevada whereas ready for a connecting flight, in line with a assertion from airport officers and sport producer Worldwide Recreation Expertise. The win got here from a Wheel of Fortune slot machine, and Anthony positioned only a $10 guess earlier than hitting the jackpot, per the identical assertion.
Airport officers responded to the win with a light-weight comment, saying, “Now that’s one approach to spend a layover.” The assertion didn’t embrace additional particulars about when precisely the win occurred or the place Anthony was touring to or from.
Anthony’s windfall comes with a major tax consideration on the federal degree. In line with the Inner Income Service, federal legislation requires a 24 % withholding on prizes price $5,000 or extra. Nevertheless, Individuals factors out that Nevada doesn’t tax private earnings or playing winnings, which means Anthony won’t owe any state taxes on the prize.
Different large airport slot machine wins have been recorded at Harry Reid Worldwide lately
Anthony’s win will not be the primary time a traveler has walked away from Harry Reid Worldwide Airport with a life-changing payout. In Might 2025, one other traveler, who was not publicly recognized, received greater than $1.8 million on only a $5 guess whereas taking part in a Wheel of Fortune slot machine within the D Gates, in line with Fox Information.
Earlier than that, a girl named Brittany, described as being from Texas, received $643,435 on the identical airport. “Congrats to Brittany, from Texas, who raked in $643,435.00 taking part in Wheel of Fortune within the A Gates,” the airport mentioned in a assertion posted to social media alongside a photograph of Brittany posing in entrance of the slot machines. That win got here roughly two years earlier than Anthony’s, primarily based on the timeline described in airport officers’ statements.
All three wins have been tied to the identical sport, the Wheel of Fortune slot machine, which seems to be a recurring fixture at Harry Reid Worldwide Airport. The airport has not publicly disclosed what number of of those machines are at present in operation or the place all of them are positioned inside the terminals. Tales of gamers successful large on small bets have change into more and more frequent throughout numerous video games of probability lately.
Harry Reid Worldwide Airport, positioned in Las Vegas, Nevada, is among the few main airports in america the place vacationers can legally play slot machines whereas ready for his or her flights. Nevada’s playing laws allow casino-style gaming in a wide range of non-traditional settings, together with airports, that are operated beneath the state’s gaming licensing framework.
It’s not unusual for airports in Nevada to function slot machines of their terminals, given the state’s broader gaming tradition. Nevertheless, multi-million-dollar jackpots of the size Anthony reportedly received are comparatively uncommon occurrences, even by Las Vegas requirements, primarily based on the wins publicly highlighted by airport officers. Not each massive prize declare goes easily both, some winners have confronted disputes over jackpot quantities after technical points sophisticated their payouts.