Business & Tech

Very Merry Westchester Resident Wins $1M Jackpot At Empire City Casino

Christmas came early for a Yonkers man who turned a $10 bet at a slot machine into a million dollar plus payout.

The newest member of the Empire City Casino millionaire club comes after a
near million-dollar jackpot hit by another Yonkers resident just a month ago.
The newest member of the Empire City Casino millionaire club comes after a near million-dollar jackpot hit by another Yonkers resident just a month ago. (Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts)

YONKERS, NY — A Yonkers man found out he was on Santa's nice list in a big way, winning an over $1M jackpot.

Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts announced that one lucky player received an early holiday present and became the newest member of the Empire City millionaire club.

Leo R., of Yonkers, hit the largest jackpot of 2022, winning $1,088,271 with a $10 bet on the IGT Wheel of Fortune Triple Stars slot machine.

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Leo decided to stop by and try his luck, before heading to his job in the transportation industry later that day. He said that he thought his eyes were deceiving him at first when the word "jackpot" flashed across the screen. After confirming his big win, he went to work that day with a big smile. Leo plans to use his winnings to invest in real estate.

Leo’s win comes about a month after Walter, another Yonkers native, hit a $925,488 jackpot, also on an IGT Wheel of Fortune Triple Stars slot machine.

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SEE ALSO: Yonkers Resident Wins $925K Slot Jackpot At Empire City Casino

"It’s an exciting time at Empire City as we celebrate not one, but two significant jackpots in about a month," said Ed Domingo, Senior VP and General Manager for Empire City. "You could not ask for better timing to hit a nearly $1.1 million jackpot right before the heart of the holiday season. We congratulate Leo on his big jackpot win."

The popularity of the Yonkers casino makes the slot-busting jackpots more common than one might expect. Empire City says it has one of the largest casino floors in the country and is the largest gaming floor in the MGM Resorts portfolio with many other jackpots waiting for lucky winners.

While the jackpot is the largest in about three years, there are still plenty of jackpots to be won over the holiday season, according to the casino. The Hudson Valley gaming destination says over $575,000 is available on Bally's Celestial King and over $495,000 on Bally's Monopoly Millionaire. More than 1,800 jackpots over $10,000 have been hit so far this year, according to Empire City.

The most recent winner to join the Empire City millionaire club was Domingo Rodriguez, a Bronx resident who hit a jackpot of $1.062 million in July 2021. The highest jackpot record at Empire City is held by Theresa P. of Ossining with a $2,919,163 win, and she is also the only two-time member of the millionaire’s club having hit a jackpot of $1,469,368 just a few months later, shortly after her nearly $3 million win. Other members of the millionaire’s club include Linda P. of Connecticut, who hit a $1,514,634 jackpot; Howard G. of Long Island, who won $1,473,503; and Linda H. of Thornwood, who took home a jackpot of $961,411.

Find out more about Empire City on their website.


New Yorkers struggling with a gambling addiction, or who know someone who is, can find help by calling the state's toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369).

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