A Million Reasons To Be Thankful For Jackpot Winner at Empire City Casino

Linda H. had nearly a million reasons for which to be thankful just days before Thanksgiving. The resident of Thornwood, New York, was at Empire City Casino today (Tuesday, November 22) for the $961,411.81 check presentation, collecting on the second biggest jackpot in the 10-year history of the casino. Linda turned a $10 wager into nearly a million dollars on her favorite Wheel of Fortune slot machine in the casino’s Gotham Palace on November 13.

A slot-player at Empire City since its inception in October 2006, Linda was joined by her husband Eddie to receive an oversized check presented by fellow jackpot winner Howard G., who holds the top jackpot spot in New York State with a $1.4 million record jackpot hit last year. Also on hand for the presentation was Empire City’s top harness racing driver Jordan Stratton, who reached his 3,000 career-win milestone on Sunday at Empire City’s Yonkers Raceway, Ryan Munroe, Empire City’s director of gaming operations, and public relations manager Clare Rooney Galterio. New York Lottery Draw Team Member John Schnurr hosted the media proceedings at the casino’s valet entrance.

Asked to relive the moment, the government worker said, “It felt absolutely amazing. I was in shock. It still hasn’t really hit me.” Her plans for the winnings include helping her two adult sons and a vacation for her and her husband.

Stratton, the 29-year-old harness star, was asked if he would trade his 3,000 wins for the one big check, said with a smile: “Yeah! Are you kidding?!”

Linda and Eddie who visit Empire City a couple times a month for the slots, dinner and harness racing with friends, made the November 13 trip on “the spur of the moment,” planning to stay for an hour and then “go food shopping at ShopRite and Stew Leonard’s.”

The grocery shopping had to wait for another day because Linda was “too exhausted from all of the excitement.”

It was just over a year ago, on October 25, 2015, that Howard G. of Suffolk County, Long Island, scored Empire City’s record-breaker worth $1,473,503 on the Wheel of Fortune Triple Star slot machine. Coincidentally, Linda’s hit was on the Wheel of Fortune slot next to the slot machine where Howard made his life-changing score, and the two enjoyed discussing their big moments.

There’s no shortage of jackpots at Empire City. Linda’s score was the 12th six-figure jackpot of the year. Another $988,000-plus jackpot is still up for grabs on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine at Empire City.

The popular Wheel of Fortune slot machines, designed by International Game Technology PLC ("IGT"), are located just a few hundred feet from the casino’s valet entrance.

“Wheel of Fortune is my favorite game because of their generous jackpots and I like the idea of spinning the wheel,” said Linda. “I hit a $4,000 jackpot on ‘the Wheel’ last year, but nothing like this.”

Linda’s hit eclipsed former runner up Manuel Esteche’s $571,049 by almost $400,000. The distance traveled from Thornwood to Yonkers is approximately 18 miles, so the mileage for Linda was a whopping total just short of $60,000 per mile.

Empire City is one of the largest entertainment destinations in the northeast located less than two miles north of New York City.