As Temperature Rises , Yorktown Resident Wins Over a Cool Quarter Mill

As the mercury continues to rise and the ‘feels like’ temperature reaches 101 degrees, tri-state area residents are seeking refuge at Empire City Casino where the climate is kept at a cool 70 degrees and the only thing giving off some heat are the jackpots.

"Tommy" from Yorktown Heights hit a $320,000 jackpot on the afternoon of Thursday, August 11. ‎It was the second biggest jackpot of the year, and seventh six-figure score in 2016. Clearly feeling lucky, the player made‎ a $200 wager on the $100 denomination 3x4x5 Double Diamond slot machine at 12:45 pm.

The biggest jackpot of the year so far was hit by Tracie B. on February 5, when she won $388,311.84 on the Blazing 7’s slot machine. That was the largest jackpot since the all-time Empire City record of $1,473,503 was brought home by Suffolk County resident Howard G. on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 11:00 am. That jaw-dropping score was won on the popular IGT Wheel of Fortune® Triple Stars® slot machine, located just a few hundred feet from the casino’s valet entrance.

Last month started off with a bang when a slot-player from Mamaroneck hit a $139,808 jackpot on July 1. The woman identified as “Nancy” made the six-figure score at 4:31 pm on the Bally Fireball slot in Empire City’s Victorian Room. She made a $2 wager on the penny-denomination machine.

Three days earlier, a Connecticut player identified as “Vincent” hit a jackpot worth $100,020 on June 28 in the Gotham Palace on the Bally/Double Jackpot Wild slot. Vinny made a $5 wager on the $1 denomination machine.

“Lucy” from the Bronx hit the jackpot for $129,107 on June 8 on the Bally/Hot Shot Progressive machine.

“Salvatore,” a Long Island player, hit the year's third largest jackpot – a $144,324 score – on May 2 on the Bally/Hot Shot Progressive machine at Empire City Casino.

On February 18, a player identified as “Pavel” had the hot hand, scoring for $105,778 on the Bally 777 Wild Jackpot Quick Hit slot machine.

Jackpot Record History: Howard G’s record jackpot exceeded the previously held record by nearly one million dollars, hit by Manuel Esteche of Port Chester hit for $571,000 in February 2015. Esteche’s haul broke the previous record jackpot of $509,000 won in November 2014 by Moosue Stefern of Bergenfield, New Jersey.