Arizona Home to a New Record-Setting Jackpot

A 21-year-old Phoenix resident won the highest table game jackpot in Arizona history, netting himself an impressive $1,100,075. The newly minted millionaire already has plans for the money and will use the unexpected windfall to support his family. This win marked Arizona’s second high-profile gaming windfall in recent months, continuing the recent string of jackpots across the USA.

The Lucky Player Won with Their Last Hand

Arizona is one of the few US states allowing jackpot winners to stay anonymous, but 21-year-old Luis Rodriguez Gomez decided to claim his winnings publicly. The lucky winner was enjoying a night out with his brother at Gila River Resorts & Casinos Lone Butte when fate smiled on him.

I was actually down to my last hand… When I realized what I had won, I immediately jumped on top of my brother.

Luis Rodriguez Gomez

Gomez plans to invest the money in a new house for his parents and a new car for himself and his family. A sensible decision, given the growing economic instability.

A Bet of Just $20 Won Gomez the Million

This occasion marks the second time an Arizonan won a high-profile jackpot in recent months, as another player scored the Wheel of Fortune $1.31 million jackpot less than a month ago. Despite their different types, the two games share a defining feature that made such substantial wins possible.

Both machines operate inside a unified progressive network, meaning that each connected device of the same type shares a jackpot with the rest. Gomez used Light & Wonder’s new King of Cards blackjack game, linking 75 machines across all three Gila River venues. The system allowed him to score over a million with a small $15 bet and an additional $5 on the progressive circle.

Gila River Resorts & Casinos CEO Kenneth Manuel congratulated Gomez on the spectacular win, drawing attention to the venue’s ability to produce such thrilling moments.

When we installed the new King of Cards progressive, this is exactly the win we hoped to have.

Kenneth Manuel, Gila River Resorts & Casinos CEO

The King of Cards progressive now resets to its base value of $1 million. Gomez won the jackpot relatively early in the progressive cycle, meaning that it has the potential to grow substantially higher over time.

The Powerball Jackpot Remains Unclaimed

While Arizona already managed to produce two new millionaires in two months, USA’s most recent Powerball billionaire is yet to claim their winnings. It has been almost a month since a single ticket in California won the historic sum, but the winner is yet to announce themselves. Unlike Arizona, the Golden State requires all jackpot winners to go public, which could explain their hesitation.

According to California lottery rules, Mega Millions and Powerball Jackpot winning tickets must be postmarked or received within one year from the draw date. Despite the generous timeframe, many people are beginning to wonder why the would-be-billionaire has not yet stepped forward.

If the prize remains unclaimed, the funds will eventually return to participating lotteries. However, it would be a disappointing end to such a momentous occasion, as people are still eager to hear of another success story like that of Luis Gomez.