A lucky visitor to the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale is now a newly minted millionaire after landing the Wheel of Fortune jackpot. The player, who wished to remain anonymous, won $1.31 million– an amount made possible thanks to the machine’s signature design.
Wheel of Fortune Machines Share the Same Jackpot
Talking Stick Resort is one of Scottsdale’s most popular gambling venues, featuring over 1,000 slot machines, high-quality amenities, and ample entertainment opportunities. The casino recently refreshed its portfolio of games, adding new and engaging titles like Devil’s Lock, Coin Trio Fortune, and Double Top Dollar.
Despite the significant variety of games, the Wheel of Fortune remains one of the most popular machines at Talking Stick Resort. The series has one of the highest potential payouts since every Wheel of Fortune game is part of the Native American Progressive Gaming Network, stretching across 20 Arizona casinos. Each coin a player inserts in a linked machine contributes towards a single cumulative jackpot, which can grow far beyond traditional slot games.
The Wheel of Fortune MegaJackpot is notoriously hard to win, as the odds are substantially lower than most other machines and are more akin to that of the Powerball or similar lotteries. As is the case now, when a player scores big, the event almost always makes the news.
The Anonymous Winner May Have to Wait a While
Talking Stick Resort congratulated the winning player in an official press release, noting that awarding such a large sum was always an exciting experience.
We are all thrilled for the winner and respect their request to remain anonymous. We wish them all the best as they celebrate their win in private.
Ramon Martinez, Talking Stick Resort director of public relations
However, the lucky individual may have to wait a few days before receiving their prize. The reason is that all Wheel of Fortune machines are owned by gaming provider International Game Technology (IGT), which leases them to individual casinos. The TV show that the game is based on retains the license, meaning that all high-tier jackpots have to be individually verified by the owning company, potentially taking up to 15 days.
Even so, waiting a couple of weeks is a small price for becoming a millionaire. Judging from the previous Wheel of Fortune jackpots, the mysterious winner will receive their prize in the form of a check from IGT, which they can spend as they see fit.
Players who wish to try the experience but do not have access to a physical machine may be interested in BetMGM’s project for a dedicated Wheel of Fortune online casino, featuring hundreds of related games.