Isle woman gets A Hawaii woman hit a $5 million jackpot on a progressive slot machine Saturday at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas strip.
Vegas slots to
pay $5 million
She strikes it rich playing a
Wheel of Fortune machine
at the Monte CarloBy Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com"She was pretty excited and pretty shaken, actually," said Mark Bray, slot manager at the Monte Carlo. "She was taken aback by the whole thing. Five million dollars changes somebody's life forever."
The casino would not release the woman's name, saying she wants to remain anonymous.
She was gambling by herself about 2 p.m. at the $1 Wheel of Fortune slot machine when she struck it rich.
The win caused a frenzy, with patrons crowding around, so hotel personnel cordoned off the area.
"When they heard she won $5 million, it spread like fire. Everybody knows," Bray said. "Everybody wants to see who won the $5 million."
Her grown children gathered around their mom, who said little after the win, Bray said.
The woman will have to decide whether to take the entire amount, which is in excess of $5,011,000, in 20 equal installments or in one lump sum, Bray said.
Bray does not recall anyone winning that much money at the Monte Carlo since someone playing the Megabucks progressive slot machine won $11 million three months after the hotel opened in 1996.
Hawaii residents who have recently won big in Las Vegas include:
>> Hideko Sakamoto of Aiea, who hit a $3.67 million progressive MegaJackpot on the Wheel of Fortune 25-cent slot machine Jan. 10 at the California Hotel.
>> Makiki resident David Tokunaga won a $2.5 million progressive jackpot Dec. 12 on a $1 Wheel of Fortune machine at the California Hotel.