Gambler bets $5 on slot machine — then wins life-changing prize in Northern California

A gambler won a massive prize off a slot machine in Northern California with a small bet.

Now the player is $512,871.13 richer.

The visitor sat at a Dollar Storm Mega Grand Wild Ninja slot machine Tuesday, March 4, at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, the casino said in a news release.

The gambler bet $5, hit spin and watched as the symbols flashed across the screen until a jackpot message appeared.

“Omg to have this kind of luck is amazing,” one person commented on the casino’s Facebook post.

“Congratulations on a 5.00 bet..I’m on my way to try my luck,” another person wrote.

Lincoln is about a 30-mile drive northeast from Sacramento in Placer County.

This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Gambler bets $5 on slot machine — then wins life-changing prize in Northern California."

Helena Wegner

McClatchy DC

Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.