Gambler bets $250 on slot machine — then wins big jackpot at New Jersey casino

A gambler walked away with a big jackpot prize after visiting a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The guest sat at a Gong Gong Lai Fu Mighty Buddha slot machine Aug. 9 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, the casino said in an Aug. 12 news release.

The player from Bloomfield bet $250, hit spin and watched as the symbols flashed across the screen.

Then a $205,500 jackpot message appeared.

Another gambler got lucky at the same casino that day.

The visitor from Staten Island, New York, bet $5 on a Magic Pearl Lightning Cash slot machine and hit the $86,969.29 jackpot.

Casinos were legalized in Atlantic City in 1976. Since then, the city has grown into a small resort and gaming city along the Atlantic Coast with casinos, nightclubs and entertainment.

The area, which is about a 125-mile drive south from New York City, brings in about 27 million people every year, according to city officials.

This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Gambler bets $250 on slot machine — then wins big jackpot at New Jersey casino."

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.