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"The anticipation and excitement of a multi-million-dollar winner at Jake's 58 had been building since the Wheel of Fortune reached the $2 million mark earlier this year," said Phil Boyle, President and CEO of Suffolk Off Track Betting Corp, which operates Jake's. "It was just a matter of timing and good luck, and we could not be happier for our player."
The bettor, who declined to be identified, hit the progressive jackpot on their fourth spin of the wheel. After taxes, they took home $1,493,665.56. It wasn't the first time a massive Wheel of Fortune jackpot paid out at the Long Island gambling mecca. In 2020, a Hampton Bays resident won $1.3 million, and a year later, another anonymous player won $651,175.20.
One of only two casinos in the country run by a government entity, Jake's generates about $23 million monthly, with 45% of the proceeds going to the state Department of Education. The casino's 3,000-5,000 daily guests will have expanded accommodations as the OTB is planning a $200 million expansion that will double the amount of video lottery terminals and electronic table games to 2,000. The casino, formerly the Marriott Hotel, will revamp the 40-year-old facility's 210 rooms, expand conference space, and add a three-story parking garage.