By Brad Matthews - The Washington Times - Thursday, June 29, 2023

A traveler won a $1.3 million jackpot on a “Wheel of Fortune” slot machine at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The airport has more than 1,400 machines for travelers to sit while waiting for a flight. The lucky Triple Double Emeralds machine was in the Terminal 1 Esplanade, airport officials confirmed in a tweet.

“That’s one way to end a vacation — as a MILLIONAIRE!,” the airport posted on its Twitter account.

Video of the jackpot quote-tweeted by airport officials shows the official payout at $1,330,133.04 on the winning spin.

Airport officials confirmed the winner was flying home after a trip to Las Vegas. Officials did not name the lucky gambler, however, or their destination.

Even if one traveler might have left the airport way up, the house still wins. As of last November, the slot machines concession at Harry Reid International had run for 36 years, generating over $1 billion in revenue. The airport gets around $34.4 million in gains yearly from the machines.

“Non-aviation revenue is beneficial in that it helps to lessen our costs for air carriers … Financial considerations aside, Las Vegas is known for casinos. Having slots in the airport is an amenity travelers largely enjoy and have come to expect,” airport Assistant Director for Business/Commercial Development Scott Kichline told KVVU-TV.

The Reno-Tahoe International Airport, also in Nevada, is the only other American airport to feature slot machines.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.

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