New Rochelle Man Wins Record-Breaking $2.995M 'Wheel Of Fortune Jackpot' At Empire City Casino

YONKERS, NY — Some guys have all the luck.

A very lucky New Rochelle resident, Barnett T., won a $2,995,532 progressive jackpot last Thursday, on an IGT Wheel of Fortune Triple Stars slot machine at Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. His prize is the biggest jackpot in Empire City's history.

The longtime Empire City patron, who also enjoys visiting other MGM Resorts destinations, including MGM Springfield and Park MGM Las Vegas, stopped by Empire City to reprint a W-2 form to finalize his 2024 tax return, and decided to take a seat at the Wheel of Fortune Triple Stars. After a few spins, he won the life-changing top prize.

Barnett now joins Empire City's "millionaires club," which includes Theresa P. of Ossining who previously held the record with her win of $2,919,162, Linda P. of Connecticut who won $1,514,634, Howard G. of Long Island who took home $1,473,503, and Leo of Yonkers, who secured his spot with a $1.088 million jackpot, among others.

A few months ago, Barnett won over $46,000 at Empire City on another machine, similar to Theresa P. who hit two separate million-dollar jackpots five months apart. In a quirky twist, on the same day Theresa scored her second seven-figure win, Barnett had been playing that same machine earlier.

"The whole experience has been surreal," Barnett said. "I actually felt more excited when I hit the $46,000 jackpot a few months ago. When this one happened, it didn't feel real at first. Don't get me wrong, it is a very big deal but when you're looking at the machine, you just don’t believe it's reality. I've been playing at Empire City for more than 10 years, and you never know when lady luck will strike. In my case, it struck twice in about three months. I'm grateful to the Empire City team for the warm hospitality, sincere congratulations and just the overall experience."

Barnett says he plans to invest most of his winnings, take a trip with his wife, and possibly purchase a second home in the Poconos.

"Barnett made history at Empire City Casino, hitting the largest jackpot since we opened in 2006," Ryan Munroe, VP of Slot Operations at Empire City, said. "With one of the largest gaming floors in the country and exclusive progressive jackpots that can only be won here, Empire City delivers the kind of thrilling moments guests dream about.”

In recognition of the milestone win, MGM Resorts has honored Barnett with a tier upgrade in the MGM Rewards program.