Who said you can’t leave Las Vegas as a winner? The most recent tourist to pull out of McCarron International Airport with a pocket full of cash was Darrin W. He was in the airport getting ready for a flight back home to Watford City, North Dakota, and thought he’ll kill some time on the slots at the terminal. So, Darrin wandered over to the 25-cent Wheel of Fortune Triple Double Diamond game near the A Gates and started plunking in quarters. It wasn’t long and bells started ringing and lights began flashing to indicate that a jackpot had been won. Darrin’s take-home souvenir from his time in Las Vegas was a check for $225,088. Well, that’s what the jackpot was. The check was likely somewhat smaller accounting for taxes and whatnot. Regardless, a pretty fair return on his investment of a handful of quarters. But for some reason, McCarron International Airport has had a few winners in 2020. Let’s take a closer look at that.
Big Winners In 2020
Darrin is the most recent big winner at McCarron, winning his jackpot on October 6. The first big prize of 2020 was claimed on January 25. Ulla T. of Roseville, California was in Concourse A playing the Smokin’ Hot Stuff Wicked Wheel penny machine when she hit the jackpot. Her prize totaled $11,761 which is still a pretty tidy sum for playing penny slot machines. The airport even quipped in their Twitter account when they ran a photo of an elated Ulla that “those must’ve been some lucky pennies.” Then on July 20, another California visitor hit it big. This time it was Kaoru H. who was playing the Wheel of Fortune 4D penny slots in the C Concourse. She had just landed in Vegas and thought she’d try her luck. Well, it paid off big time with a jackpot of $873,511 from a $5 spin. The slot machine game is a progressive style and manufactured by International Game Technology (IGT).
The Record Win At McCarron
As impressive as winning $873,511 would be off of a $5 spin, it doesn’t come anywhere close to the record jackpot recorded at the site. The largest jackpot won at McCarron International Airport dates back to 2005. That was when a player won $3,961,585.14. But that’s not the only seven-digit win from that location, either. In August 2017 Sandra A. of Dublin, California walked away with a prize totaling $1,618,184.28. The game? Wheel of Fortune. The location? Concourse C. Do you sense a bit of a pattern here? Well, before you rush off the McCarron with pockets full of pennies or quarters to visit the slots in the C Concourse, keep in mind that slot machines are programmed to be completely random. Digital terminals utilize technology that makes them even harder to figure out when a big payout is about to take place, so stay home and visit your favorite online slot machine site.
Speaking Of…
You could blame it on the pandemic if you really want to but casinos across the country have seen a shift in business. Sure, many have been shut down to meet COVID-19 protocols and those that have since reopened have had to meet stricter guidelines. These guidelines are aimed at reducing the potential spread of coronavirus by limited attendance figures. It doesn’t take much to imagine how much this is hurting the tourism industry and the gaming industry in general. That is why you have seen more brick-and-mortar casinos launching online apps. These apps permit you to still get your fill of gambling but online instead of at a land-based casino. For many, it’s not the same without the social interaction but what seems to be trending is the number of new bettors attracted to online table games and slots because the technology is something they understand and use frequently. You could say that online slot games are keeping the casinos in business by generating a different kind of interest and income stream.
More On McCarron International Airport
McCarron International Airport was built in 1942 and was officially opened in 1948. It has undergone a series of renovations over the years to where it currently occupies 2,800 acres of land. The facility is based in Paradise, Nevada, just 5 miles south of downtown Las Vegas and is the primary airport used for public and military purposes in the Las Vegas Valley. The airport was named after the late US Senator Pat McCarron who was remembered for his contributions to the aviation industry in Las Vegas and nationally. The airport recorded a total of 51,537,638 passengers in 2019. It has become famous for the number of slot machines on-site to keep passengers waiting for a flight occupied and experiencing the casino excitement that they either enjoyed while in the city or didn’t get a chance to do until they got to the airport heading home. McCarron has had several large jackpots claimed as a result.
More On International Game Technology
Headquartered in London, England, International Game Technology is a multinational gambling company. They produce slot machines along with various other tools of gambling technology. The company was founded in 1990 and has offices in Las Vegas. According to figures dated from 2015, the company has a total of 12,000 employees and generated revenues that same year of $56-million US. IGT has operations in over 100 countries and is known as the largest slot machine manufacturer in the world.
In Conclusion
Whether you are flying to or from Las Vegas, you have a chance at winning it big at the first or last place you set foot in the valley. That would be McCarron International Airport. There are several slot machines located within the terminal and you may want to look for Wheel of Fortune games in the C Concourse to get you started. At least that seems to be where some of the big jackpots have been coming from. Even if everything is completely random, it is still worth a try to see what kind of luck you have.
