A traveler at Harry Reid International Airport transformed a standard layover into a considerable financial gain over the weekend by winning a jackpot of $3.3 million on a progressive slot machine, as announced by airport representatives.
The individual — referred to as “Anthony” by the slot machine maker IGT — placed a maximum wager of $10 on a Wheel of Fortune progressive machine located at the airport’s C terminals, resulting in a prize of $3,307,158.11.
The progressive Wheel of Fortune slots in the airport connect to the same IGT state-wide progressive pool available at large resorts such as Caesars Palace, meaning the chances of landing the highest symbols on a single maximum bet spin are the same.
Though IGT does not reveal specific numbers, industry assessments typically estimate the odds of winning that top progressive jackpot anywhere from 1 in 5 million to 1 in 15 million for each spin.
Nevertheless, playing these machines at the airport tends to be a poorer choice in actual practice since the Return-to-Player percentages for airport slots are lower than those found on the Las Vegas Strip — usually within the 80-85% range compared to 88-91% on the Strip. This situation occurs because players in the airport have limited options. The same company, Michael Gaughan’s Airport Slot Concession, has operated all airport slots since 1985.
Consequently, players receive fewer spins for the equivalent sum of money — resulting in diminished opportunities to win the progressive jackpot. However, occasionally, the conditions may align favorably for jackpots.
Not the First
In reality, Harry Reid International has seen a number of significant winnings in the recent past. In May 2025, a traveler struck a $1.8 million jackpot on a Wheel of Fortune machine in the D Gates. Other notable recent wins include jackpots of $1.4 million and $1.3 million in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
This jackpot is not even the highest ever recorded at the Las Vegas Airport. In 2005, a player claimed nearly $4 million after a 25-cent spin on a Wheel of Fortune machine. The largest airport jackpot in the United States occurred in 2010 when a Megabucks machine awarded a whopping $10.4 million at Reno Tahoe International.
There are between 200 and 300 progressive machines located throughout Harry Reid’s A, B, C, D, and E terminals — accounting for roughly 17% of the over 1,400 slot machines present.
While “Anthony” will be subjected to a mandatory 24% federal tax withholding, Nevada does not enforce a state income tax, which means he will retain the remaining amount of the jackpot.
Airport representatives publicly congratulated Anthony, stating, “Thanks for making LAS part of your lucky journey. ”
