Just Before Flight: He Wagered a Few Dollars at the Las Vegas Airport - and Became a Millionaire

While most passengers spend their waiting time grabbing a coffee or charging their phones, one traveler in Las Vegas became a millionaire. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) announced that a passenger named Anthony, identified by the game manufacturer IGT, won $3.3 million this past weekend after betting just $10 on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine in the airport's C Gates area. According to management, this is one of the largest wins recorded at the site in recent years.

"Congratulations to our lucky traveler who hit a $3.3 million jackpot on a Wheel of Fortune machine over the weekend at LAS's C Gates," the airport posted on social media. They added: "Congratulations on the amazing win, and thank you for making LAS part of your lucky journey."

A lucky passenger became a millionaire thanks to a bet of only $10 at Harry Reid Airport.

Although slot machines at airports are generally considered less generous than those at the famous Las Vegas Strip casinos, Harry Reid Airport has provided quite a few big winning stories. In fact, it is one of only two commercial airports in the United States where gambling is permitted inside the terminals. The other is Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada.

More than 1,400 slot machines operate throughout the terminals, managed by the Airport Slot Concession company owned by Michael Gaughan. Revenue from the gambling machines totals tens of millions of dollars annually and helps lower operating costs for airlines, which contributes to maintaining more competitive airfares.

Impressive wins have also been recorded at the airport in recent years. In May 2025, another passenger won $1.8 million after betting only $5 on a Wheel of Fortune machine in the D Gates area. Previously, there was also a $1.4 million win by a visitor from San Diego and another $1.3 million win in 2023.

Despite the impressive prize amount, Anthony will not receive the full sum. According to US federal law, a 24% tax will be withheld from the winnings, but the state of Nevada does not have a state income tax and does not tax gambling winnings, so he will not be required to pay any additional state-level taxes.