One local Bronx resident
has a million reasons to
smile as Empire City Casino
by MGM Resorts, located
in Yonkers, announced its
fi rst, million-dollar jackpot
winner since before the pandemic.
Bronx resident Domingo
Rodriguez recently hit the
$1,062,576 jackpot with a $20
bet this on Friday, July 15,
on the IGT Wheel of Fortune
Triple Stars slot machine,
one ofnearly 4,700 top notch
slot machines on the gaming
fl oor. It was on the fi fth pull
that he got the shock of his
life, although no one would
have noticed how shocked he
was given his cool, calm and
collected demeanor.
While Rodriguez said he
has played this Wheel of Fortune
slot machine before,
it was the suggestion of a
stranger that prompted Rodriguez
to try for the jackpot
Friday. An unknown
passerby told Rodriguez to
play and said that he would
get lucky. In Spanish, the
stranger told him to “play
strong” and so Rodriguez
put $100 in the $10 denomination
slot machine and played
the max bet of $20. On his
fi fth spin, he hit the jackpot.
When he looked around, the
stranger he now calls his
“Guardian Angel” was nowhere
to be found.
Originally from the Dominican
Republic, Rodriguez
plans to spend his winnings
buying his mother her dream
home in their home country
and will also help his family
in the Bronx and abroad.
“Each jackpot winning
story is exciting but this one
is certainly unique,” said Ed
Domingo, senior vice president
and CFO of Empire City
Casino. “I don’t think we’ve
ever had a guest hit a jackpot
after playing at the suggestion
of a stranger. We congratulate
Domingo, and hope
he enjoys his winnings in the
best of health.”
Rodriguez is the newest
member of the Empire City
Casino millionaire club. He
joins Linda P. of Connecticut,
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 28 ULY 23-29, 2021 BTR
who hit a $1,514,634.15
jackpot;Howard G. of Long
Island, who won $1,473,503;
Linda H. of Thornwood,
who took home a “nearly
there” million-dollar jackpot
of $961,411; and Theresa
P. of Ossining, who not only
holds the record for winning
the highest-ever jackpot
at Empire City, or any of
New York State’s regulated
casinos, at $2,919,162.81,
but scored a second jackpot
of $1,469,368.28 just a few
months after her original big
win.
“In the past six weeks,
we’ve had 78 jackpots won
over $10,000 and there are
many more up for grabs, including
several six-fi gure
jackpots,”said Ryan Munroe,
executive director of slot operations
at Empire City Casino.
“We take pride in giving
our players a fi rst-class
experience on the casino
Domingo Rodriguez of the Bronx, recently hit for the $1,062,576 jackpot.
fl oor with a wide selection of
games to provide an endless
amount of fun.”
Empire City boasts one of
the largest casino fl oors in
the country and is the largest
gaming fl oor in the MGM Resorts
portfolio. According to
the New York Gaming Commission,
there’s no shortage
of wins at Empire City.
Photo courtesy Empire City Casino
Customers took home their
share of $727 million in credits
won in June 2021.
Empire City Casino by
MGM Resorts operates daily
from 10 a.m.-6 a.m. For more
information on Empire City
Casino, along with the latest
updates, please visit www.
empirecitycasino.com.
-Bronx Times
Bronx resident hits $1M
jackpot at Empire City
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