Casino City’s Friday Five: Jackpots, records and anniversaries edition

Gambling in the U.S. continues to flourish as 2024 figures showed increases across several verticals. In addition, we saw a pair of massive jackpots won this week, a Louisiana casino celebrating a grand opening, a Connecticut property enjoying its 33rd anniversary and a Nevada casino welcoming cashless gaming.

Let’s begin with a couple of millionaires:

5. $12 million slot win at Virgin River Hotel and Casino
A lucky winner at Virgin River Hotel & Casino in Nevada turned a $5 bet into a $12,371,364jackpot over last weekend. The player hit the life-changing Megabucks Spitfire Multipliers Red Hot 7s jackpot on 16 February and has chosen to keep their identity private.

A few days prior on 13 February, a Mohegan Sun guest walked away with a $1,338,736 jackpot while playing the optional $5 Super 4 Progressive side bet on a blackjack table in Casino of the Earth in Connecticut. The guest hit the top jackpot, which requires the four cards in the hand to be A, K, Q, and J of diamonds.

4. Koin brings cashless gaming to Emerald Island in downtown Henderson
Cashless solutions provider Koin announced a new partnership with Emerald Island Casino in the Water Street Entertainment District in Henderson, Nevada.

Emerald Island players will now enjoy more convenience and security in their transactions, with instant access to their funds through the Koin cashless program, eliminating the need for cash or traditional card payments.

“We’re bringing cashless solutions to more people and businesses than ever before, and the local, loyal customer base of Emerald Island makes it a perfect partner for this continued growth,” said Koin President Gary Larkin. “Cashless ecosystems allow for reduced cash management and payment processing costs, while providing an overall lift in gaming and retail sales, and we’re excited to help their customers realize these benefits.”

Koin is here and we’re NOT talking about coin slots!

We’re excited to announce our partnership with Koin Payments—bringing you the easiest way to fund your fun! ?? pic.twitter.com/RxdrLqXlO9
— Emerald Island Casino (@EICasino) February 19, 2025

3. Foxwoods Resort Casino celebrates 33rd anniversary
Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut celebrated its 33rd anniversary by unveiling key milestones that showcase its continued dedication to growth, innovation, and delivering an exceptional guest experience.

Over the past year, Foxwoods has introduced several additions, including the high-limit gaming room Club Newport and the Grand Bar, which features a 30-seat slot bar.

The resort also made history as the first East Coast filming location for Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen Seasons 23 and 24.

As Foxwoods enters 2025, highlights of the resort's 33rd anniversary celebration include:

- This year's debut of The Bedford by Martha Stewart
- Guest room renovations at the Great Cedar Hotel
- New poker room at The Fox Tower

?? We’re celebrating 33 incredible years of winning moments and we're just getting started! In honor of the milestone, we’re sharing some exciting updates on what’s next at Foxwoods: Martha Stewart's East Coast debut of The Bedford, a stunning Great Cedar Hotel renovation, and an… pic.twitter.com/ucVM5RItJH
— Foxwoods Resort Casino (@FoxwoodsCT) February 20, 2025

2. Live! Casino and Hotel Louisiana celebrates grand opening
Last week, the Cordish Companies celebrated the grand opening of Live! Casino and Hotel Louisiana, a more than $270 million resort destination that marks the first land-side casino in the Shreveport-Bossier market.

Some of the top features of the newly opened resort include:

- Over 47,000 square feet of gaming space, including 1,000 slots and electronic table games, 40 live-action table games, and a DraftKings Sportsbook.
- A 549-room hotel with a resort pool and fitness center.
- A 25,000-square-foot, multi-purpose venue for concerts, meetings and conventions.
- A 31-site park featuring concrete pads and full hook-ups.
- Dining and entertainment venues including 10 new food and beverage outlets

1. US commercial gaming revenue reaches new high for fourth straight year
The U.S. commercial gaming industry set a new revenue record for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, according to data compiled by the American Gaming Association.

Total revenue from land-based casino games, sports betting and iGaming reached $71.92 billion for the calendar year, a 7.5% increase over the previous record set in 2023.

Most of the primary verticals within the gaming industry set revenue records in 2024, including casino slots, sports betting and iGaming.

Slot machines generated $36 billion, up 1.6%, while table game revenue contracted by 1.7% year-over-year to $10.14 billion. Collectively, traditional casino slots and table games generated $49.78 billion in revenue, an increase of 82 basis points compared to 2023.

Sports betting continued to see significant growth, increasing 25.4% from 2023 and reaching $13.71 billion in revenue. iGaming also had another strong year, expanding 28.7% year-over-year to $8.4 billion.

??? During our State of the Industry webinar, AGA President and CEO @BillMillerAGA provided a high-level look at key trends that impacted the gaming industry in 2024.

Watch the full webinar that includes our priorities for 2025 ??https://t.co/dudcA8mn2j pic.twitter.com/rRxnsPpX3o
— American Gaming Association (@AmericanGaming) February 19, 2025