Casino City’s Friday Five: Renovations and insider trading edition

This week’s Friday Five has a little bit of everything: a life-changing jackpot, multimillion-dollar casino upgrades, a flashy new Las Vegas day club, and a government crackdown tied to the growing world of prediction markets.

Let’s start with the massive slot payout:

5. Thunder Valley Casino Resort pays six-figure slot win
Magic struck at Thunder Valley Casino Resort on 9 May when a guest placed a $20 wager on a $1 slot machine and suddenly watched the screen explode into a $108,452 progressive jackpot.

We had to do a double-take ???? on the Double Hits Progressives Jackpot! Congrats to the lucky winner who took home $108,452. pic.twitter.com/P6ufD5roLQ
— Thunder Valley Casino Resort (@Thunder_Valley) May 9, 2026

4. Golden Moon Hotel and Casino to renovate hotel rooms
Pearl River Resort announced that a hotel room renovation is underway at the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino in Mississippi.

As part of the current phase of work, Pearl River Resort has completed model rooms that provide a first look at the new design direction for the Golden Moon Hotel. The model rooms feature contemporary interiors, upgraded finishes, enhanced lighting, and modern in-room amenities.

When complete, the project will include updates to all 570 guest rooms at the Golden Moon Hotel.

3. OMNIA Dayclub & Skybar opens at Caesars Palace
To celebrate the grand opening of Tao Group’s OMNIA Dayclub & Skybar, a 46,000 square foot entertainment complex situated on Las Vegas Boulevard, 12-time X Games medalist and world-record holder Colby Raha will attempt a motorcycle jump across the Caesars Palace Front Fountains on 17 May.

OMNIA Dayclub & Skybar is a new entertainment complex built from the ground up at Caesars Palace spanning 46,000 square feet directly on Las Vegas Boulevard.

A new chapter rises on the Strip.@OmniaLasVegas Dayclub & Skybar is coming to Caesars Palace. Sun-soaked design, festival-level production, and a seamless connection from day to night. Las Vegas, get ready. pic.twitter.com/8RAlim7S2G
— Caesars Palace (@CaesarsPalace) February 2, 2026

2. Wisconsin governor bans insider profit by state employees
Yesterday, Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #294, which aims to protect public trust and integrity by prohibiting Wisconsin state government workers from disclosing or using insider information available to them in the course of their work for the state in order to personally profit or benefit.

The governor’s order recognizes that “maintaining public trust and confidence in our state government demands and depends upon transparency, accountability, integrity, and upholding the fundamental tenet of public service in decisions that, above all, the work must be for the benefit of the public good and not for the personal gain or benefit of any individual worker.”

While there have not been any identified incidents of insider information being used or disclosed inappropriately by Wisconsin workers, recent interest in and rapid growth of public use of prediction markets and event contracts, which allow individuals to bet money and wager on a wide range of topics, such as governmental actions, sports, contests and award shows, games, elections, politics, global affairs, pop culture, and more, have been reported as a growing concern across the nation.

1. Harrah’s Southern California unveils $13.1 million renovated high-limit area
On Tuesday, Harrah's Resort Southern California announced the opening of a reimagined high-limit area, following a $13.1 million investment.

The gaming floor has been fully revitalized with 100 slot machines, including 11 bar-top units. In addition to high-stakes slots, the room offers a refined environment for classic table games, including Double Deck Blackjack, Shoe Blackjack, Baccarat and Pai Gow.

Guests of the high-limit area can enjoy exclusive access to Easy Speak. Through partnerships with WhistlePig Whiskey and Blanton's, the resort is able to provide guests with hand-selected barrel offerings to enjoy in Easy Speak.