Casino City’s Friday Five: Jackpots and betting scandals edition
Let’s begin with a life-changing win:
5. Oklahoma casino awards $3.6 million table games win
A table games player at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Oklahoma rang in the New Year in the best way, winning a $3.68 million jackpot.
The player, who was enjoying a round of Jackpot Hold’em on 2 January, placed a $5 side bet and hit the royal flush diamonds top progressive, awarding the jackpot of $3,683,560.
The $3.68 million win is the largest progressive jackpot ever won on an AGS table game, as well as at WinStar.
4. Sunset Station Hotel and Casino unveils new casino bar
Sunset Station Hotel and Casino continues to enhance its property experience with the unveiling of a new casino bar occupying the former Club Madrid space. The 28-seat bar features double-stacked high-definition screens for sports viewing.
In addition, the Gaudi Bar at the heart of the casino floor closed on 11 January to begin work on a new bar and neighboring table games pit renovation.
During the renovation, the full 23 table games will be located adjacent to the new casino bar offering live action on all guests’ favorite table games.
INTRODUCING the new Sunset Casino Bar! ? This new meeting spot brings a fresh, modern look to the floor with marble finishes, bartop gaming, and big screens for catching all the sports action. pic.twitter.com/hsZsLqalR8
— Sunset Station (@SunsetStation_) January 14, 2026
3. New Jersey governor signs bill for compulsive gambling awareness
Earlier this week, Governor Phil Murphy signed A1715/S3184 requiring public institutions of higher education to invite the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey on their campuses.
Under the bill, all public colleges, universities, and community colleges in New Jersey are required to invite and facilitate the presence of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey on their campuses at least once per semester, and more often as deemed appropriate.
These campus visits will provide students with important information on the risks associated with gambling, access to compulsive gambling counseling services, and details about self-exclusion programs and other available support resources.
2. Gambling loss deduction bill introduced
U.S. Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and Congressman Max Miller (OH-07) introduced H.R. 6985, the FULL HOUSE Act, bipartisan legislation to restore the long-standing rule allowing gamers to deduct 100% of their losses against their winnings.
For decades, the Internal Revenue Code allowed taxpayers to deduct gaming losses up to the full amount of their winnings. However, a last-minute provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” reduced that deduction to 90%, effectively forcing people to pay taxes on money they never actually earned.
“Taxing people on money they never actually earned is fundamentally unfair and harmful to Nevada’s economy,” said Congressman Horsford. “This policy would drive tourism across our state elsewhere. There is strong bipartisan agreement that this provision was a mistake, and Congress must act to correct it.”
This comes after Congresswoman Dina Titus sending a letter in December to the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee asking him to expedite a hearing for the FAIR BET Act to fully restore the 100% income tax deduction for gambling losses.
I introduced the bipartisan FULL HOUSE Act to restore fairness for Nevada’s gaming community. Right now, an unfair tax change means people can be taxed on gambling losses they never actually kept. That hurts our workers, our visitors, and our economy.
— Rep. Steven Horsford (@RepHorsford) January 14, 2026
This bill fixes that. It’s…
1. Basketball point-shaving scandal
Federal prosecutors have charged 26 men, including current and former college basketball players from at least 17 Division I teams, in a point-shaving scheme that allegedly involved bribing players and fixing more than two dozen NCAA games.
It wasn’t just in college basketball. This scheme targeted rigging games in the Chinese Basketball Association as well. According to the prosecutors, the scandal began with two CBA basketball games in 2023 and progressed to rigging D1 men’s college basketball games as recently as January 2025.
Current players involved in the operation are starting to be announced as “out indefinitely” by their teams and there is no evidence that games from this year are involved.
Gamblers Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley and several former players are among those charged with sports bribery and wire fraud in relation to game fixing, @ByPatForde writes https://t.co/GLUCNpO3Mi
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 15, 2026