Casino City’s Friday Five: Jackpots, slots, and sports betting edition
Let’s kick it off with some big winners:
5. Boyd Gaming Nevada properties see several November jackpots
Boyd Gaming players scored multiple jackpots of $10,000 or more in November at Aliante Casino Hotel and Spa, The Orleans, Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, Suncoast Hotel and Casino, Cannery Casino and Hotel, California Hotel & Casino and Jokers Wild Casino. In all, more than $18 million in jackpots was awarded last month.
A lucky winner hit a royal flush jackpot of $28,000 playing Double Bonus Poker at Suncoast Hotel and Casino on 3 November. That same day, a guest at the California Hotel & Casino won a $13,500 jackpot playing Triple Stars.
Check out this $28,000 Royal Flush jackpot! The casino floor is hot at Suncoast! ?? #SuncoastCasino #RoyalFlush #BConnectedWinners pic.twitter.com/LKkWKt4HS6
— Suncoast Casino (@suncoastcasino) November 3, 2020
A Las Vegas local struck gold after hitting a more than $21,000 jackpot playing Buffalo Gold at Jokers Wild Casino on 12 November. The lucky guest had 139 free spins that resulted in the big win.
At Aliante Casino Hotel and Spa, a customer won a $16,000 jackpot on a 10 Play Triple Double Bonus Poker slot game on 4 November.
Let’s bring your attention now to the Las Vegas Strip, where several other jackpots were won at Treasure Island in November.
- Iowa resident David. E. won $17,576 on the Penny Invaders from Planet Moolah slot machine.
- Irma M. from California tried her luck on 88 Fortune Grand Progressive slot machine and took home $14,201.
- Thomas W., an Arizona resident, played 8 Quick Hits slot machine and went home with $10,601.
Beat the mid-week blues with another #WinnerWednesday! Thomas W. sure did with his $10,601 jackpot! Have you signed up to be a @TIPlayersClub member yet?! #TIVegasWinner https://t.co/FaU6k3HKaq pic.twitter.com/61Jn6xDgGC
— Treasure Island (@TIvegas) November 18, 2020
4. December slots tournament at Intertops Poker
The $2,000 tournament at Intertops Poker continues until 14 December and features games such as Take Santa's Shop, A Christmas Carol, 4 Seasons and Tiger's Claw. First prize is $400.
Players will automatically earn one tournament point for every spin. 16 top players will earn cash prizes.
Also at the online casino until 13 December, everyone’s first 20 blackjack bets are free. Twenty free $2 bets will be applied as soon as they log on to Blackjack 21 found under the Tangente tab in the Casino section. Players can win up to $250 with their free blackjack bets.
3. Virginia’s sports betting could bring in over $400 million in annual revenue
Virginia's legal sportsbooks could earn as much as $412 million annually, yielding $61.8 million in tax revenue for the state of Virginia, according to projections from VirginiaCasinos.com.
The projection forecasts 90% of revenue coming from online wagering, with mobile sports betting apps bringing in $375 million annually when Virginia's market reaches full maturity.
Virginia legalized sports betting in July and the state will tax sports betting revenue at 15%. The first of the state's legal sportsbooks could launch by early 2021.
Meanwhile, Indiana sportsbooks surpassed $250 million in wagers in a month for the first time as local bettors continued to heavily bet the NFL and college football.
Football bets hit $113.5 million in November, a rise of 33.9% from $84.7 million in October and up 96.5% from $57.7 million in November 2019.
The state's online and retail sportsbooks accepted $251.4 million in bets in November, according to PlayIndiana’s official reporting released Thursday. That marks the third consecutive month Indiana sportsbooks have set a state record for monthly handle, topping $230.9 million hit in October.
Wagering in November produced a record $25.3 million in adjusted gross revenue for the state's operators, up 20% from the record $21.1 million set in October. Year over year, Indiana's handle grew 70.7% from $147.3 million in November 2019 while gross revenue jumped 172.4% from $9.3 million.
2. DraftKings set to bring online sports betting to Connecticut
DraftKings and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation announced they have entered into a multi-channel deal, setting the stage to deliver access for online sports betting ahead of the anticipated launch of legal sports betting in Connecticut.
With this alliance, DraftKings will also become the official daily fantasy sports partner of Foxwoods Resort Casino.
DraftKings will also become Foxwoods’ first-ever daily fantasy sports partner, beginning Sunday, offering online promotions, contests and other integrated digital experiences to enhance fan engagement.
“This is a landmark deal in collaboration with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation as well as a critical next step to bringing America’s top-rated sportsbook app to sports fans in Connecticut,” said Matt Kalish, co-founder and President of DraftKings North America.
Today, DraftKings & the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation announced a multi-channel partnership, in preparation for online sports wagering in CT. @DraftKings will also become the official daily fantasy sports partner of @FoxwoodsCT. Full release here: https://t.co/W7PKhX0m5S pic.twitter.com/87IvA9rgxp
— DraftKings News (@DraftKingsNews) December 7, 2020
1. Top 10 holiday slots for 2020
We are in the middle of the holiday season and we should embrace it with some of the items from my top 10 holiday slots of the season.
Christmas Gift Rush is a 3x3 game that features the Jackpot Race tool, fusing the logic of a poker-style pot with a must-drop jackpot solution. Wins on the center line trigger the Nudge Feature, with the reels continuing to nudge until there are no winning combinations left on the screen. For those who unlock three lines, however, the multiplier increases with each nudge.
The 5x5, 3,125-payline slot, Carol of the Elves, invites players to the festive world of the Elves as they prepare for their busiest time of the year. With 12 spots on the reel initially frozen over in Carol of the Elves, each winning symbol releases magic stars which have the power to open new spaces for symbols to fall, while also triggering a respin. The grid returns to its partially frozen state after no more wins are achieved in base-play or respins. Once the grid is completely unfrozen, the Elves either side of the reels come into play, with magic stars charging either the red elf for extra lives during the respins, or the green elf, who adds to the multiplier for the round. Each elf requires five magic stars to reach the next level.
Aloha! Christmas is a six-reel, six-row video slot featuring the Cluster Pays and Sticky Respins mechanics, along with new mystery and multiplier wild symbols that bring extra excitement to the main game. Aloha! Christmas offers players the chance to escape the cold this winter for a feature-packed slot adventure set against the sandy shores of Hawaii. Increased winning potential is also offered by the bonus rounds – Tiki Bar Free Spins and Tiki Bar Max Free Spins – which complement the original gameplay with added action and prizes.
I’m dreaming of a sunny Christmas! Snow is overrated. Aloha! Christmas™ gives you sun, sea and a good dose of chill, exactly what you need to warm up this December ???? https://t.co/rgVKAIMxBm#NetEntGames #AlohaChristmashttps://t.co/ERZk2Npt5C
— NetEnt (@NetEntOfficial) December 3, 2020
18+ https://t.co/dxbHXDTj8H pic.twitter.com/TBR58gGuHA