A man who asserted he had never gambled prior hit it big just moments after making his first wager at a casino resort in Atlantic City.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City announced in a statement that a fortunate gambler visited the Boardwalk resort on June 26. The individual, desiring to keep his identity secret after his life-altering victory, informed casino employees that he had never visited a casino until that day.
He put $100 into a Wheel of Fortune slot machine and claims he was down approximately $90 when one of his last $10 spins won the progressive jackpot. The payout totaled approximately $1.6 million at $1,593,457.33.
"We weren’t voted the luckiest casino for nothing,” Hard Rock Atlantic City said in a press release and on its social media channels. “Congratulations to the winner of the life-changing $1.5 million jackpot. This guest was playing with a $10 bet and $1 denomination.”
In February, Hard Rock was designated as the most fortunate casino in New Jersey according to user ratings on Tripadvisor.
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Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers 2,425 slot machines and 130 live dealer table games. The Wheel of Fortune slot game, where an unnamed player won the almost $1.6 million progressive jackpot, will be disbursed in a 20-year annuity, according to confirmation from game maker IGT.
The Wheel jackpot is among the top five slot victories in the history of Hard Rock Atlantic City. Last month, the casino marked its sixth year of operation.
IGT claims its Wheel games are the leading slot machines in the commercial and tribal gaming sectors of the US. Since launching the branded slots inspired by the popular syndicated game show in 1996, IGT claims that 1,180 individuals have become millionaires through Wheel jackpots.
The Wheel slots have awarded more than $3.5 billion in jackpots, and, on average, a jackpot of at least $100K is won every 72 hours.
Novice's Fortune
The fortunate Hard Rock player is the jealousy of countless seasoned casino gamblers who have never secured a slot jackpot close to the $1.59 million reward he received.
The phrase “beginner’s luck” does not have identifiable origins but describes the concept of a novice engaging in a sport, game, or activity for the first time and experiencing unexpected success. The phrase is conventionally applied in skill-based activities such as sports, but it is also applied to chance-related activities like playing a slot machine.
There’s also the notion that beginner’s luck can occur due to “confirmation bias,” a psychological phenomenon where individuals tend to predict results based on their own experiences. If a newcomer to a casino has never faced continual losses — nor realizes how tough and improbable it is to hit a jackpot — they may be more likely to succeed in doing so.
Whether it was merely beginner's luck, confirmation bias, or another phenomenon, the Hard Rock visitor may be wise to try the Wheel again in the future.
