Jackpot: Idaho’s Clearwater River Casino Player Wins Record $1.5M

Posted on: July 24, 2022, 11:48h. 

Last updated on: July 24, 2022, 06:31h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A lucky winner has won over $1.5 million at Clearwater River Casino & Lodge. It is the largest jackpot ever at the Lewiston, Idaho gaming property.

Idaho's Clearwater River Casino & Lodge
Idaho’s Clearwater River Casino & Lodge, pictured above. A woman won over $1.5 million last week at the tribal gaming property. (Image: Visit North Central Idaho)

Linda Jorgensen of Lewiston won $1,541,533.11 on Thursday, the casino announced in a Facebook post.

Jorgensen hit the jackpot on a Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Video Gaming Machine (VGM). She had wagered $4.50.

We are pleased to see one of our patrons win such a huge amount,” Dan Kane, the casino’s general manager, said in the post.  “Several years back, we had a winner for over $600,000, but this million-dollar win is considered a life-changing amount.”

Wheel of Fortune is manufactured by International Game Technology (IGT). It is a Wide Area Progressive, electronically linked to other gaming properties.

On Friday, IGT sent a technician to Clearwater Casino to verify the payout. The maximum jackpot was set to $500,000.

Lewiston is 267 miles north of Boise, Idaho. The Clearwater Casino is owned and operated by the Nez Perce Tribe. The tribe also owns and operates the It’se Ye-Ye Casino in Kamiah, Idaho.

IGT Millionaires

As of January, Wheel of Fortune slots have created more than 1,100 millionaires and awarded more than $3.3 billion in jackpots since 1996.

IGT says its popular title made two other gambler millionaires during March. A Wheel of Fortune Triple Gold terminal at the Bellagio in Las Vegas hit for $1.48 million. A Wheel of Fortune Triple Red Hot 7s hit for more than $1.31 million at the California Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Across the country at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort, another lucky player won $3.8 million on April 4. The Connecticut tribal resort said the jackpot was the largest Wheel of Fortune slot win at the Uncasville property in nearly 20 years.

A player won over $1.3M on a slot machine at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino on June 2. The historic Fremont Street gaming venue is located in downtown Las Vegas.

The jackpot was $1,342,414.70. It was won on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine, too.

Another player hit it big, also on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine. It was at The D Hotel and Casino, also in downtown Las Vegas. The D reported the slot player hit over a $1.4 million jackpot on May 4.

Wildfire Temporarily Shutters Casino

Last week, an express fire located near the Clearwater River Casino was 100% contained as of Tuesday, Nez Perce County Emergency Management officials said.

The casino was forced to temporarily close, as did portions of Highway 95, according to Big Country News, a regional news site. The fire started last Sunday. By Monday evening, the wildfire was about 70% contained. It involved some 2,000 acres.

The US Forest Service helped fight the blaze with fixed-wing-water and fire-retardant tankers. Helicopters with water buckets also responded. A four-person smokejumper crew also jumped onto the fire, with crews on helicopters.

Also responding were nine engines from state, regional, tribal and local departments. The Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association sent a bulldozer.