California Man Jackpots over $1 Million on Penny Slot

PORTERVILLE, Calif. -- On Jan. 29, a Porterville man hit the largest jackpot of his life at Eagle Mountain Casino.

Richard Williamson, a retired Army veteran, was sky high after hitting $1,031,425
  on a Wizard of Oz penny slot machine.

“Richard started playing around 2:30 p.m. and played his last credits on the machine. He started to get up but had a gut feeling he was going to hit, so he sat back down and put in another $20. He spun it once and nothing happened. He spun it a second time and five progressive symbols lined up, he looked back at the machine to make sure he had placed the max $3 bet and knew he had won,” said Jim Valencia, public relation coordinator at Eagle Mountain Casino.

“I was completely shocked,” Williamson said, “I kept looking at the slot machine. I just can’t believe that I won that much money.”

Williamson ran, got his wife and when they returned to the slot machine, the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was playing from the machine, Valencia reported.

Williamson said, “I plan on paying off my home mortgage, my son’s mortgage, buy a new truck and move to Montana.”