Grad Student Turns 40 Cents into $500K via Online BetMGM Game
West Virginia graduate student Jonathan Hamrick won $532,969 this week after spinning 40 cents on a BetMGM internet slot machine. It is more than 1.3 million times his initial wager. The funds will cover his tuition and board loans.
“I was sitting in class and I figured I had a couple of extra minutes to get on and play,” Hamrick said in a statement provided to Casino.org by BetMGM, the iGaming and online sportsbook platform of MGM Resorts International.
“So I logged on, hit spin a couple of times … clicked the button, and it said, ‘Congratulations.’”
Bison Fury, a five-reel online slot machine with an American wilderness theme, was the game.
BetMGM gave Hamrick a complimentary vacation to Las Vegas, which included a hotel at ARIA, where he received the traditional large photo-op cheque, because his win above $500,000.
“I was in disbelief for a while, but once it hit my account, it started getting real,” Hamrick said. “I don’t have to be in debt anymore… Grad school is expensive, and I had to take out loans. Now, I don’t have that burden.”
Entain, a gaming corporation located on the Isle of Man that owns 50% of BetMGM's US operations, worked with BetMGM to develop Bison Fury.
Another online casino player outperformed Hamrick at Bison Fury in June, according to BetMGM. On a 40-cent wager, the player—a Michigan citizen who wished to stay anonymous—won a $1 million progressive slot prize.
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan all offer BetMGM's online casino apps. In addition to 22 states, the platform's online sportsbook is open in Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
