Press

April 17, 2006
HUGE EASTER WEEKEND MEGAJACKPOTS® WIN MAKES A BELIEVER OUT OF ONE LUCKY MIRA MESA MAN
Winner Lands Half a Million Dollars on Wheel of Fortune® Slot

(SAN DIEGO, CA) April 17, 2006 – A San Diego man who thought that huge slot machine jackpots were an urban legend quickly became a believer Saturday, when he won a $537,474 MegaJackpots® prize on a Wheel of Fortune® dollar slot at Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino.

Arthur Gray, a 59-year-old general contractor from Mira Mesa, was thinking about his family trip to Disneyland when the jackpot hit.

“This has changed my thoughts about MegaJackpots®,” said Gray. “I didn’t really believe they hit!”

In fact, MegaJackpots® do hit – an average of once every 2.4 days. So far in 2006, winners have taken home more than 21 million dollars in MegaJackpots® awards.

“I’m still waiting for my heart to stop thumping!” said Gray, who hasn’t yet thought about how he will spend his winnings.

“We are so excited that Arthur won the Wheel of Fortune® MegaJackpots® prize at Barona,” said Linda Devine, assistant general manager of sales and marketing at Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino.  “We have so many winners at Barona every day and this most recent MegaJackpots® win was a real thrill.  With 2,000 of the newest, most innovative slots on our casino floor, Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino offers players the most exciting and rewarding gaming experience in Southern California.” 

Wheel of Fortune® is part of the Native American Progressive Systems (NAPS) network that links slot machines from various casinos to build a progressive jackpot that is generally larger than what an individual casino would be able to offer on its own. 

Blending the best of San Diego’s most elegant resorts with the gaming excitement of Las Vegas, the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino is San Diego’s leading destination resort featuring 400 luxury guest rooms and suites, a 300,000 square foot casino, a lakefront wedding chapel, the AmBience Day Spa, a full-service events center, and the 18-hole championship Barona Creek Golf Club, rated the 3rd  best resort course in California by Golfweek Magazine.
For Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino reservations and information, visit www.barona.com or call toll free 888-7-BARONA (722-7662).

Wheel of Fortune®was developed by IGT (www.IGT.com), a global company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines and systems products.  All IGT MegaJackpots® top awards are paid in annual installments upon verification, except MegaJackpots Instant Winners Jackpots® and Rapid Riches MegaJackpots® awards, which are paid in their entirety upon verification.

“Wheel of Fortune” is a registered trademark of Califon Productions, Inc.  “Wheel of Fortune” © 2002 Califon Productions, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.