PokerStars has crowned its first casino millionaire of 2018 after a Norwegian player hit the top payout on the Genie Jackpots slot game.
Playing for a total of $10 per spin, the player known online as “zetheriver” managed to roll in five Jackpot King symbols. After entering the bonus game, the Norwegian hit the necessary combination of crowns to unlock a super spin.
Gasping for Air
With a substantial return on his investment already guaranteed, the player proceeded to unlock the Jackpot King star prize worth $1,608,448.
“When the wheel stopped at the jackpot, I was for a split second sure that the software had frozen. But when the congratulations came up on the screen and the money suddenly was on my PokerStars account…I could not really breathe…I could not believe it. I was so happy,” the player told PokerStars’ media team.
The game itself was created by Blueprint Gaming and is part of the Jackpot King network. Although the main prize has been won at other sites over the last few years, this is the first time a Jackpot King slot progressive payout has been won at PokerStars.
New Look for PokerStars
For “zetheriver,” the win isn’t the first time they’ve tasted success on PokerStars. Back in 2014 the online player finished fourth in Sunday Million for $120,000. However, since that the poker player has joined the thousands of others who have taken advantage of PokerStars’ recent expansion.
In 2017 the operator paid out nine $1 million+ casino jackpots, seven of which were from its in-house creations: Millionaires Island and Stars Mega Spin. This gradual movement away from being a pure poker platform is symptomatic of the continued consolidation of the gambling industry as a whole.
While seasoned poker players initially rallied against it, “zetheriver’s” win suggests at least some steady poker players might be willing to give new casino games a try.
Although the actions of a single player aren’t indicative of the entire community, it’s interesting to see a poker player with previous experience at the top level using their bankroll to take a gamble on a bigger payday.
