Woman wins $1.3 million at Fantasy Springs

December 8, 2009

INDIO - Sue Anderson of Danville hit a $1.3 million jackpot when she and her boyfriend stopped in for the Thanksgiving weekend.

Anderson was playing the Wizard of Oz slot machine because it reminded her of her childhood.

"My mom used to dress me and my three sisters up for Halloween as characters from the 'Wizard of Oz,'" she said. "I was the Lion. My other sisters were the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and our youngest sister was Dorothy. Ordinarily, I play video poker, but I saw this machine as we walked by and thought of my family so I sat down."

She played for half an hour and wagered about $50. Before leaving she decided to play one more spin. The video reels stopped one by one on the Wizard of Oz progressive symbol until five of them lined up across the middle of the screen.

She said "The music starting playing on the machine, the song, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' but I didn't know what I had won. Then this message popped up on the screen." The message said she won the progressive jackpot totaling $1,331,195.84.

Other casino patrons came over to congratulate Anderson as a new millionaire while the winning slot machine continued to play "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Return to California Casinos.