The lucky streak started on Labor Day, when Gabbard won one of two 2104 Ford F-150 pickup trucks that were part of a Miami Valley Gaming giveaway. The pickup trucks retail for over $41,000 each.
“I couldn’t believe it when they called my name. I was in shock at first and then that night I couldn’t sleep because I was so excited,” Gabbard said.
Patrons at Miami Valley Gaming earned entries for the promotion via their MVG Club cards Aug. 1 through Sept. 1. One entry equaled 100 points earned. More than 56,900 people earned more than 1 million entries for the promotion.
Timothy Jones, of Dayton, won the other truck. Miami Valley Gaming purchased the vehicles through its partnership with the Lebanon Ford dealership.
What Gabbard didn’t know then was that her luck was just beginning. Four days later, on Sept. 5, she won $100,040 when she hit a jackpot while playing on a $5 denomination Old School Cash Wheel themed gaming machine.
“We have lots of jackpots each day on our gaming floor, but that’s our single largest jackpot to date since opening last December,” said Jeff Nelson, senior director of marketing at Miami Valley Gaming. “Winning a new truck on Monday and $100,000 on Friday, that’s a pretty spectacular week by anyone’s standards. We’re excited and happy for her.”
A jackpot is defined by the racino as any winning dollar amount over $1,200 on a gaming machine. Miami Valley Gaming, which has paid out over $22 million in jackpots so far this year, according to a press release, features 1,600 video lottery terminal gaming machines.