A New York casino is in the news again this week after delivering its largest, single-win payout in the 8-year history of the gambling establishment. Manuel Esteche of Port Chester, NY unleashed a massive $571,049.50 jackpot while playing one of the penny-slots on Friday at Empire City Casino in Yonkers. The 6-figure win broke the record for highest win ever paid by Empire City Casino.
Esteche was spinning the reels of a classic 3-reel slot machine known as Blazing 7s around 11:30pm on February 27th when the enormous jackpot was struck. He bet $2.50 on the penny-slot, only to see the reels stop in perfect alignment, depicting three 7’s across the screen. Esteche walked away from the New York casino more than half a million dollar richer, with his name etched into Empire’s record books.
The honor of harvesting Empire City Casino’s largest payout previously belonged to Moosue Stefern of Bergenfield, New Jersey. Stefern was playing the immensely popular Wheel of Fortune progressive jackpot slot on November 11, 2014, when he struck a $509,121.96 jackpot at the New York casino.
Stefern’s win was more than twice that of the preceding highest payout at the New York casino, recorded at $247,273.07 on Bally’s Stars and Bars slot machine, dating back 4 more years to September 21, 2009. The casino was so proud of Stefern’s win that it made page 3 of the Winter 2015 edition of Empire City Insider. Esteche’s win is sure to follow in the next quarterly publication.
The slot machines have been exceptionally generous to patrons of the Yonkers, New York casino lately. Just three days prior to Manuel Esteche’s record breaking win, a Brooklyn woman by the name of Ella cashed in for $222,459.74; which was, at the time, the 3rd largest jackpot payout at Empire City Casino (since dropped down to 4th).
Looking back a few more days to February 20, 2015, one of the casino’s newer slot machines, the Michael Jackson themed MJ King of Pop slot delivered a $155,376.41 payout. One month earlier on January 24, Wheel of Fortune paid out another 6-figure prize of $191,023.02.
You can view a complete chart of the 20 largest payouts at Empire City Casino below.
| Payout | Date | Slot Machine | Maker |
| $571,049.65 | Feb 27, 2015 | Bally Blazing 7’s | Bally Technologies |
| $509,121.96 | Nov 14, 2014 | Wheel of Fortune | IGT |
| $247,273.07 | Sep 21, 2009 | Stars & Bars | Bally Technologies |
| $222,459.74 | Feb 24, 2015 | Wheel of Fortune | IGT |
| $215,851.87 | July 17, 2009 | Hot Shots | Bally Technologies |
| $207,520.41 | Mar 22, 2014 | Wheel of Fortune | IGT |
| $210,349.68 | Sep 11, 2011 | Hot Shots | Bally Technologies |
| $199,309.25 | June 15, 2013 | Hot Shots | Bally Technologies |
| $197,939.38 | July 6, 2008 | Jackpot Party | Bally Technologies |
| $191,023.02 | Jan 24, 2015 | Wheel of Fortune | IGT |
| $184,052.70 | Dec 30, 2008 | Tower of Power | Bally Technologies |
| $182,805.86 | Apr 18, 2014 | Fire Ball | Bally Technologies |
| $180,000.00 | June 1, 2014 | Double Diamond | IGT |
| $162,045.11 | Jan 16, 2012 | Reel Mania | Bally Technologies |
| $155,466.15 | Aug 4, 2007 | Simple Winner | Bally Technologies |
| $155,376.41 | Feb 20, 2015 | MJ King of Pop | Bally Technologies |
| $152,444.07 | May 29, 2009 | Tower of Power | Bally Technologies |
| $139,773.15 | Mar 30, 2010 | Tower of Power | Bally Technologies |
| $136,12.74 | June 9, 2013 | Hot Shots | Bally Technologies |
| $131,130.00 | Oct 11, 2009 | Tower of Power | Bally Technologies |
About Empire City Casino
Empire City Casino in Yonkers, NY features multiple gaming floors that offer more than 6,000 slot machines and table games like baccarat, craps and roulette. The casino opened its doors in October of 2006 as a ‘racino’ expansion of the century-old Yonkers Raceway; founded in 1899 as Empire City Race Track. With near 70% of the New York casino’s revenue going directly to the tax coffers, Empire City has contributed upwards of $2 billion to NY education programs.