Thunder Valley Casino Resort Hands Out $1.5 Million Jackpot

Written By: Matthew Bain
Published: Aug 8, 2022
Updated: Nov 17, 2022

Thunder Valley Casino Resort handed out a $1.5 million jackpot last Friday.

Robert Arcueno won $1,538,738.97, the casino announced via Twitter, after a lucky play on the Dancing Drums Explosion slot machine, which costs a penny per pull. Arcueno won the Thunder Strike Jackpot, which is connected to all slots in the casino and can happen at any time.

MORE WINNERS: Bettor Wins Payout With 4-in-100 Million Odds at Yaamava’ Resort and Casino

“We are thrilled that Mr. Arcueno, who is one of our Platinum guests, hit such a major jackpot,” Thunder Valley general manager Dawn Clayton said in a statement. “ … You never know when you will hit it big, and Thunder Valley is the place to test your luck.” 

After Arcueno’s big win, the Thunder Strike Jackpot was at $116,725.55 as of Aug. 8.

Back in 2004, Thunder Valley Casino (before it added the resort) gave away what was then the largest jackpot in California history. A 38-year-old man won $12,014,971 after a lucky pull on a Megabucks slot machine.

“I’m always willing to take a chance, whether I win or lose,” the man, who declined to give his name publicly, said in a casino press release. “Now I have the means to purchase my dream home, take my wife on a cruise, and buy my son a car for his college commute. I couldn’t be happier.”

Where Is Thunder Valley Casino Resort?

Located 30 miles north of Sacramento in Lincoln, California, Thunder Valley Casino Resort features 144,500 square feet of gaming space. It has 3,400 slot machines, 110 table games, a 50-seat poker room, and an 800-seat bingo hall — making it one of the largest Indian casinos in California.

It also has a 17-story hotel with 400 rooms, a pool, spa, six restaurants, food court, and a 5,000-seat amphitheater. A 5,000-seat indoor entertainment center, called The Venue, is currently under construction.

The United Auburn Indian Community owns Thunder Valley Casino Resort. The tribe consists of both Miwok and Maidu Indians, and it has been federally recognized since 1994.

Matthew Bain

Matthew Bain started as News Editor and Content Manager at California Casinos in 2022. Before that, he spent six years as a sports reporter and then deputy sports editor for the Des Moines Register, during which time he won nine statewide journalism awards, including the Genevieve Mauck Stoufer Outstanding Young Iowa Journalists Award. As deputy sports editor, Matthew oversaw the Register’s recruiting coverage while also innovating the outlet’s high school sports coverage. Matthew graduated from San Diego State and grew up in California, but he’s somehow a Boston Celtics fan. Long story.