Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioA gambler, identified as Maher O., achieved one of the most statistically improbable streaks in casino history, hitting 389 jackpots in a single day. The stroke of luck earned him $1.8 million in winnings at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa on July 25, 2025.
His standout wins included:
- $171,000 on Lock It Link
- $99,000 on Panda Magic Dragon Link
- Over $258,000 on Golden Century Dragon Link
- Two other jackpots of $115,000 and $143,000
High-Stakes Spins: $500 Bets
A news release by the casino calls his lucky streak “one of the most impressive one-day runs in the property’s history.”
The announcement also shows a photo of Maher playing a Dragon Link slot machine. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the spin domination is $500, one of the highest available.
With the slot jackpot tax reporting threshold now raised to $2,000, many of Maher’s wins likely just crossed that minimum. That means averaging only around 4x his bet.
Hefty Tax Bill Ahead Under ‘Beautiful Bill’
While Maher’s run was undeniably fortunate, walking away with $1.8 million in winnings, he is now facing a massive tax bill due to the changes in the recently enacted “One Big Beautiful Bill.”.
Starting in 2026, gamblers can deduct only 90% of their documented gambling losses. That means if Maher cycled much of his winnings back into the machines, a common practice among high-limit players, he would owe taxes on 10% of those losses, even if his net profit was small or break-even.
Tax professionals call this “phantom income:” a taxable gain that does not reflect an actual profit. For high-stakes gamblers like Maher, the new cap could result in significant liabilities on paper wins that were not real.
The new law has garnered significant scrutiny from gamblers and tax professionals. Even lawmakers, many of whom were unaware of its existence, have criticized the provision.
Some are trying to reverse the law. The current format allows for reporting up to 100% of gambling losses, up to the amount of winnings. Currently, there are three active bills to repeal the controversial cap on the gambling loss deduction.
