PokerStars Casino Slots Player Wins $1.6m Jackpot

PokerStars has transitioned themselves from a poker-only site to an all-around gaming hub. And their reputation will only grow after a Norwegian slots player recently hit a $1,608,448 jackpot.

Playing under the screen name "Zetheriver," the player was betting $10 per spin on Genie Jackpots. This game calls on players to get five Jackpot King symbols to win the top prize. And the Norwegian was able to accomplish this rare feat and become a millionaire.

"When the wheel stopped at the jackpot, I was for a split second sure that the software had frozen. But when the congratulations came up on the screen and the money suddenly was on my PokerStars account, I could not really breathe or believe it. I was so happy," said Zetheriver.

Matt Cole, who's the Managing Director at Blueprint Gaming, which runs Genie Jackpots, praised Zetheriver for their big win.

"Congratulations to the lucky player, and what an amazing start to the year to win such a life-changing sum of money," said Cole. "Our Jackpot King series continues to offer highly immersive games, and we have plans to add exciting new releases throughout 2018."

Second Big PokerStars Payout for Zetheriver

Zetheriver must have really good luck, because this is the second time that he's won a huge prize at PokerStars. The first time involved a $215 Sunday Million poker tournament in 2014. Zetheriver took fourth place and collected a $120,000 payout.

This win is the highlight of an online poker career that includes 436 tournament cashes for a total of $228,945. Although this amount isn't enough to make Zetheriver a full-time tourney pro, it's clear that he plays a large volume of online poker tournaments and has done very well.

PokerStars Continues Slow Transition Into Casino Gaming

PokerStars announced that they're getting into online casino gaming three years ago. Many of their poker customers weren't big fans of this move, because they wanted Stars to concentrate on being the best poker site.

Former Team PokerStars member Vicky Coren-Mitchell went as far as to leave her sponsorship deal in protest of PokerStars opening an online casino. Coren-Mitchell took exception to the fact that Stars was offering pure gambling, rather than the mixture of luck and skill seen in poker.

Despite the outcry, plenty of poker players use the casino and online sportsbook. Zetheriver, who obviously plays a fair amount of poker, is a perfect example of this crossover.

It's doubtful that Amaya, PokerStars' parent company, cares about the previous criticisms. Since opening the casino in 2014, they've grown to become one of the biggest online casinos in the industry. This goes along with their current position as the world's largest poker site.

Zetheriver is one of a number of big winners at PokerStars. Last year alone saw them award over $9 million worth of jackpots. Following Zetheriver's recent windfall and fame, PokerStars is bound to continue drawing more online slots players.