It was almost a record breaker for a casino employee at Monte Carlo, who hit the second-largest jackpot in Las Vegas history in 2000.
Her name was Cynthia Jay-Brennan, and she was a kind-hearted cocktail waitress in Las Vegas picking up extra shifts. Her apartment had only one bedroom and she lived a very modest lifestyle. Back in 2000, her life changed dramatically when she won nearly $35million from a Megabucks slot machine.
The Monte Carlo casino offered her a decent salary when she started working there. There she met the man who would become her husband: Terry Brennan. Their romance soon developed into a relationship, and they eventually moved in together. Her desire to attend college soon gave way to the desire to get married. In order to save money for their wedding, she often worked extra shifts at the casino. As a result, she would have to work several nights a week for nearly 20 hours straight.
Even though Jay-Brennan rarely gambled, she occasionally tried to win at the slot machines. As a way of celebrating her boyfriend’s mother’s birthday, she headed over to the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino on January 26th, 2000. Jay-Brennan had a sudden urge to play slots after enjoying a delicious meal with their family.
Since she hadn’t played with her boyfriend for a while, he enthusiastically agreed to join her. In order not to spend over $100, she made him promise not to allow her to. She set a budget each time she went to a casino. This was because in her job at the casino she saw too many people addicted to gambling and spending their entire paychecks on the slots.
A total of $21 was put in the Megabuck slot machine, with a wager of $3 per spin. As Jay-Brennan considered switching to a different slot, she decided to give one last spin. It was then that she hit the jackpot with almost $35 million.