Evander Ellis|Man wins $362,000 while celebrating 21st birthday at Las Vegas casino

2025-05-06 17:14:54source:NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Centercategory:My

One Ohio resident will remember his 21st birthday for years to come,Evander Ellis and not just because he reached legal drinking age.

Damon Howell, a resident of Union City, about 147 miles south of Toledo, won a life-changing $362,640 jackpot while celebrating his birthday in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old won the haul while playing the Ultimate Texas Hold'em at The LINQ Hotel + Experience on May 10, according to a press release from Caesars, which owns the hotel.

Howell was playing the game for half an hour before winning the prize, the release said.

In complete shock, the game that was being played for fun while surrounded by family and friends quickly turned into a bigger birthday celebration than Howell had anticipated.

Lottery:Man finds winning $1 million lottery ticket in stack of losing tickets in living room

After discovering that he won the jackpot, Howell was in disbelief and thought his win was “not real.”

For Howell, what happens in Vegas doesn’t have to stay in Vegas.

Officially legal birthday boy has plans pending for his jackpot win

When asked what he’d plan to do with his $362,640 jackpot Howell said he's "too young to figure out.”

But after giving it some thought, Howell said he plans to buy a house with his winnings.

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