Golden Entertainment connects casino bar tops for jackpots up to $500K

Golden Entertainment has introduced a linked progressive jackpot system that ties together bar‑top video poker and keno machines across seven of its Southern Nevada properties. A $1 wager on any qualifying game now gives players a shot at a jackpot that can climb as high as $500,000. The network includes The Strat, Arizona Charlie’s Decatur and Boulder in Las Vegas; Aquarius and Edgewater in Laughlin; and Pahrump Nugget and Lakeside Casino & RV Park in Pahrump. As the games are played throughout the system, the pooled prize grows rather than resetting after each individual casino’s play. The top prize is attached to a 10‑spot, 4‑card keno game. It begins at $50,000 and can increase to $500,000. When the jackpot is won, it resets to its starting value of $50,000. Additional linked keno prizes start between $7,000 and $10,000, varying by specific game and machine configuration. Video‑poker progressives are also part of the arrangement. On quarter‑denomination units, a royal flush pays a seed amount of $1,000, while an ace‑with‑a‑kicker hand seeds at $500. On $1‑denomination machines, those seed values rise to $4,000 for a royal flush and $2,000 for an ace‑with‑a‑kicker. Participating terminals are clearly labeled, and current jackpot totals are displayed on casino bars. Golden Entertainment notes that live totals can also be viewed through its mobile app and the websites of the participating casinos. The exact mix of games and jackpot sizes may differ depending on the hardware and manufacturer involved. Blake Sartini II, Golden’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, described the initiative in a statement: “We wanted to take 2 games our guests already know and love, video poker and keno, and make them even more compelling.” The linked jackpot platform rolls out several months after Golden finalized a deal to take its Las Vegas‑based casino and tavern operations private. Founder Blake Sartini acquired the company’s operating business as part of the $1.16 billion transaction, while Vici Properties purchased the underlying real estate of several Golden casinos and leased those assets back to Sartini’s entity.