James W. from Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Awarded $1 Million Grand Prize*

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following a thrilling slot tournament competition on October 4 at XS Nightclub in the Wynn/Encore resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, James W. representing Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, WI bested 172 competitors to win the 2017 TournEvent of Champions® grand prize of $1 million* and a cruise for two on a Norwegian Cruise Line® ship.  Last night was truly a special night for the winner as his big win came on the eve of his 49^th wedding anniversary.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/44e17809-d001-4c60-88f0-ad655326966d

Presented by Everi Games Inc. and now in its sixth year, the TournEvent of Champions and The Million Dollar Event™ final in Las Vegas is the gaming industry’s premier slot tournament featuring a championship round with $1.3 million in total cash prizes. This year’s event included more than 225,000 players at 107 casinos from across the U.S. and Canada who participated in qualifying slot tournaments to earn a spot at the championship in Las Vegas.

“On behalf of Everi, our congratulations go out to James from Potawatomi Casino. Last night was the culmination of months of work by our casino partners who host the TournEvent of Champions qualifying events and provide the growing excitement on which our event thrives,” said Ed Peters, Everi Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “We are also grateful to the 2017 TournEvent of Champions finalists for their competitive spirit and enthusiasm which makes this tournament so memorable.”

The popularity of TournEvent of Champions continues to grow and was a huge success in 2017 thanks to the dedicated event team at Everi, our participating casinos, and the amazing staff at Wynn/Encore. The 2017 TournEvent of Champions was sponsored by: Effinet, Norwegian Cruise Line, Quixant, Southern California Gaming Guide, Southern and Midwest Gaming and Destinations, Creative Surfaces, PC Promotions, Sparco, Columbus Data Services, and Sequel Data.

Linda Trinh, Everi Vice President of Marketing & Promotions, added, “TournEvent of Champions is a true team effort and we are delighted by the success of our 2017 campaign which was made possible by the support of our casino partners and generous sponsors. The Everi team is looking forward to our 2018 campaign which will again culminate in Las Vegas with a $1 million grand prize for one lucky slot player.”

As a precursor to The Million Dollar Event, the fourth annual TournEvent for Charities celebrity slot tournament took place on Wednesday, October 4 in Everi’s booth (#1116) at the Global Gaming Expo®. TournEvent for Charities featured 20 celebrities—including Penn & Teller and Robin Leach— competing in a fun-filled slot tournament on behalf of their favorite charities. In the end, Ricardo Laguna, professional BMX rider and star of MTV Tr3s' The Ricardo Laguna Project, claimed victory and the $10,000 winner’s check on behalf of his charity, Nevada SPCA. The remaining charitable organizations selected by the participating celebrities were winners in their own right, sharing in the nearly $40,000 in contributions made by Everi.  Additionally, Everi donated $20,000 to The National Compassion Fund, which provides a single, trusted way for the public to donate directly to victims of mass crime, in this case, victims of the October 1 shooting in Las Vegas.

For more information about TournEvent of Champions, please visit www.tournevent.com.

*The One Million Dollar Grand Prize awarded using periodic payments over 20 years or in a lump sum, present day cash value payment.