A 25-year patron of the Chumash Casino Resort scored a big win during his last visit, the biggest in the 25 years he’s played games there.
Named in a press release as just Dean D., the Newbury Park resident won a $150,000 Maserati Gran Turismo in the “Drive Your Dreams” giveaway on Sunday night.
Dean acquired entries for the drawing through his gold tier Club Indulge card whenever he played slots or tables games at the casino, and in the release said he had a feeling that his name would be called for the giveaway.
Around 10 a.m. Dean was playing at a slot machine and thought about how he was going to run through the casino’s crowd to claim his prize, according to the news release.
However, when they did announce his name, at first he thought it could be a mistake.
“When I heard them say the first name, I thought maybe they said ‘Jean’ or something similar, but when I heard them butcher my last name, I knew for sure they were saying, ‘Dean,’ ” he said.
Once he knew he was the winner, Dean left the slot machine to claim his new Italian sports car, which was encased in a large “toy car” package by the casino entrance. Dean still had a balance on the slot machine, but it was chump change in comparison.
“I don’t even care. Let someone else have a couple of spins. Maybe it will bring them some luck,” he said.
Dean said winning such a high-ticket item was “surreal.”
Prior to Sunday night, the most he had ever won was $2,000 on a cruise ship and a $1,400 slot jackpot at the Chumash casino in Santa Ynez.
For Dean, stopping by the Chumash Casino is “pure entertainment.”
“I’ll pass through the area on business, and coming here is just a great release after work,” he said.
The News-Press asked to speak to Dean through the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, but he declined.
The Chumash Casino holds car giveaways every week, but its next quarterly giveaway will be at 10 p.m. April 28. Called “Two for the Road,” it will feature two luxury BMWs, a 2019 M4 Convertible and a 2019 X5, valued at more than $150,000.
