Downstream Casino issues record payout

A Downstream Casino Resort guest pulled a record win at the Joplin-area casino Saturday - playing penny slots.

The player, who requested anonymity, won a $2.6 million jackpot on a 1-cent machine based on the film "Avatar," betting the maximum amount of $3, according to a news release.

"It is a record win for Downstream and a record for the whole region," Downstream Director of Gaming Robert Moritz said in the release.

The world record jackpot win is $39 million, Downstream officials said, citing game manufacturer IGT.

The Oklahoma casino, which sits near the borders of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas, has impacted the Tri-State economy by at least $1 billion, according to a study released in early 2013 by Minneapolis-based consulting firm KlasRobinson Q.E.D.