LAS VEGAS, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- A Marine who hit the jackpot on a penny slot in Las Vegas attributes his win to karma for donating bone marrow to someone in need.

"They asked me if I was sure I wanted to go through with it, because it's kind of painful, but what's a little pain if it will save someone's life?" Cpl. Alexander Degenhardt said, the Las Vegas Sun reported Sunday. "I look at this as kind of good karma for that."


Degenhardt won $2.8 million on the Money Vault Millionaires Seven slot at the Bellagio on Feb. 19, the Sun reported.

The Marine said he and several fellow Marines were in Las Vegas from Washington D.C., where he is stationed, for training at Nellis Air Force Base.

While waiting for their return flight, Degenhardt and some friends decided to kill a couple of hours at the casinos.

He said he didn't realize he had won. "Dude, what just happened?" Degenhardt remembers asking his friend.

"It's something you always want to happen, but when it does happen you don't believe it," he said.