make out like a bandit

Idioms  

1. Succeed extremely well, as in He invested in real estate and made out like a bandit. This expression likens other forms of success to that of a triumphant robber. It may, however, come from an intermediate source, that is, the use of bandit (or one-armed bandit) for a slot machine, which is far more profitable for the house than for gamblers. [Slang; c. 1970]

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Example Sentences

You and I both know that when investing, you have to be willing to play the long game to make out like a bandit, with an exception here and there.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2023

Meanwhile, there are more than enough Mac users in the world for Apple to make out like a bandit this holiday season.

From Time Magazine Archive

That suited Pierre just fine; he would make out like a bandit.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn