Woman wins over $1m after hitting jackpot on MBS casino slot machine

Winner winner chicken dinner.

One woman became an instant millionaire after hitting the jackpot on a slot machine at the Marina Bay Sands casino on Sunday (Jan 7).

She won over $1.17 million, reported Shin Min Daily News.

Zhang, who is a Sands Gold member, told the Chinese evening daily that he had entered the Ruby Lounge to observe which casino games had the best odds before playing.

"While I was doing my 'homework', I heard a shriek from behind," recounted the 68-year-old technician. "It came from a woman standing in front of the slot machines.

Zhang said that the woman, who appeared to be in her 40s, was stunned by the win.

She then turned around and beckoned to him to help verify if she had hit the jackpot.

According to the man, the slot machine screen displayed the prize amount of $1,175,425.82, so he congratulated the woman on her win.

"She was jumping and screaming after hearing that she had hit the jackpot," he told Shin Min.

Zhang then asked her to stay put at the slot machine while he hurried to notify casino staff and security.

The woman subsequently asked Zhang to keep an eye on the machine while she ran to inform her husband of the windfall.

Minutes later, the couple returned to receive instructions on how to claim their prize.

According to Zhang, the lucky punter shared that it was her first time visiting the casino.

To thank the man for his assistance, she gave him $200 in cash to spend at the casino.

Low probability of hitting the jackpot: Experts

So, what are the odds of hitting the jackpot on a slot machine?

According to Investopedia, the slot machine odds are "some of the worst", ranging from a one-in-5,000 to one-in-about-34-million chance of winning the top prize.

The probability of winning at a slot machine is very low, Chua Tin Chiu, honorary fellow at the National University of Singapore's department of statistics and data science, told Shin Min.

For example, a five-reel slot with 30 symbols can generate over 24 million combinations, said Chua.

"Objectively speaking, there is definitely a chance of hitting the jackpot, but this chance is low, and everyone hopes to be the lucky one."

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com