SINGAPORE: In a stroke of luck that defies statistical odds, a 68-year-old woman recently walked away with more than S$1.1 million after hitting the jackpot on a slot machine at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Casino.
The incident took place on Sunday (7 Jan) in the casino’s Ruby Lounge. Mr Zhang (transliterated from Mandarin), a 68-year-old patron who was conducting research on casino games with favorable odds, witnessed the historic moment unfold.
He told Shin Min Daily News that a sudden shriek caught his attention. Turning around, he saw a woman standing in front of a slot machine, visibly overwhelmed with joy. Upon closer inspection, Mr Zhang discovered that she had won an astonishing S$1,175,425.82.
“I immediately congratulated her on winning the prize,” Mr Zhang recalled.
Interestingly, the winner was a first-time visitor to the MBS Casino. Having struck the jackpot on her inaugural visit, she left momentarily to inform her husband about the incredible news. In her absence, Mr Zhang took the initiative to inform casino staff and security about the jackpot.
Upon her return, the woman and her husband received instructions on how to claim their substantial prize, and the casino staff promptly reset the slot machine. In a gesture of gratitude, the woman gifted Mr Zhang S$200 in cash to spend at the casino.
Shin Min Daily News reported that the amount won by the woman represents the highest jackpot payout from a slot machine at MBS Casino, this year.
Chua Tin Chiu, a professor from the National University of Singapore’s Department of Statistics & Data Science, told the Chinese daily that while there is a chance of winning, the odds are exceedingly low. For example, with a slot machine featuring five reels and 30 symbols, the odds of hitting the jackpot are a staggering one in 24 million.
“Objectively speaking, there is definitely a chance of winning, but it is low, and everyone wants to be the lucky one,” Professor Chua Tin Chiu said, highlighting the allure of hitting the jackpot despite the statistical improbability.