Surrey, B.C., woman wins $1.1M jackpot on slot machine
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When Shelley Araki decided to play her last few spins on a slot machine one Saturday night, she didn't expect to leave the casino a millionaire.
But that's exactly what happened, in what she calls "a dream come true."
Araki was getting ready to end her night at Elements Casino in Surrey on Aug. 20, when the winning spin happened on a Powerbucks slot machine.
At first, she thought she had won $100, but the numbers kept climbing.
"I looked up and saw it had hit the jackpot," Araki said in a news release. "I didn't believe it at first. I kept thinking, 'Really? Is this happening to me?'"
That stroke of luck landed her $1.1 million dollars and with retirement just two years away, it couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
"I've worked hard my whole life and now I don't have to worry," she said.
Araki said years ago she had a dream that she was the lucky winner of a lottery and now it's become a reality.
"It's a dream come true. It's life changing," she said.
As for what she plans to do with the winnings, Araki said she hopes to spend more time with family and help contribute to a bright future for her grandchildren.
According to the B.C. Lottery Corporation, the game is one of four Powerbucks slot machines at the casino and offers players "the chance to trigger bonuses and win cash or even the progressive jackpot, which starts at $1 million and grows as players place bets."
The odds of winning the Powerbucks jackpot on a $3 wager are approximately 1 in 25 million, the BCLC said.
