For some of us, spending a couple hundred dollars on the slot machines might seem like a big waste of time and money. But for those who really enjoy them, and do so responsibly, it’s just another form of paid entertainment. That’s exactly how Casilda Pouk of North York saw it when spent $5 on a progressive jackpot slot machine at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort on Sunday, winning over $1 million on her third spin.
Mrs. Pouk had been planning to visit the casino that day with her family; something she doesn’t do very often. She had set aside $200 for the venture, but her plans got altered at the last minute in what would become a very fortunate twist of fate.
Casilda was supposed to be at the Casino Rama in Toronto with her family. When the weather turned bad, she decided not to make the trip. Instead, she resolved later that day to catch the bus to the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara. However, she was running late and missed the first bus, causing her to wait even longer to take the next bus to the casino.
Once Mrs. Pouk finally arrived, she began playing the slot machines as planned. She was losing on every machine she tried until she finally sat in front of a nickel machine with a province-wide progressive jackpot known as the Mighty Millionaire. She inserted $5 into the slot machine, and only three spins later, the unthinkable happened.
The reels aligned in perfect unison, releasing the massive $1,039,320 progressive jackpot. Casilda Pouk, who had spent the last 24 years working assiduously to earn enough money to support her own household, as well as family members back in her home country of The Philippines, was an instant millionaire.
A team from the Global News visited the Pouk family at their North York home, where Casilda told them, “It really is ‘wow’!” With a big smile on her face, she said, “My husband can have that car he was dreaming of.”
Mrs. Pouk moved from The Philippines to Canada back in 1991, where she secured employment at a convenience store and grocery store chain before taking on a job to work the overnight shift at the local McDonald’s. She’s been working that shift for 15 years, and despite the newfound wealth, says she will return to her station next week.
All that time, Casilda has been setting aside whatever money she could to send to her family members back home in The Philippines. Whether money was tight or not, she always managed to give a little back. Her relatives say Casilda’s generosity has always been one of her strongest qualities, and Casilda says winning the Mighty Millionaire progressive jackpot will only serve to increase her ability to help out the family.
For those who criticize progressive jackpot slot machines for paying out prizes too far and few between, it should be noted that this is the third time the Mighty Millionaire has been struck in less than 3 weeks. On January 29, Andrew Legacy won $1,370,911 at Georgian Downs, and Kim McNamara won $1,011,027 at Caesars in Windsor on February 2.
The Mighty Millionaire is a linked network of slot machines run by the OLG across 24 of the region’s casinos. The progressive jackpot is seeded at $1,000,000.