A 28-year-old Singaporean, Sherylynn Kok, turned a casual weekend in Genting Highlands into a life-changing moment when she hit an RM800,000 jackpot on a slot machine. After receiving the cash in eight heavy bundles, she faced unexpected challenges at the airport when she discovered that taking such a large sum out of Malaysia required prior approval, eventually resolving the issue by opening a dual-currency bank account.

Unexpectedly hits RM800,000 jackpot on slim-odds slot machine

Sherylynn was playing slot machines at the Genting Highlands casino in April when, after a streak of losses, she switched to several different machines. And as if the Luck Gods were with her, within minutes after switching to a random machine, she activated a special feature that offered four jackpot tiers, each with higher rewards but slimmer odds. When she pressed the button, a small message appeared at the bottom of the screen, and Kok became RM800,000 richer.

Image credit: South China Morning Post For illustration purpose only

The win quickly drew the attention of casino staff and security guards, who verified her victory. She was then escorted to the cashier, where her winnings were handed to her in eight bundles of RM100,000 each, and she said the backpack was “crazy heavy”. She required security personnel later walked her back to her hotel room for safety.

She was declined permission to bring the large sum back to Singapore

The next day they went to the airport, Kok found that carrying such a large sum out of Malaysia required prior approval from Bank Negara Malaysia. As it was the weekend, banks were closed and no wire transfers could be made.

Eventually, she managed to open a dual-currency account with OCBC Bank, which allowed her to hold both Malaysian ringgit and Singapore dollars, easing the transfer process.

She gambles only for leisure, not to earn money

According to The Straits Times, Kok does not gamble with profit in mind. Instead, she treats it as an occasional leisure activity, always setting a strict limit on how much she is willing to lose.

“I gamble not because I want to earn money, but because once in a while, there is nothing to do, and I have no plans over the weekends,” she explained.

Image credit: Female Cricket For illustration purpose only

Risk-averse Kok keeps jackpot in the bank, using it as financial cushion rather than a retirement ticket

While friends encouraged her to invest the newfound wealth or simply enjoy a happy journey with it, Kok has decided to keep the money safely in the bank. She admitted to being unfamiliar with complex financial products and prefers to maintain her usual lifestyle.

“I am very risk-averse, and I don’t understand complex investment options, so keeping the money in a simple bank account seems safer,” said Kok.

For her, this wealth is not an early retirement ticket, but it does provide financial breathing room. She said the windfall would give her the chance to slow down in her career, easing the pressure to hustle, though she intends to maintain the same lifestyle as before.

Image credit: Holger Kleine (Shutterstock) For illustration purpose only

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