Builder shocked as £1 slot machine gamble turned into £1.6 million

Scott Clydesdale, 40-year-old builder from Spennymoor, has picked up a giant cheque for £1.6 million, after an astonishing run on the slot machines turned his original £1 bet into a life-changing fortune. It's particularly remarkable given the odds against this sort of thing.

The Durham gambler was using a £20 Sky Vegas bonus on a slot machine called Toy Factory. He put in £1, and was astonished as spin after spin of the machine worked out in his favour. In total, after 125 lucky spins over 22 minutes and 38 seconds, his £1 stake had turned into £1.6 million.

He said: "When you see it on the screen, your heart's telling you that you've won it but your head's saying something's going to go wrong. I'm a bit cynical and never thought that a real person won the big jackpots. Obviously now I know it's real!"

He said he would use the money to go on his first ever holiday overseas - to Florida. It will also pay for his wedding, and give him more cash to follow his passion. He explained: "I'm a big darts fan and love watching Peter Wright so this win will allow me follow that more closely."

Scott is the third Sky Vegas millionaire this year, following similar successes from Emma, a nurse from Stockton Tees, who won from a 20p spin, and Kristian De Moura Portugal from Hemel Hempstead.

What are the chances?

Of course, the only reason this makes the news is because it is a wild outlier - and a dramatic exception to the rule. Every time you put any money into a slot machine, by far the most likely outcome is that you will lose.

One problem many gamblers don't like slot machines is that unlike most other games in a casino, there's no way to deconstruct the game and work out the odds.

Your chances of winning on any game depends largely on luck. Contrary to popular opinion, the machines are not programmed to pay out a particular amount of money, and each spin is entirely random and independent of any other spin.

It means you cannot time your play, or take advantage of a 'lucky streak'. You just have to take your chances like everyone else.

The only way you can assess a game is by looking at how it is designed. Consider how many different ways there are to win. Also consider the maximum prize, as those that pay out big prizes will be designed to be harder to win.

Regardless of the design, playing a slot machine always involves accepting that you're fairly likely to lose your money, and hoping that against all the odds, you'll win.

But what do you think? Do you play the slot machines? And would you ever expect them to make you rich? Let us know in the comments.