Posted on: April 22, 2023, 03:04h.
Last updated on: April 22, 2023, 03:12h.
A visitor at Toronto’s Casino Woodbine hit a bittersweet jackpot of $3.2M this month on the very slot his recently-departed girlfriend loved to play.
The Great Canadian Entertainment gaming property revealed on Friday Marcelo Loyola stopped off at the casino a few days ago. Upon entering the complex, the Toronto contractor experienced a flood of memories.
He and his girlfriend together often visited the casino. She would head to the slots while he went to the table games downstairs.
But on April 5, just three days after Loyola’s 50th birthday, she tragically died.
That day, I just felt her spirit in me, so I went upstairs to play the slots, even though as a table games player I never do that,” Loyola recalled in a casino statement.
Initially, he tried his luck at different machines. Then, he spotted her favorite slot.
Loyola walked over to it. He remembered that when she played that machine, she didn’t wait for the wheels to stop. She would press a button during the spin, hoping for the jackpot.
I would always say to her, don’t play it like that, just let it spin,” he remembered. “But I felt her with me that night, so I played it like she did.”
Suddenly, he saw the three “Jackpot” icons appear. The slot began to flash.
He had just won $3.2M.
“I started screaming that I won the jackpot and running around and going crazy,” Loyola said.
Other players and casino workers came over to him. They knew him and his late girlfriend well.
“They were giving me their condolences, and at the same time they were also congratulating me,” he said.
“We’re thrilled for Marcelo and excited to see him take home such a huge payout, especially after such an emotional time,” casino general manager Robert Katsavelos said in a statement after the win.
Loyola confirms he’s “super happy about winning.”
But he wishes the love of his life would have been alive to celebrate the jackpot, too. Still, he felt her presence the day he won.
“I know for a fact she was there with me. It can’t be a coincidence,” Loyola revealed.
He makes his loved ones a priority in his life. Beyond investing some of his large winnings, he said he will purchase a new house for his parents. He also will visit his brother who lives in British Columbia.
“I want to take care of the people I love,” Loyola said. “My girlfriend and I took care of each other. I loved her so much. She would be so happy.”
South Point Visitor Wins $717K
Las Vegas also saw some sizable jackpots this week. On Wednesday night, a player named “Brian” won $717,634.90 at Las Vegas’ South Point Hotel Casino & Spa.
He was playing a Wheel of Fortune slot.
They are made by International Game Technology (IGT).
Details on the spin weren’t provided.
Lucky Planet Hollywood Player
Christian Short of Aliquippa, Pa. won $158,505, also on Wednesday, at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
He was visiting Vegas for a golf trip. But while there, Short decided to stop off at the casino.
Short was playing Three Card Poker when he hit the mega progressive jackpot.
He’ll use some of the money to pay for a family vacation. The balance will get invested.
