New Zealand Man wins $7.2M Online Slots Jackpot

A New Zealand man is celebrating his incredible good fortune after hitting a life changing slots jackpot for NZ $10.14 million (US $7.2m) whilst playing the Mega Moolah Progressive Jackpot at Casinoland. Rawiri Pou said that he initially staked $250 on the game, and after winning $1,500 he decided to keep on gambling, eventually leading to the massive payout.
Rawiri Pou currently works at the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Matamata, although that is all likely to change soon after suddenly becoming a multi-millionaire. Commenting on his remarkable win, the 27 year-old Maori said:
“I still can’t believe this is real. I’ve been in shock since I won and it is literally going to change my life. There is so much my family and I can do with this money and it couldn’t have come at a better time. We are so overwhelmed and happy.”
The popular Mega Moolah slot game is featured on the Microgaming network, which to date has paid out in excess of €595 million in winnings, including a record-breaking $20 million jackpot last year to an ex-soldier from the UK. In April, another lucky punter also won €6,905,670 on the network, and following the latest Mega Moolah payout, John Quinn, Head of Casino at Microgaming, stated:
“Mega Moolah and our progressive jackpot network continues to make the headlines. To be able to deliver frequent life-changing jackpots to our operators’ players is certainly a highlight of the job. Many congratulations to Rawiri and Casino Land on this mega win.”
While international gambling sites are not currently illegal in New Zealand, the government has been exploring ways to curb their activities, with preventing problem gambling one of its chief priorities. Needless to say, Rawiri Pou’s win will thrust the issue once more back into the spotlight, and speaking to Te Kaea, a Maori Television station, the online gambling site tried to allay some concerns by stating:
“Casinoland takes problem gambling very seriously. Players should gamble in moderation and only what they can afford to lose.”