Tourist bags €520k jackpot on slots

ONE lucky punter is celebrating a New Year windfall of almost €520,000, with just a €0.60 slot machine gamble at a casino in La Rochelle.

The 25-year-old, who has chosen to remain anonymous, took a chance on a machine at the Casino Barrière de La Rochelle yesterday - and walked away with €519,956, the largest payout ever made by the Charente-Maritime casino.

The venue’s general manager said the winner - a tourist from Belgium who regularly visits the region - was “overcome with emotion and could barely talk”.

The young man’s jackpot, however, is dwarfed by the largest-ever slot machine win in France. In March 2011, a father of six won €9,420,902 at the "Magic Jackpot" in Joa Casino Port Crouesty, Morbihan.

Photo: Quinn Dombrowski