Genting casino win leaves Singaporean with RM800,000 and a tricky problem
The Straits Times reported that Ko, 28, won the large sum while on a Genting weekend getaway with her parents and boyfriend.
'I kept changing slot machines and finally sat down at a random one,' she said, saying until that moment she had been on a losing streak.
She ended up winning the grand prize, and it was verified by casino staff, who were accompanied by security guards.
Kok was handed a backpack of cash – eight bundles of RM100,000, in RM10,000 notes that she said was 'crazy heavy.'
When she got to the airport with her parents and boyfriend, she found out she needed Bank Negara approval to bring the cash on a plane.
That left Kok and her boyfriend having to stay behind to figure out what to do while her parents flew home to Singapore first.
In the end she managed to open a Malaysian bank account with OCBC that also allowed dual-currency flexibility so she could switch between the ringgit and Singapore dollar.
Kok claims that she is a disciplined gambler.
'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 said.
She has no plans to do more with the money besides keep it in a savings account as she doesn't understand more complex investment options.
Kok is also pragmatic about her win: 'I don't think S$200,000 (RM656,896) will last you a lifetime.'
She had seen firsthand how a friend of a friend won S$1.4 million from Toto and spent in all in less than a year and has decided to maintain her current 'low-maintenance' lifestyle.
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