Entertainment News3 min(s) read
Most of us panic when we misplace a few bucks. But back in 2004, one man risked everything, and we mean everything, on a single spin of a roulette wheel. Ashley Revell bet everything he owned.
Ashley Revell, a then-32-year-old from London, became a real-life high-stakes gambler when he sold all his possessions, literally, from his house to his clothes, just to place one massive bet in Las Vegas.
With over $130,000 in hand and a Sky One documentary crew filming his every move (Double or Nothing, anyone?), Ashley walked into the Plaza Hotel & Casino in 2004 with one plan: go big or go home, except, well, he’d already sold his home.
Speaking to Discovery UK years later, Ashley looked back on the moment that changed his life forever, and honestly, it sounds like something out of a movie.
“I was walking along trying to get some divine inspiration,” he claimed. “But I just wasn’t getting that.”
No signs from the universe. No gut feeling. Just pressure. Behind him, a crowd of family, friends and curious strangers watched as he teetered on the edge of financial ruin or instant wealth.
“It was a huge, huge decision,” Ashley, now 53, admitted.
“I looked around and thought, ‘Red or black, what am I going to do?’ I didn’t know. One was the right answer, I just had to pick it.”
And in the purest definition of a last-minute decision, he waited until the actual moment the croupier spun the ball.
With the ball making its first of two circuits around the wheel, Ashley made his choice.
“I asked to kiss the ball,” he remembered. “Then I just said, ‘Red,’ and pushed all the chips on it.” Then, silence.
The world faded out. Ashley described it as stepping into a “vacuum of silence.” Just him, the wheel, and the terrifying realization: if the ball landed on black, he would be left with nothing. No money. No plan. No backup.
“I could lose everything,” he thought in that moment.
But the ball landed on red. Instantly, the silence broke into pure chaos. Relief. Elation. Euphoria. And possibly a minor heart attack.
“It was just crazy,” Ashley said. “In that moment, I’d doubled my money. I was just thinking, ‘Thank God… and don’t ever do that again.’”
Which, to his credit, he didn’t.
While many asked him why he didn’t ride the high and go again, Ashley didn’t hesitate: “I shouldn’t have done it again. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”
And now, when he watches that old footage back, he doesn’t see a brave risk-taker. “I just see an arrogant twit,” he laughed. “Part of me kind of hopes he loses.”
Spoiler: he didn’t. But he definitely wouldn’t recommend it.
3 min(s) read
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
2 min(s) read
2 min(s) read
3 min(s) read
us3 min(s) read
us2 min(s) read
world2 min(s) read
uncategorised3 min(s) read
A gambler is living the dream after they turned $5 into $10.1 million after venturing to the Vegas strip from California.
Las Vegas is a place that you either love or hate, with some longing to go to Sin City while others regard it as their idea of hell.
For those who have a keen interest in gambling, the bright lights of Vegas could be too hard to resist and the thought of leaving with an abundance of riches could be very tempting.
For some, this can end in heartbreak but for one lucky winner who arrived at the famed city with $5 and a dream, they are leaving $10 million richer.
The gaming giant IGT (International Game Technology) revealed the exciting news, identifying the fortunate guest who, while visiting Las Vegas from California, became an overnight millionaire.
The life-changing win unfolded on the Megabucks Gold Forge Slots at the Aria casino.
"One lucky player from California became the latest Megabucks™ millionaire with this life-changing win," IGT revealed on X (formerly know as Twitter).
The staggering $10.1 million win has set a new benchmark for jackpot victories, with many now presumably wanting to try their luck on the machines.
Speaking of Vegas, it was revealed earlier this month that the incredible Las Vegas Sphere made a loss of $100 million in the first quarter and their CFO had decided to abruptly step down.
The venue - initially announced in 2018 and touted as an 18,600-seat immersive experience with a groundbreaking 16K wraparound LED screen - opened its doors on September 29, 2023, with a highly publicized 36-show residency by U2.
Although the Sphere generated considerable buzz, including concerns from hotel guests about the imposing exterior projections, recent reports from the New York Post reveal a stark reality for the venue's financial performance.
The company behind the multi-billion dollar venture disclosed revenues of $118 million, marking a substantial 71% decrease from the previous year.
The reported revenue included $4.1 million from U2's sold-out residency shows and an additional $2.6 million from suite licensing and advertising on the eye-catching exosphere.
However, the overall financial picture painted a different story, with the company allegedly facing an operating loss of $98.4 million for the fiscal quarter ending on September 30.
Adding to the challenges, Guatam Ranji, the chief financial officer of Sphere Entertainment Co, has reportedly stepped down from his role.
James Dolan, the executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, expressed optimism about the Sphere before its opening, calling it a "significant milestone." However, the financial setbacks suggest a challenging start for the $2.3 billion venture.
While the financial challenges may raise concerns, industry observers note that the venue is still in its early stages and could potentially recover revenue over time, given its popularity and widespread attention since opening.
So who wants to go to Vegas to see the Sphere and potentially walk away with $10 million?
Everyone dreams of winning big in Vegas.
But imagine hitting the jackpot - only to pack your bags and head home without collecting your winnings.
That's what happened to Robert Taylor, who left the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino last month with no idea that he had won a progressive jackpot of $229,368 on a slot machine.
Taylor - who is a resident of Arizona - became the subject of a two-week manhunt for the Nevada Gaming Control Board, after they realized that he had not collected his winnings.
CBS News reports that Taylor had won big whilst gambling on a slot machine on the evening of January 8.
However, he wasn't alerted to the fact he had won because the machine malfunctioned due to a "communication error".
It was only at a later review that the Nevada Gaming Control Board first realized that Taylor should have been rewarded with a whopping jackpot.
But by then, the holidaymaker had already packed his bags and returned home to Arizona.
To make things worse, the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino was unable to identify Taylor. So the Board had no choice but to launch an investigation into tracking him down and getting him his winnings.
In a statement, the Gaming Control Board said that they searched for Taylor by checking surveillance video, conducting witness interviews, studying electronic purchase records, and reviewing ride-sharing data.
Lucky for Taylor, the Board was successful, and after more than two weeks of painstaking investigations, they finally identified him. On January 28 he was given the happy news that he had won almost a quarter of a million dollars and told he could come and collect his winnings at any time.
The chief of the Board's Enforcement Division James Taylor commended agents in a statement.
He congratulated them for "ensuring that the public trust in the gaming industry remains strong by spending countless hours over two weeks to ensure that a patron is awarded winnings owed to him."
"This has been a great example of government working together for the benefit of the public," he added.
A concerned social media user has sought advice online after their partner won big after gambling -- but refused to share any of the winnings.
Relationships can hit rocky patches for a number of reasons, and finances can be a tricky thing to overcome, especially if someone comes into a large influx of money.
You'd hope that anything would be shared equally - perhaps in the form of a new house, or maybe even a really fancy vacation.
Unfortunately, money has a way of bringing out the absolute worst in people, as one Redditor found out the hard way.
Beginning their story, the Redditor said: "Me and my partner had this deal where I'd chip in $20 a month for their gambling hobby. Thought it was a fun little support thing. Fast forward, and they actually win big. Like, new car big."
Sounds great, right?
Sadly, it all took a turn for the worse. "When I hinted at maybe celebrating or planning together (something small mind you!), they went all, 'My win, my money,' the post continued.
"I tried explaining that my contributions were in the spirit of partnership, not investment. That didn't fly. They insisted that what I gave was just support, not a stake in any potential win. Felt pretty cold, not gonna lie."
At this point, it feels like at the very least the Redditor is owed the money back that they had shared with their partner to fuel the gambling.
The post went on: "I decided to end things because it felt like a huge red flag about our future. Their reaction? Not great. They accused me of only being with them for the money, which is rich (pun intended) considering the timing."
After the Redditor was called a "gold digger" by their partner's family, they said: "My stance was about feeling like we're not really a team, but to them, I'm the villain who bailed at the first sign of fortune."
People flooded their comments with their thoughts, and let's just say, most weren't favorable of the person with a "gambling hobby".
One person said: "Next time his family calls you a gold digger, remind them that you gave him money, and that if you were actually a gold digger, you wouldn't have broken up with him."
A second added: "You've been fair, even supported him financially. If his family calls you a gold digger, remind them: you wouldn't have left him if that were true. Keep your head held high!"
A third person said: "Your ex sucks, their family sucks, and their friends suck. Sounds to me like you won big by finding this out before marriage."
Yikes! I guess they were the real winner in the end.
Looking in from the outside, Dan Saunder's life looked incredible, with private jets, caviar, champagne and nights with escorts being a regular occurrence.
But the 29-year-old had a secret: none of the money paying for it was his. Instead, he was getting his supply from a broken cash machine, which somehow allowed him to take out £1 million ($1.2 million) without charging him.
It all started when he was on a night out and tried to buy a round of drinks at the bar. When his card was declined, he went down the street to the closest ATM to check his balance: it said he had just £3 ($3.79) to his name.
Despite this depressing news, he tapped to withdraw £100 ($126.50) anyway. The result of this was something of a miracle: the machine gave him the money he requested, despite an error message coming up onscreen stating the transaction had been declined.
After returning to the bar to successfully buy his round of drinks, he went back to the ATM and asked for more money. To his amazement, it gave it to him.
Speaking to Sun Online, he explained: "I tried to get £250 and then £300 just to see what would happen and it kept giving me the money. It was 1am in a country town so there was nowhere open to spend it. I think it was a combination of being tipsy and bored, but I just kept doing it again and again, it was like a magic trick."
The next night, he went back to the same machine and figured out that if he visited it between the hours of midnight and one in the morning, he could withdraw as much free cash as he wanted.
The charges would appear on his bank account as minus figures the next day, but he could always draw out more cash once the clock struck midnight. Shockingly, the staff at his bank did not notice.
Describing it as "like a caveman discovering fire", he began taking out hundreds every single night. Over a four-and-a-half month period, he took about around £1million ($1.2 million).
He used the money to live the high life: he threw wild parties, ate at the best restaurants, stayed in expensive hotels, hired private jets and paid glamorous escorts to be on his arm after breaking up with his girlfriend.
According to his interview with The Sun, the most expensive thing Dan bought was a flight in a 20-seat private jet, which he chartered to an island in Asia, near Bali, costing almost £50,000.
However, his conscience soon caught up with him: the 29-year-old began to have anxiety attacks, as his bank account went further and further into the red.
He turned himself into his bank in June 2011, but wasn't arrested until three years later on 111 counts related to fraud and theft.
In May 2016, he was released from prison after spending a year locked up. He’s now working in a bar again on £12.50 ($15.82) an hour, but insists he has "no regrets".
He told The Sun: "Right now, I'm happy. I've got a pretty stable life with a bit of everything here and there. It's better now, but there was definitely a hangover time, when I thought, jeez, maybe I should have gone to Spain after all."
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-100)