A father-of-three has literally won the lottery, scooping up almost $10 million from a tiny $2 bet – and earning himself the nickname Micky Millions.
Michael Clark, 32, was spending a quiet day at home in Newcastle, England, when he decided to place a small bet via a betting app.
After playing the Betfred King Kong Cashpots game for half an hour, Mr Clark realised his winnings from the £1.40 spin (A$2.46) had transformed into £5.4 million ($A$9.4m).
“We thought it must have been a mistake at first, and then we started hugging each other when we realised it was real,” he said.
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“I just couldn’t stop crying, and there was no way I was going to go to sleep that night having won such an enormous amount of money.”
Mr Clark and his fiancee Sherelle Pooley plan to spend the money on a dream wedding and home in the countryside, as well as helping his elderly grandma to install a new stair lift.
Their wedding – and a new plan for a Caribbean honeymoon – has been delayed for years. They plan to marry at Newcastle United’s home ground St James’s Park, as well as treat themselves to season tickets.
“The honeymoon will probably be in the Caribbean, maybe Jamaica, and we’ll be travelling first class. Sherelle has never been on a plane so we’re already sorting out a passport for her,” he said“I am just so happy for Michael, me and the whole family. It’s totally overwhelming. We are so lucky to have a new and better life ahead of us,” Ms Pooley added.
Mr Clark, who works in a mental health unit, said his boss was understanding when he took a period of leave to process his huge winnings.
“Everyone is calling me ‘Micky Millions’ now,” he added.
The couple said they were determined not to “waste” the cash boost, “so that not just us but the next generations of our family can also flourish”.
“It’s a case of trying to come to terms with the fact that I’ve won so much money. We are determined to stay grounded and not go too crazy although we’re also determined to enjoy life to the fullest,” he said.
Mr Clark’s win is huge – and the largest ever on the platform he used – but still pales in comparison to the UK’s biggest gambling wins.
Last year, a married couple became the record holders when they scooped up a whopping £184m ($A323m), but were soon knocked off the top spot by an anonymous winner who took home £195m ($A342m).
In September, another anonymous winner scooped £171m ($A300m).