After clocking up $100,000 (£80,000) on a slot machine in a casino you'd be doing one of two things: a) cashing out, very happy with your night's work, or b) feeling invincible.
Jan Flato found himself in a completely different situation. The 66-year-old was feeding cash into the £40-a-spin 'Double Top Dollar' machine during a night at a casino in Florida.
He'd had a couple of winless spins at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Fort Lauderdale.
After numerous winless efforts, he decided to let his girl friend (not, 'girlfriend' - well, at least certainly not after what happened) push the button for 'luck'.
Marina Navarro pushed the button and seconds later the $100,000 (£80,000) jackpot was the prize. Flato assumed that the money was his.
Jan Flato. Credit: News Channel 4
Marina Navarro. Credit: LinkedIn
Advert
However, casino officials reviewed surveillance footage to confirm which one had the Midas touch.
Seminole spokesman, Gary Bitner, said: "The person who pushes a slot machine button or pulls the arm is the person who wins the jackpot."
The story closely mirrors the film What Happens in Vegas which stars Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz.
Set in Sin City, the film sees two people discover they got hitched following a night of gambling and drinking, with one them winning a huge jackpot after playing with the other's quarter.
However, the real story does not have a happy ending - Flato lost his money, and his friend.
We all know that money does strange things to people. It even catches out the most unsuspecting of people.
A Buddhist monk is probably the last person you'd expect to do be found betting, but last year Khang Nguyen Le was sent to 30 months in prison for stealing from his own temple to gamble at a casino.
To avoid capture, Le would lie to his colleagues and gamble in quieter areas.
You have to question the morals of Le, but also that of Flato's 'friend'. Would she not give him a share? Flato claims he's hardly heard from his friend since she walked out with the top prize.
"I said, 'Marina, what are you doing?' and she gets up and walks out," Flato said.
Weeks later, she allegedly sent Flato a text message saying: "Still hate me?"
Like that needed answering. Flato, however, did reply, saying: "How could you do that to me?" Her response was: "I miss you."
Credit: News Channel 4
Advert
Flato says that he is still angry over what happened.
Meanwhile, Navarro explained the moments after Jan had discovered the jackpot wasn't his. She said: "Jan all of a sudden went ballistic," she said. "He started screaming in front of everybody."
Then came the threatening texts. One read: "Having me as an enemy... not good," followed by "We'll see who made the big mistake. It won't be me."
Navarro claims she originally offered Flato some of the winnings, but after the texts he sent, she changed her mind.
Featured Image Credit: News Channel 4