18th February 05

A punting porter has gone off his trolley after forcing the world’s biggest bookmaker Ladbrokes into its largest ever payout – with a stake of just 20p!

Ted Reid, 40, pocketed a whopping £750,000 when he scooped the jackpot at the FIRST attempt on an internet slot machine game at staggering odds of 3,718,801 to 1. Dad-of-three Ted Reid bagged the cash on the Major Millions game at Ladbrokes Casino on Saturday after deciding to have a late night flutter.

His winning total is not only the highest payout Ladbrokes Casino has made, but also  the highest Ladbrokes has ever handed over on a bet in 120 years and the largest in British Internet history.

Ted Reid, from Aberdeen, has worked for the NHS for twenty years and is currently a manager of the portering department at the city’s Royal Infirmary. Despite his newfound wealth he says he’s got no intention of retiring from the job he loves. But he is hoping to buy his wife and fellow porter Kathie, 46, a new car.

He said: "I just couldn’t believe it had happened to me. I sat staring at the screen thinking ‘this must be some kind of mistake."

"Then it slowly dawned on me when I looked at the jackpot total and the new balance on my account that it was all mine. I stumbled into bed and wondered whether I should tell my wife but she was on an early shift the next morning so I decided not to wake her up. Instead, I lay awake all night watching the clock going round and wondering what I was going to spend the cash on."

Super Ted's UK Record Major Millions Payout

Major Millions is a progressive 'fruit-machine' style game where players compete against each other on-line to win a jackpot accumulated from all losing bets. Jackpots, which start at around £250,000, continue to grow until there's a winner. The more people that play, the quicker the jackpot grows.

Players can choose to play from 1-15 win-lines with each one costing 20p to play. They must play win-line 15 – and stake £3 in total - to have a chance of winning the jackpot.

Ted decided to try his luck on the popular game on Saturday night after his wife had gone to bed. Things were looking good when he won £136.87 in a total of 12 spins, betting just 20 pence per win-line.

But he couldn't believe his eyes when his next attempt saw him get a zig-zag win-line of Major Millions signs that scooped the jackpot of £743, 760.57 - giving him a grand total of £743,897.37.

The NHS worker added: "I’d never played the five-reel version before so I decided to give it a go. I only spent a few quid in total and was going to call it a night when I won over £100.

“But on the last spin the Major Millions signs kept dropping and it slowly dawned on me that I’d won the jackpot. It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me!”

Ted has no plans to blow his dough but is hoping to throw a party for friends and family and treat a few pals to some hospitality at Ibrox Park – home of his beloved Glasgow Rangers.

He and Cathie are also planning to enjoy themselves on a cruise round the Mediterranean that they booked before the big win. John O’Reilly, managing director of Ladbrokes e-Gaming and telephone betting said: “We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when Ted won the jackpot as it’s our biggest ever pay-out.

“But we’re absolutely delighted for him and his wife – it couldn’t have happened to nicer people.”