Paddy Power can reveal how a Northern Irish chef turned up to work at a restaurant on the busiest day of the year, just hours after he netted a staggering £4.2 million –the biggest ever online win in the history of the company.
Sean Doyle (33), from Newcastle, Co Down placed a £10 stake on an online slot game called Mars Attacks, and struck it rich when he won the Jackpot King Deluxe on Paddy Power Games at exactly 10pm on the Eve of Valentine’s Day.
But Doyle kept his feet firmly on planet earth when he woke up the next morning and arrived promptly for work at 9am at The Artisan Cookhouse on the busiest day of the year at the family-run restaurant.
Less than 12 hours prior, the singleton, who has been an online gaming customer with Paddy Power for just 6 months, had won an eye-watering total of £4,283,863.55, and a record-breaking sum for Paddy Power Online Games customer.
Sean describes how he watched in utter disbelief as the money dial on his screen began to increase towards the total winning figure. But he admits he couldn’t bear to wait the 10 seconds it took to hit the £4.2 million mark.
“I watched it until it reached about £1m on the count thing and I switched off my phone. I couldn’t look. When I got home I couldn’t believe my eyes after I saw the final amount!” he told Paddy Power.
“My sister is a single parent in New Zealand with three kids so I’m delighted because this means I will be able to help her out. I also have three brothers, my parents and a few aunts and uncles too.”
Asked if he has any plans to spend any portion of the lump sum on himself, the generous Newcastle native revealed: “Ah, I’m sure the expected things will come too, after helping the family out. I might set up my own shop, probably a café, which would mean I can down scale and relax more.”
Our own head chef Paddy Power said: “Roses are red, violets are blue, we found out Sean is single, so get in the queue! We’re used to being down a few quid after Valentine’s Day but this record-breaking win takes the biscuit.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled for Sean and the fact that he was sound enough to turn up for work for his bosses, Alister his son Cormack Evans, the next morning makes the thought of his success all the sweeter.”
Having scooped the heart-stopping sum on Paddy Power’s Mars Attacks, Sean can afford to BUY a chunk of the Red Planet – 176,654 acres of it – which can be bought at price of £24.25 a pop!
Other possible purchases could include 21 trips to space with Virgin Galactic or Sean could take Man Utd’s Alexis Sanchez and Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil off their clubs’ hands for a month and have them line out for his local team instead.
This jackpot is gone, but the prize fund is already back up to £1.1m with Paddy Power.