I've got a golden ticket

davross

Hi all,

I wasn't sure whether or not to post this on the forum as it's not related to a competition that was listed on MSE but I thought that some MSE'ers may find it interesting so....

I used to enter thousands of competitions each month, mostly those listed on MSE but due to being very busy with my family etc I stopped seriously comping a few years ago and now just enter the odd one I come across.

My wife and I sometimes visit a well known casino in London when we are lucky enough to have a babysitter for the night. We don't often gamble but we usually have a drink and watch a show in their small theatre. One evening this summer, I was browsing Facebook and noticed they were running a competition on their page which only required answering a very easy question so I entered without fully understanding what was on offer.

A few days later, I received a private message from the casino to let me know that I had won the competition. The prize was a "Golden Ticket" to an event that they were holding the following week. I was skeptical at first but the more they told me, the more interesting it sounded.

It turned out that the Casino had been running a promotion with their regular on-site gambling customers who, whilst playing casino games, could win raffle tickets which in turn could be entered for a chance to win one of 35 Golden Tickets. The Casino were also giving away 1 final Golden Ticket to a social media winner, which was the prize I had won.

Each Golden Ticket holder was invited to a champagne reception (with a guest) where they would have the chance to win a share of 1 kilo of gold. I was still a little skeptical but, as I am partial to a glass or two of champagne and I liked the idea of a free night out in London, I happily accepted.

On the night of the event, my wife and I were on our way on the train and, despite having zero hope of actually winning any gold, I thought I would have a quick look online to see what a kilo of gold is actually worth... (35 grand?!.. yeah right.. no chance.. dream on).

We arrived at the casino and immediately became aware that this event was quite a big deal. We were given VIP passes and lead to a private lounge where, along with the other winners, we enjoyed lots of champagne and canapes and were treated like royalty. The casino owner and his wife, who were both lovely, even came and chatted to us for a while.

After enjoying the VIP treatment for an hour or two, all of the winners were instructed to exchange their golden ticket for a golden casino chip which we picked at random from a jar. I picked number 13 which I thought was bloody typical. We hung around for a while, indulging in yet more champagne until, at last, it was time for the main event.

An amazing and surreal scene then broke out in the casino with Spandau Ballet's Gold blasting out of the speakers, ladies painted from head to toe in gold dancing to a well choreographed performance, and gold streamers flying around everywhere. As this was going on, the golden ticket holders were led to the middle of the casino floor to a roulette wheel where they explained to us that there would be 5 spins and each winner would receive an equal share of the gold.

We handed our golden chips to the Casino owner and he placed each chip on it's corresponding number. He spun the wheel, released the ball and the whole casino went silent. It began to feel very real at this point and, despite the far too many glasses of champagne I had consumed, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. This was the best buzz ever.

After what seemed like forever, the ball landed and the first winning number was called... not mine (as expected). The whole casino erupted with cheering and the winner was handed back his winning chip.

Then the wheel was spun for a second time and, again, a winner was announced. Only 3 spins left.. Oh well, it's been a great night out anyway.

Then the third spin began... I was really starting to enjoy this. By this time, a few people had elbowed their way in front of me and I couldn't quite see what was going on.The ball landed and after a short delay I heard "Number 13!". I didn't quite believe it at first and had to ask someone next to me if my number really had been called. The rest of the evening is a bit of a blur as I was totally shell-shocked.

The 5 lucky winners were invited back to the private lounge where we were given more champagne (which I needed to calm my nerves) and photographed accepting the actual gold bars that we had won. We were then offered a choice of either the gold or the equivalent market value in cash . I opted for the cash and we walked out of the casino with just over £6500. Needless to say, this was by far the biggest win of my life and a night I will remember forever.

Anyway,.. I just thought it would be nice to share my experience with people that understand the excitement of winning and hope some of you enjoyed reading this.

independance

Brilliant story, well done must have been a great night. :T:T:T

kizzykizzywizzy

Wow - amazing ����

lislesluck123

What a fab story and a great memory to treasure (excuse the pun) too!

newf1

cheers mate enjoyed that nearly as much as you !!

Rahven

Amazing! Really enjoyed reading that, thanks for sharing

shazjack

Fantastic story, what an excellent night out!

Makeandsave

WOW well done, Thank you for the amazing story. Hope you enjoy spending the money. Bet your glad you wet now! BTW does drinking all the champagne give you a bad hangover?

thingamaBob

What a great story and a fantastic conclusion. :j:j:j Congratulations. :T:T:T

Annieg123

Amazing story- well done

geog134

Amazing - well done! Makes a change from the usual posts on 'I won' of books and dvds etc