Richard Keels, of Mattapan, Massachusetts, is the very first winner of the nation’s first multi-state progressive slot machine jackpot.  On Sunday, he was playing the slot machine at Lincoln Park when he won. The Rhode Island Lottery announced that he chose to take a cash payout of $454,319 instead of waiting for the 20-year annuity – which would have totaled $708,558.20.

His chance of winning was roughly 1 in 7 million. The new Ca$hola Game links the slot machine to other slot machines in Delaware and West Virginia, as well as those located at Lincoln and Newport Grand in Massachusetts.  A portion of every dollar gambled at any of the slot machines that are hooked into the system at any of the locations goes into a pot that can be won by gamblers in any of the three states. The game just started on July 18^th and is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association. This association is the same one that coordinated PowerBall.

The states got together to create a larger progressive slot machine, as higher payouts will bring in more gamblers. The state takes roughly 60.5% of the slot machine revenues, which ended up being roughly $205.4 million from Lincoln Park last year.

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