We have a few questions for you. Firstly, how would you react if you ended up winning millions of dollars after one attempt on a slot machine? Secondly, how would you react if the casino you won the money at took it away from you? We all wish we didn't have to spend years working hard in order to earn our money. Instead, wouldn't it be great to simply pull a lever and win $8.5 million? Because this is exactly what happened to one lady who ended up winning a life-changing amount of money. However, minutes later, the casino staff would put a huge damper on her celebrations.
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Veronica Castillo isn't a regular at casinos. However, when she ended up going to one a couple of years ago, she was sure that she had won a staggering $8.5 million after trying her luck on a slot machine – until the casino refused to give her a cash prize.
- Usually, a player wins a large jackpot and the casino refuses to pay arguing that the machine wasn't supposed to award a prize so high. For example, the machine awards a prize of $1.000.000 but the casino says that the top amount is $10.000 and will pay only that much.
- It was 2015 when Veronica lost her jackpot, which was the year the Lucky Eagle was celebrating its 20th anniversary. This was exactly the kind of publicity the casino wanted to avoid when they were trying their best to celebrate becoming such a big success in the community.
This sent Veronica down a rabbit hole as she learned exactly why the casino decided not to give her the money that she believed was rightfully hers.
Veronica could never have foreseen that she would become the main character of this crazy casino story. As far as she was concerned, she was just looking to get away for the weekend with her mother.
The Portland, Oregon woman took her mom to the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington. Despite not being a gambler, Veronica wanted to try her luck on some of the slot machines. In a way though, it actually made sense that Veronica was so interested in numbers…
Seeing that she is a mortgage consultant with nearly two decades worth of experience under her belt, it is safe to say that Veronica understands how money works really well.
So when she was stripped of her $8.5 million winnings during her trip to the casino, she was convinced that something wasn't quite right. For someone who knows numbers, things simply didn't add up. However, she did not suspect anything when she entered the casino…
Immediately, Veronica was dazzled by the bright lights and sounds of Lucky Eagle Casino. In an instant, she understood what all the fuss was about and why people love going to casinos.
All the signs pointed to her wanting to try her luck on some of the slot machines. These tall, mysterious machines are extremely popular due to how easy they are to use and their bright, luring lights. However, there was one particular slot machine that piqued her interest…
It seems that Veronica is a huge fan of dinosaurs because the slot machine that caught her attention was a prehistoric themed one called 'Jurassic Riches.'
Not thinking too much of it, Veronica had chosen her machine and was about to make her move. However, before she did that, she sat down and thought about some of the things she already knew about slot machines, and gambling in general. Nevertheless, this wouldn't take anything away from how excited she was…
Ultimately, Veronica knew that there was a good chance that she would walk out of that casino empty handed. However, this didn't stop her from going in there with her mother and having a great time. She was excited by the mystery.
Having rarely gambled in her life, this was pretty much new territory for her. She was aware that casino games tend to favor the casino. However, she had limited knowledge about the intricate systems behind a slot machine…
It takes a lot of sophistication and ingenuity to engineer a successfully functioning slot machine. They usually include a random number generator and a number of intricate systems within the machine.
This means that slot machines have a near-infinite amount of combinations to make the results as random as possible. As for Veronica, she wasn't clued up on the intricacies of slot machines. All she was interested in was trying her luck, just once, and then she would get on with her life.
One of the reasons that Veronica had such a carefree attitude when she saw those slot machines was because of the many success stories she had heard in recent times.
Take this happy couple for example, who pulled the lever during a trip to the casino. Just like that, they were half a million bucks richer. There was a small part of her that believed that maybe she could become one of those success stories…
Unlike other casino-goers, who will spend an entire day on the same slot machine, pulling the lever until they get a cash prize, Veronica did things differently.
Having not caught a gambling bug, all she wanted to do was choose a random machine, which she did, put a note in it, and see what would happen. So she inserted $100, pulled the lever, and hoped for a good result. Nothing could prepare her for what the slot machine would end up showing her…
When everything was said and done, Veronica couldn't believe what she was seeing. On the screen of 'Jurassic Riches,' it said that she had won over $8.5 million! $8,589,298.90, to be precise!
She had never really won anything in her life and now, she had won a sum of money that was, without a shadow of a doubt, life-changing! Naturally, she was completing surprised by the outcome and in an interview, she recalled her initial reaction after seeing that figure of money.
In an interview with Inside Edition, Veronica was simply asked what it was like to win $8.5 million. Her answer was pretty understandable. 'I was in shock,' she said. '[And] was excited.'
She also reiterated her feelings in an interview with KOIN 6, saying the following: 'I was very excited and happy…couldn't believe it.' During those initial few minutes after winning the jackpot, the biggest question going through Veronica's mind was what she could do with that sort of money…
Seeing that she was already a successful mortgage loan officer, Veronica was pretty happy with her life prior to this incredible moment. As a result, she was struggling to work out what she would do with such a large sum of money.
One thing was for sure though, she could probably buy anything she wanted. Also, she would never have to work another day in her life. However, these dreams were about the be shattered in a matter of 15 minutes…
For the next 15 minutes, Veronica was giddy with joy and started calling her loved ones. Despite going away with her mother, she called her straight away to tell her to come and find her so she could tell her the incredible news.
Literally, eight million thoughts were racing through her mind at once and all she wanted was for someone to come along and hand over her winnings. However, something completely different happened that would turn this story on its head…
As members of staff came towards her, Veronica assumed they were simply coming over to congratulate her for winning the jackpot prize.
However, she assumed wrong. It turns out that the reason the staff members arrived on the scene was that they wanted to shut down the slot machine. 'They come to me and say, ‘We have to shut off the machine,'' she said. But that was just the start of her terrible experience at the Lucky Eagle…
Not only did the workers at the casino shut down the 'Jurassic Riches' slot machine, they also came to inform Veronica that she hadn't actually won anything. '
Then I was like asking ‘What about the prize?' she said. 'And they said, ‘there's no prize.' It was horrible.' Completely confused and distraught by what they were telling her, Veronica had a million questions and demanded answers in that very instant. However, things only seemed to get worse…
While she had plenty of questions that she wanted answers to immediately, the staff at the Lucky Eagle desperately tried to appease her with some sort of instant compensation.
However, Veronica couldn't believe her eyes when one of the workers gave her a ticket worth $80. $80.35, to be precise! This meant that Veronica received a one-hundred-thousandth of what she thought she'd get. Nevertheless, she was still determined to find out the reason that her dream jackpot had gone wrong…
In short, the staff explained to Veronica that the slot machine she had been using had malfunctioned. Despite displaying the $8.5 million on her screen, it was actually a display error.
Naturally dumbfounded by the explanation, Veronica couldn't believe what they were telling her. Still unconvinced by their reasons, CEO John Setterstrom began to break down some key rules that would hopefully set the record straight – most notably, a sticker that rested on the side of each slot machine…
John Setterstrom was quick to explain that his casino was able to retrieve any crucial data to prove that what Veronica saw was actually faulty.
'We have backup systems as well, and screenshot systems and systems that are built within the systems that can accurately depict and we can show it to the guest,' he said. More importantly, though, the CEO showed KOIN6‘s Lisa Balick some of the casino rules. One of them claims that 'machine malfunction voids all pays and plays.'
Although the casino executives tried to explain to her what had happened, Veronica simply wasn't buying it. As far as she was concerned, the casino was 'cheating' and trying to avoid paying her what was rightfully hers.
'To me, it's deceiving, it's cheating, it might even be fraudulent,' she said in an interview. 'My first thought was ‘how many times did they have these kinds of instances and people walking away thinking they have won and going empty-handed?'
Despite the red tape that the casino had wrapped around the money that Veronica wholeheartedly believe belonged to her, there were some people in high places who believed she was right.
Attorney Alan Ripka, who is representing another lady in a similar situation, had the following to say: 'You walk through the door. You expect that if you are risking your money, that if you win, you will be paid.' So maybe Veronica had a dog in this fight after all…
Veronica was going through so many emotions. All in one breathe, she felt sad, angry, frustrated, hopeless, betrayed and depressed. As she walked away from that casino, she vowed that the only reason she would return would be to collect her winnings.
Feeling empty inside, Veronica did not know what to do with herself. All she could do was go back home and rest her head. She had been through so much in such a short space of time.
Veronica was determined to find the positives in her devastating evening. However, it was near-on impossible. As a result, she simply went back home to rest her head and spend some quality time with her dog.
However, this certainly was not the end for her. Veronica was hell-bent on getting to the bottom of this controversy. In fact, it wasn't just Veronica who took offense to what happened. Others wanted to help her to try and find some sort of justice…
Lisa Balick, who works for KOIN6, took it upon herself to do some digging of her own, in an attempt to set things straight.
When she called the CEO of Lucky Eagle Casino, John Setterstrom, she was surprised by what he had to say. 'Obviously, $8 million, there's no machine in the state that pays that,' he told her. 'This has never happened there before.' Furthermore, the casino tried to make amends for what had happened…
CEO John Setterstrom revealed that in his 20+ years at the casino, he had never witnessed a situation quite like this one. He also said that he was planning on getting to the bottom of what exactly went wrong in the 'Jurassic Riches' slot machine.
And it's not just the casino who launched a full investigation. The manufacturer of the machine, Rocket Gaming Systems revealed that they are going to work out the cause of the malfunction. That's not all though…
What makes the case even more perplexing is how it happened in Washington state, a part of America that prides itself on having its own casino lab.
It is here where experts regularly inspect gaming machines to make sure that these sort of things do not happen. As a result of this strange fact, one of the representatives of the Washington State Gambling Commission firmly believes that this will not, and must not, happen again…
According to Heather Singer from the Washington State Gambling Commission, a case like Veronica's shouldn't dissuade others from trying their luck on a slot machine. 'Nationwide, it's extremely rare that we see a major machine malfunction,' she said.
'So consumers should feel pretty confident that when they're sitting down at a gaming machine that it's going to function properly.' However, she probably won't want to tell Veronica that anytime soon. Soon enough, the Lucky Eagle issued a formal statement about what happened…
Shortly after the slot machine fiasco, the casino issued a formal statement, proving that they were taking the situation seriously. They were as determined as Veronica to get to the bottom of the error.
However, the casino also shared information in an attempt to prove that the slot machine had, in fact, malfunctioned. They also reiterated what John Setterstrom had confirmed in the interview, that the machine has a maximum jackpot of $20,000. But the casino wasn't out of the woods just yet…
While the casino was adamant that the slot machine Veronica used had displayed an error, causing the confusion, they still wanted to apologize to her for the inconvenience.
The casino issued a formal apology, expressing 'deep regret' over what had transpired. The staff at the Lucky Eagle didn't realize how machine errors can be traumatic for their users. Nevertheless, Veronica was feeling in the mood to forgive the casino for their faux pas. And that wasn't all they did for her…
The casino didn't just issue a formal apology to Veronica for the inconvenience. It also made a concerted effort to make her feel better, by supplying her with a number of freebies.
In order to compensate her for her misfortunes, the casino gave her a weekend stay at the hotel free of charge, with meals included. However, this is certainly not the end of the story. As far as Veronica is concerned, she has some unfinished business…
Despite the casino trying their best to appease her, Veronica isn't satisfied. She wants to get an attorney, in an attempt to get what she believes is rightfully hers.
And if she doesn't win her case, she at least wants to share her story with the world. 'What I expect at the very least, is to create awareness about how the casinos work, when the players get the big winnings!' she wrote. Whatever happens, we hope that Veronica gets some sort of happy ending.
Make no mistake about it: Veronica Castillo isn't the only person who thought she had hit the jackpot on the slot machines, only to end up walking out of the casino empty handed. 44-year-old Katrina Bookman thought she had won $42.9 million!
She even took a selfie of herself with the jackpot that appeared on the screen. However, she faced the same fate as Veronica. Jerry Rape also missed out on big money, believing he had won $1.3 million on the slots.
Any casino player dreams of winning the multi-million jackpot. Even if he makes minimum bets and does not play progressive jackpot slots, he cherishes the dream of sudden wealth. Some players come close to tremendous wealth, but luck turns away from them at the last moment. However, it is not always necessary to blame fate, because often it is the casino administration that hinders the way to the jackpot.
So, why do casinos refuse to pay jackpots? Each situation is unique, but you can still distinguish two basic reasons:
- Malfunction of the casino soft;
- Client's fraud.
Let's look at both points briefly.
Video Slot Errors
If a slot crashes at the software or hardware level, all payouts and draw results are canceled. This is a standard procedure specified in the rules of all casinos.
Did you get a message about the ten million jackpot on the screen of a one-cent slot? Do not rush to rejoice. Most likely, this is a program crash for which no one is responsible. Court is useless. The casino operator will call the developer and an independent auditor who will confirm that this is an error, so no one owes anything to you.
Unfortunately, this is the most common situation. The history of gambling knows a lot of similar examples. Later we tell you some of them.
Customer Scam
Scammers have long tried to crack slot machines. Some scammers even manage to hit the progressive jackpots by fooling security service. Not surprisingly, casino operators are suspicious of all winners. If the administration has the slightest doubt about the fairness of the winnings, they freeze the payment for an investigation.
If we are talking about a huge amount, sometimes a minor violation of the rules is enough to make the casino refuse to pay the jackpot out. Next, we will tell about the old woman who lost half a million in a similar situation. The problem was that she won the jackpot with a bet that the previous client left in the slot.
There are cases when casino refuse to pay the winnings to minors. In online casinos, winnings have been repeatedly canceled as soon as it turned out that the client lives in a country where online gambling is prohibited.
What if the Casino Refuses to Pay the Jackpot?
We will give a few recommendations how to behave if the casino administration wants to deprive you of the money won.
- In a situation like this, it's hard for you to control yourself, but it is necessary. Do not raise your voice. Do not be rude. That is, do not give grounds for additional quibbles.
- Take care of the evidence. Take photos and videos with your smartphone. Engage eyewitnesses. Take a selfie on the background of the slot board with the sum of the jackpot. Immediately upload photos and videos to social networks.
- Do not be afraid to call the police. Insist on the presence of law enforcement officers during proceedings with the administration of the casino.
- Do not be intimidated. Charges of fraud, stories about the influential owners of the institution, promises of future problems – respond to such statements of the casino administration by calling the police.
- Remember that you are not required to retire with the guards in the office space to clarify the circumstances. Security also does not have the right to search you or take away personal belongings.
- Do not accept financial compensation, free dinners, and other 'handouts'. The court may consider them as the evidence of the compromise achieved.
- Seek help from lawyers specializing in such cases.
- Refer to the media. Social networks, TV, online forums, and even newspapers and magazines will be happy to grasp the scandalous plot, and no casino needs such advertising.
Even if you fail to get the full amount of the jackpot, the right actions can help to get at least something from the casino operator.
Loud Scandals
Let us recall a few resonant cases on this topic, which were widely reported in the press.
Indian Order
In tribal casinos of American Indians, unpleasant situations with unpaid jackpots often occur. In 2011, Jerry Rape sued the Wind Creek casino located in Montgomery. He filed separate claims for two employees of this institution.
According to Jerry, he played at a video slot with 5-dollar bets and hit a jackpot of $1,4 million. Allegedly, at the same time, one casino worker warned him: 'Do not let them deceive you.' But he could not avoid trouble.
The administration kept Jerry in the office for almost a day. In response to his protests, he heard only threats and allegations of fraud. The administration then stated that the slot was defective, so Rape would not get paid. From the casino, the man went straight to the lawyer.
The trial lasted until September 2017 and ended bad for Jerry. The Alabama Supreme Court closed the case. It decided that it was not possible to prove the illegality of casino actions. In addition, only federal and tribal laws are in effect on the reservation territory. Thus, lawsuits like this are doomed to a fiasco.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones
On October 31, 1999, William Jones, a construction contractor, and his wife Sharon Jones went to the Fitzgerald's casino. After one of the twenty-five-dollar spins, Sharon almost jumped for joy when she saw three black diamonds on the slot screen. The combination promised her $40,000. But she did not hear any winning sounds, nor the corresponding animation appeared.
According to Sharon, the slot folded the combination without charging a payout. William claims that you can clearly see the jackpot on the recordings from CCTV cameras:
On the videotape, in the casino, they all point their fingers to the slot.
The casino administration said that there was a slot crash, so the Jones cannot claim the jackpot. Later, a representative of the Mississippi Gaming Commission attended the casino and confirmed the legality of the actions of Fitzgerald's casino management.
The couple filed a complaint with Mississippi Gaming Commission, but the commission did not help them. When it came to a lawsuit, the representatives of the casino in a personal meeting said that the institution was owned by the mafia, so it's not worthwhile to set the course. As a result, the parties reached a compromise, the details of which were not made public.
$43 Million Steak!
In November 2016, Katrina Bookman, a single mother of four children, played in the Sphinx slot at Resorts World Casino, Queens, New York. She was lucky and she won $42,949,672, this would be the biggest jackpot in the history of American offline slots.
I can't even describe the feelings, — Katrina recalls. — As if the whole body was numb.
Despite the stupor, the woman did not forget to get a smartphone to capture a joyful moment with a selfie.
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At this moment, the joyful part of the story ended for her. Immediately, it turned out that the casino refuses to accrue the payment, indicating an error. In exchange, she was offered dinner with a steak for $2,25, which allegedly relied on her as a prize in fact. Of course, Katrina refused such a 'generous' offer, appealed to the media for help and filed a lawsuit.
The Resorts World Administration made a statement, which was voiced by Dan Bank. He apologized for the slot error and stated that the company would not pay the jackpot:
… the casino staff was able to establish that the numbers shown on the cent slot were the result of an obvious malfunction — a fact that was later confirmed by the New York State Gaming Commission.
New York State Gaming Commission agreed with the arguments of the casino, referring to the standard clause rules: 'Faulty work cancels all payments and draws'. The commission limited itself to deciding to remove the scandalous video slot from the hall and repair it.
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Further proceedings have come to nothing. Katrina was left without the jackpot.
90-year-old and $42 Million
Ninety-year Pauline MacKee played the Miss Kitty video slot at the Isle casino with $0,01 bets. In one of the spins, she received a payout of 185 coins ($1,85).
The old woman did not have time to rejoice at a good payout for this bet, as a message appeared on the screen, from which her elderly heart almost stopped. The inscription said that Paulina won a bonus of $41,797,550.16.
However, the rich life experience of an old woman immediately suggested that a mistake was possible:
I had doubts from the very beginning because this is a lot of money for a one-cent slot.
The casino said that the screen message popped up as a result of software failure. The prize was invalidated with the usual wording: 'Faulty work cancels all payments and draws'.
Paulina's lawyer filed a lawsuit with the Iowa Supreme Court. Also, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission was involved in the business. Representatives of the Commission seized the video slot and carefully studied it at the hardware and software level in an independent laboratory. Experts found out that the machine was programmed to a maximum payment of $10,000, so it could not give out almost forty-two million.
The trial lasted several years, but in the end, the court agreed with the casino. Paulina, the grandmother of thirteen grandchildren, did not receive anything beyond the original $1,85 payout. She just said:
I was hoping to help the children financially, but apparently, this was not to be.
Representatives of the casino commented on the situation. The company claims that they encountered a similar error and recommended to casino operators to deactivate bonuses in this model. Obviously, the Isle casino ignored the warning.
$105,000 Jackpot… Almost…
In 2011, the 75-year-old retired Cecilia Cubillo played in the Australian Adelaide Casino. The one-dollar bet for the Fort Knox slot brought her $105,731 winnings, but instead of being paid, she received fraud charges.
From the recording from CCTV cameras, it can be seen that the woman played for money remaining in the slot after the previous client. This gave grounds for security officials to call her a thief and deprive the jackpot.
According to shocked Cecilia, she doesn't often go to the casino, only when she has a few extra dollars in her wallet:
For me, it was just an entertainment, a recreation. I like the bright lights of the casino.
That day, she had only seven dollars with her. Passing the Fort Knox slot, she saw the remaining unused bet and pressed the start button. Someone's dollar won her more than a hundred thousand.
The casino operator in the hall told the woman that she would be paid by a check, but then a manager appeared, accompanied by security guards. The old woman did not deny that she had played for the money that the previous client had left in the slot, but refused to recognize herself as a fraud:
The manager called me a thief looking for other people's money, and I was scared that they would call the police, who would arrest me… I didn't steal anything. I did not do anything but played on the left by someone bet in the slot, and I was accused of stealing.
A week later, Cecilia returned to the casino with her daughter and asked for an explanation to the manager who controls the slots. The woman was again told that she was not entitled to the jackpot, but for some reason, they offered her a $250 voucher for food and drinks.
If I was not supposed to get the jackpot I won, — Cecilia wonders, — why did they give me a voucher? I have not used it and will not return to the casino anymore.
Subsequently, David Christian, the general director of the Adelaide casino, made an official statement:
The casino rules prohibit visitors from stealing money left on gaming machines… The entire amount of the jackpot was returned to the general pool, and a week later it was legally won by another client.
He called the voucher offered for Cecilia a 'goodwill gesture' by the casino.
To be a Millionaire Within an Hour
Not more than an hour, Gary Hoffman considered himself a rich man. On August 16, 2007, an Albuquerque office clerk played the Mystical Mermaid slot in the Sandia casino. This casino is located on a Native American reservation in New Mexico. After one of the spins, the message about $1,597,244.10 winning appeared on the screen. You understand how the lucky one responded to the win:
I was delighted.
But the triumph of the winner was short-lived. At first, the administration of the casino congratulated the lucky man, but then he was invited to the business premises, where unpleasant news was waiting for him. He learned that such a large payout could only mean a malfunction of the slot because it was programmed to a maximum gain of $2,500.
The casino called an engineer specialist from IGT, which produces this slot. He examined the slot and confirmed the previously voiced version: the announcement of the win was a mistake. As you know, in the event of a slot malfunction, any winnings are canceled. The institution paid to a disappointed customer $385, adding to them a few free lunches.
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Hoffman later spoke as follows:
I won the money, honestly and fairly, but the casino deceived me from winning… I was a winner and left empty-handed.
Later, Gaming Laboratories International, the audit company, intervened. And it concluded it was a software failure. 2 long slot 4 slice toaster. Gary tried to get justice in the tribal council and later went to court. But attorneys specializing in such matters claim that he had no chance of getting this jackpot. Casinos on reservations operate according to the specific local Indian law, so such cases are not considered in US courts.
$99,000 Instead of $166 Million
Sometimes the casino manages to negotiate with the customer in cases he is entitled to the jackpot but the institution refuses to pay it. In 2009, a similar case occurred at Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Tampa, Florida. This casino belongs to the Seminole tribe.
Bill Seebeck played a slot. One of $1,5-dollar spins ended with the jackpot of $166,666,666.65.
At first, everything was fine. The administration congratulated the client and wrote him a check for the full amount. But then the casino conducted an investigation and found out that an error had occurred at the software level.
Immediately, Veronica was dazzled by the bright lights and sounds of Lucky Eagle Casino. In an instant, she understood what all the fuss was about and why people love going to casinos.
All the signs pointed to her wanting to try her luck on some of the slot machines. These tall, mysterious machines are extremely popular due to how easy they are to use and their bright, luring lights. However, there was one particular slot machine that piqued her interest…
It seems that Veronica is a huge fan of dinosaurs because the slot machine that caught her attention was a prehistoric themed one called 'Jurassic Riches.'
Not thinking too much of it, Veronica had chosen her machine and was about to make her move. However, before she did that, she sat down and thought about some of the things she already knew about slot machines, and gambling in general. Nevertheless, this wouldn't take anything away from how excited she was…
Ultimately, Veronica knew that there was a good chance that she would walk out of that casino empty handed. However, this didn't stop her from going in there with her mother and having a great time. She was excited by the mystery.
Having rarely gambled in her life, this was pretty much new territory for her. She was aware that casino games tend to favor the casino. However, she had limited knowledge about the intricate systems behind a slot machine…
It takes a lot of sophistication and ingenuity to engineer a successfully functioning slot machine. They usually include a random number generator and a number of intricate systems within the machine.
This means that slot machines have a near-infinite amount of combinations to make the results as random as possible. As for Veronica, she wasn't clued up on the intricacies of slot machines. All she was interested in was trying her luck, just once, and then she would get on with her life.
One of the reasons that Veronica had such a carefree attitude when she saw those slot machines was because of the many success stories she had heard in recent times.
Take this happy couple for example, who pulled the lever during a trip to the casino. Just like that, they were half a million bucks richer. There was a small part of her that believed that maybe she could become one of those success stories…
Unlike other casino-goers, who will spend an entire day on the same slot machine, pulling the lever until they get a cash prize, Veronica did things differently.
Having not caught a gambling bug, all she wanted to do was choose a random machine, which she did, put a note in it, and see what would happen. So she inserted $100, pulled the lever, and hoped for a good result. Nothing could prepare her for what the slot machine would end up showing her…
When everything was said and done, Veronica couldn't believe what she was seeing. On the screen of 'Jurassic Riches,' it said that she had won over $8.5 million! $8,589,298.90, to be precise!
She had never really won anything in her life and now, she had won a sum of money that was, without a shadow of a doubt, life-changing! Naturally, she was completing surprised by the outcome and in an interview, she recalled her initial reaction after seeing that figure of money.
In an interview with Inside Edition, Veronica was simply asked what it was like to win $8.5 million. Her answer was pretty understandable. 'I was in shock,' she said. '[And] was excited.'
She also reiterated her feelings in an interview with KOIN 6, saying the following: 'I was very excited and happy…couldn't believe it.' During those initial few minutes after winning the jackpot, the biggest question going through Veronica's mind was what she could do with that sort of money…
Seeing that she was already a successful mortgage loan officer, Veronica was pretty happy with her life prior to this incredible moment. As a result, she was struggling to work out what she would do with such a large sum of money.
One thing was for sure though, she could probably buy anything she wanted. Also, she would never have to work another day in her life. However, these dreams were about the be shattered in a matter of 15 minutes…
For the next 15 minutes, Veronica was giddy with joy and started calling her loved ones. Despite going away with her mother, she called her straight away to tell her to come and find her so she could tell her the incredible news.
Literally, eight million thoughts were racing through her mind at once and all she wanted was for someone to come along and hand over her winnings. However, something completely different happened that would turn this story on its head…
As members of staff came towards her, Veronica assumed they were simply coming over to congratulate her for winning the jackpot prize.
However, she assumed wrong. It turns out that the reason the staff members arrived on the scene was that they wanted to shut down the slot machine. 'They come to me and say, ‘We have to shut off the machine,'' she said. But that was just the start of her terrible experience at the Lucky Eagle…
Not only did the workers at the casino shut down the 'Jurassic Riches' slot machine, they also came to inform Veronica that she hadn't actually won anything. '
Then I was like asking ‘What about the prize?' she said. 'And they said, ‘there's no prize.' It was horrible.' Completely confused and distraught by what they were telling her, Veronica had a million questions and demanded answers in that very instant. However, things only seemed to get worse…
While she had plenty of questions that she wanted answers to immediately, the staff at the Lucky Eagle desperately tried to appease her with some sort of instant compensation.
However, Veronica couldn't believe her eyes when one of the workers gave her a ticket worth $80. $80.35, to be precise! This meant that Veronica received a one-hundred-thousandth of what she thought she'd get. Nevertheless, she was still determined to find out the reason that her dream jackpot had gone wrong…
In short, the staff explained to Veronica that the slot machine she had been using had malfunctioned. Despite displaying the $8.5 million on her screen, it was actually a display error.
Naturally dumbfounded by the explanation, Veronica couldn't believe what they were telling her. Still unconvinced by their reasons, CEO John Setterstrom began to break down some key rules that would hopefully set the record straight – most notably, a sticker that rested on the side of each slot machine…
John Setterstrom was quick to explain that his casino was able to retrieve any crucial data to prove that what Veronica saw was actually faulty.
'We have backup systems as well, and screenshot systems and systems that are built within the systems that can accurately depict and we can show it to the guest,' he said. More importantly, though, the CEO showed KOIN6‘s Lisa Balick some of the casino rules. One of them claims that 'machine malfunction voids all pays and plays.'
Although the casino executives tried to explain to her what had happened, Veronica simply wasn't buying it. As far as she was concerned, the casino was 'cheating' and trying to avoid paying her what was rightfully hers.
'To me, it's deceiving, it's cheating, it might even be fraudulent,' she said in an interview. 'My first thought was ‘how many times did they have these kinds of instances and people walking away thinking they have won and going empty-handed?'
Despite the red tape that the casino had wrapped around the money that Veronica wholeheartedly believe belonged to her, there were some people in high places who believed she was right.
Attorney Alan Ripka, who is representing another lady in a similar situation, had the following to say: 'You walk through the door. You expect that if you are risking your money, that if you win, you will be paid.' So maybe Veronica had a dog in this fight after all…
Veronica was going through so many emotions. All in one breathe, she felt sad, angry, frustrated, hopeless, betrayed and depressed. As she walked away from that casino, she vowed that the only reason she would return would be to collect her winnings.
Feeling empty inside, Veronica did not know what to do with herself. All she could do was go back home and rest her head. She had been through so much in such a short space of time.
Veronica was determined to find the positives in her devastating evening. However, it was near-on impossible. As a result, she simply went back home to rest her head and spend some quality time with her dog.
However, this certainly was not the end for her. Veronica was hell-bent on getting to the bottom of this controversy. In fact, it wasn't just Veronica who took offense to what happened. Others wanted to help her to try and find some sort of justice…
Lisa Balick, who works for KOIN6, took it upon herself to do some digging of her own, in an attempt to set things straight.
When she called the CEO of Lucky Eagle Casino, John Setterstrom, she was surprised by what he had to say. 'Obviously, $8 million, there's no machine in the state that pays that,' he told her. 'This has never happened there before.' Furthermore, the casino tried to make amends for what had happened…
CEO John Setterstrom revealed that in his 20+ years at the casino, he had never witnessed a situation quite like this one. He also said that he was planning on getting to the bottom of what exactly went wrong in the 'Jurassic Riches' slot machine.
And it's not just the casino who launched a full investigation. The manufacturer of the machine, Rocket Gaming Systems revealed that they are going to work out the cause of the malfunction. That's not all though…
What makes the case even more perplexing is how it happened in Washington state, a part of America that prides itself on having its own casino lab.
It is here where experts regularly inspect gaming machines to make sure that these sort of things do not happen. As a result of this strange fact, one of the representatives of the Washington State Gambling Commission firmly believes that this will not, and must not, happen again…
According to Heather Singer from the Washington State Gambling Commission, a case like Veronica's shouldn't dissuade others from trying their luck on a slot machine. 'Nationwide, it's extremely rare that we see a major machine malfunction,' she said.
'So consumers should feel pretty confident that when they're sitting down at a gaming machine that it's going to function properly.' However, she probably won't want to tell Veronica that anytime soon. Soon enough, the Lucky Eagle issued a formal statement about what happened…
Shortly after the slot machine fiasco, the casino issued a formal statement, proving that they were taking the situation seriously. They were as determined as Veronica to get to the bottom of the error.
However, the casino also shared information in an attempt to prove that the slot machine had, in fact, malfunctioned. They also reiterated what John Setterstrom had confirmed in the interview, that the machine has a maximum jackpot of $20,000. But the casino wasn't out of the woods just yet…
While the casino was adamant that the slot machine Veronica used had displayed an error, causing the confusion, they still wanted to apologize to her for the inconvenience.
The casino issued a formal apology, expressing 'deep regret' over what had transpired. The staff at the Lucky Eagle didn't realize how machine errors can be traumatic for their users. Nevertheless, Veronica was feeling in the mood to forgive the casino for their faux pas. And that wasn't all they did for her…
The casino didn't just issue a formal apology to Veronica for the inconvenience. It also made a concerted effort to make her feel better, by supplying her with a number of freebies.
In order to compensate her for her misfortunes, the casino gave her a weekend stay at the hotel free of charge, with meals included. However, this is certainly not the end of the story. As far as Veronica is concerned, she has some unfinished business…
Despite the casino trying their best to appease her, Veronica isn't satisfied. She wants to get an attorney, in an attempt to get what she believes is rightfully hers.
And if she doesn't win her case, she at least wants to share her story with the world. 'What I expect at the very least, is to create awareness about how the casinos work, when the players get the big winnings!' she wrote. Whatever happens, we hope that Veronica gets some sort of happy ending.
Make no mistake about it: Veronica Castillo isn't the only person who thought she had hit the jackpot on the slot machines, only to end up walking out of the casino empty handed. 44-year-old Katrina Bookman thought she had won $42.9 million!
She even took a selfie of herself with the jackpot that appeared on the screen. However, she faced the same fate as Veronica. Jerry Rape also missed out on big money, believing he had won $1.3 million on the slots.
Any casino player dreams of winning the multi-million jackpot. Even if he makes minimum bets and does not play progressive jackpot slots, he cherishes the dream of sudden wealth. Some players come close to tremendous wealth, but luck turns away from them at the last moment. However, it is not always necessary to blame fate, because often it is the casino administration that hinders the way to the jackpot.
So, why do casinos refuse to pay jackpots? Each situation is unique, but you can still distinguish two basic reasons:
- Malfunction of the casino soft;
- Client's fraud.
Let's look at both points briefly.
Video Slot Errors
If a slot crashes at the software or hardware level, all payouts and draw results are canceled. This is a standard procedure specified in the rules of all casinos.
Did you get a message about the ten million jackpot on the screen of a one-cent slot? Do not rush to rejoice. Most likely, this is a program crash for which no one is responsible. Court is useless. The casino operator will call the developer and an independent auditor who will confirm that this is an error, so no one owes anything to you.
Unfortunately, this is the most common situation. The history of gambling knows a lot of similar examples. Later we tell you some of them.
Customer Scam
Scammers have long tried to crack slot machines. Some scammers even manage to hit the progressive jackpots by fooling security service. Not surprisingly, casino operators are suspicious of all winners. If the administration has the slightest doubt about the fairness of the winnings, they freeze the payment for an investigation.
If we are talking about a huge amount, sometimes a minor violation of the rules is enough to make the casino refuse to pay the jackpot out. Next, we will tell about the old woman who lost half a million in a similar situation. The problem was that she won the jackpot with a bet that the previous client left in the slot.
There are cases when casino refuse to pay the winnings to minors. In online casinos, winnings have been repeatedly canceled as soon as it turned out that the client lives in a country where online gambling is prohibited.
What if the Casino Refuses to Pay the Jackpot?
We will give a few recommendations how to behave if the casino administration wants to deprive you of the money won.
- In a situation like this, it's hard for you to control yourself, but it is necessary. Do not raise your voice. Do not be rude. That is, do not give grounds for additional quibbles.
- Take care of the evidence. Take photos and videos with your smartphone. Engage eyewitnesses. Take a selfie on the background of the slot board with the sum of the jackpot. Immediately upload photos and videos to social networks.
- Do not be afraid to call the police. Insist on the presence of law enforcement officers during proceedings with the administration of the casino.
- Do not be intimidated. Charges of fraud, stories about the influential owners of the institution, promises of future problems – respond to such statements of the casino administration by calling the police.
- Remember that you are not required to retire with the guards in the office space to clarify the circumstances. Security also does not have the right to search you or take away personal belongings.
- Do not accept financial compensation, free dinners, and other 'handouts'. The court may consider them as the evidence of the compromise achieved.
- Seek help from lawyers specializing in such cases.
- Refer to the media. Social networks, TV, online forums, and even newspapers and magazines will be happy to grasp the scandalous plot, and no casino needs such advertising.
Even if you fail to get the full amount of the jackpot, the right actions can help to get at least something from the casino operator.
Loud Scandals
Let us recall a few resonant cases on this topic, which were widely reported in the press.
Indian Order
In tribal casinos of American Indians, unpleasant situations with unpaid jackpots often occur. In 2011, Jerry Rape sued the Wind Creek casino located in Montgomery. He filed separate claims for two employees of this institution.
According to Jerry, he played at a video slot with 5-dollar bets and hit a jackpot of $1,4 million. Allegedly, at the same time, one casino worker warned him: 'Do not let them deceive you.' But he could not avoid trouble.
The administration kept Jerry in the office for almost a day. In response to his protests, he heard only threats and allegations of fraud. The administration then stated that the slot was defective, so Rape would not get paid. From the casino, the man went straight to the lawyer.
The trial lasted until September 2017 and ended bad for Jerry. The Alabama Supreme Court closed the case. It decided that it was not possible to prove the illegality of casino actions. In addition, only federal and tribal laws are in effect on the reservation territory. Thus, lawsuits like this are doomed to a fiasco.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones
On October 31, 1999, William Jones, a construction contractor, and his wife Sharon Jones went to the Fitzgerald's casino. After one of the twenty-five-dollar spins, Sharon almost jumped for joy when she saw three black diamonds on the slot screen. The combination promised her $40,000. But she did not hear any winning sounds, nor the corresponding animation appeared.
According to Sharon, the slot folded the combination without charging a payout. William claims that you can clearly see the jackpot on the recordings from CCTV cameras:
On the videotape, in the casino, they all point their fingers to the slot.
The casino administration said that there was a slot crash, so the Jones cannot claim the jackpot. Later, a representative of the Mississippi Gaming Commission attended the casino and confirmed the legality of the actions of Fitzgerald's casino management.
The couple filed a complaint with Mississippi Gaming Commission, but the commission did not help them. When it came to a lawsuit, the representatives of the casino in a personal meeting said that the institution was owned by the mafia, so it's not worthwhile to set the course. As a result, the parties reached a compromise, the details of which were not made public.
$43 Million Steak!
In November 2016, Katrina Bookman, a single mother of four children, played in the Sphinx slot at Resorts World Casino, Queens, New York. She was lucky and she won $42,949,672, this would be the biggest jackpot in the history of American offline slots.
I can't even describe the feelings, — Katrina recalls. — As if the whole body was numb.
Despite the stupor, the woman did not forget to get a smartphone to capture a joyful moment with a selfie.
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At this moment, the joyful part of the story ended for her. Immediately, it turned out that the casino refuses to accrue the payment, indicating an error. In exchange, she was offered dinner with a steak for $2,25, which allegedly relied on her as a prize in fact. Of course, Katrina refused such a 'generous' offer, appealed to the media for help and filed a lawsuit.
The Resorts World Administration made a statement, which was voiced by Dan Bank. He apologized for the slot error and stated that the company would not pay the jackpot:
… the casino staff was able to establish that the numbers shown on the cent slot were the result of an obvious malfunction — a fact that was later confirmed by the New York State Gaming Commission.
New York State Gaming Commission agreed with the arguments of the casino, referring to the standard clause rules: 'Faulty work cancels all payments and draws'. The commission limited itself to deciding to remove the scandalous video slot from the hall and repair it.
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Further proceedings have come to nothing. Katrina was left without the jackpot.
90-year-old and $42 Million
Ninety-year Pauline MacKee played the Miss Kitty video slot at the Isle casino with $0,01 bets. In one of the spins, she received a payout of 185 coins ($1,85).
The old woman did not have time to rejoice at a good payout for this bet, as a message appeared on the screen, from which her elderly heart almost stopped. The inscription said that Paulina won a bonus of $41,797,550.16.
However, the rich life experience of an old woman immediately suggested that a mistake was possible:
I had doubts from the very beginning because this is a lot of money for a one-cent slot.
The casino said that the screen message popped up as a result of software failure. The prize was invalidated with the usual wording: 'Faulty work cancels all payments and draws'.
Paulina's lawyer filed a lawsuit with the Iowa Supreme Court. Also, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission was involved in the business. Representatives of the Commission seized the video slot and carefully studied it at the hardware and software level in an independent laboratory. Experts found out that the machine was programmed to a maximum payment of $10,000, so it could not give out almost forty-two million.
The trial lasted several years, but in the end, the court agreed with the casino. Paulina, the grandmother of thirteen grandchildren, did not receive anything beyond the original $1,85 payout. She just said:
I was hoping to help the children financially, but apparently, this was not to be.
Representatives of the casino commented on the situation. The company claims that they encountered a similar error and recommended to casino operators to deactivate bonuses in this model. Obviously, the Isle casino ignored the warning.
$105,000 Jackpot… Almost…
In 2011, the 75-year-old retired Cecilia Cubillo played in the Australian Adelaide Casino. The one-dollar bet for the Fort Knox slot brought her $105,731 winnings, but instead of being paid, she received fraud charges.
From the recording from CCTV cameras, it can be seen that the woman played for money remaining in the slot after the previous client. This gave grounds for security officials to call her a thief and deprive the jackpot.
According to shocked Cecilia, she doesn't often go to the casino, only when she has a few extra dollars in her wallet:
For me, it was just an entertainment, a recreation. I like the bright lights of the casino.
That day, she had only seven dollars with her. Passing the Fort Knox slot, she saw the remaining unused bet and pressed the start button. Someone's dollar won her more than a hundred thousand.
The casino operator in the hall told the woman that she would be paid by a check, but then a manager appeared, accompanied by security guards. The old woman did not deny that she had played for the money that the previous client had left in the slot, but refused to recognize herself as a fraud:
The manager called me a thief looking for other people's money, and I was scared that they would call the police, who would arrest me… I didn't steal anything. I did not do anything but played on the left by someone bet in the slot, and I was accused of stealing.
A week later, Cecilia returned to the casino with her daughter and asked for an explanation to the manager who controls the slots. The woman was again told that she was not entitled to the jackpot, but for some reason, they offered her a $250 voucher for food and drinks.
If I was not supposed to get the jackpot I won, — Cecilia wonders, — why did they give me a voucher? I have not used it and will not return to the casino anymore.
Subsequently, David Christian, the general director of the Adelaide casino, made an official statement:
The casino rules prohibit visitors from stealing money left on gaming machines… The entire amount of the jackpot was returned to the general pool, and a week later it was legally won by another client.
He called the voucher offered for Cecilia a 'goodwill gesture' by the casino.
To be a Millionaire Within an Hour
Not more than an hour, Gary Hoffman considered himself a rich man. On August 16, 2007, an Albuquerque office clerk played the Mystical Mermaid slot in the Sandia casino. This casino is located on a Native American reservation in New Mexico. After one of the spins, the message about $1,597,244.10 winning appeared on the screen. You understand how the lucky one responded to the win:
I was delighted.
But the triumph of the winner was short-lived. At first, the administration of the casino congratulated the lucky man, but then he was invited to the business premises, where unpleasant news was waiting for him. He learned that such a large payout could only mean a malfunction of the slot because it was programmed to a maximum gain of $2,500.
The casino called an engineer specialist from IGT, which produces this slot. He examined the slot and confirmed the previously voiced version: the announcement of the win was a mistake. As you know, in the event of a slot malfunction, any winnings are canceled. The institution paid to a disappointed customer $385, adding to them a few free lunches.
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Hoffman later spoke as follows:
I won the money, honestly and fairly, but the casino deceived me from winning… I was a winner and left empty-handed.
Later, Gaming Laboratories International, the audit company, intervened. And it concluded it was a software failure. 2 long slot 4 slice toaster. Gary tried to get justice in the tribal council and later went to court. But attorneys specializing in such matters claim that he had no chance of getting this jackpot. Casinos on reservations operate according to the specific local Indian law, so such cases are not considered in US courts.
$99,000 Instead of $166 Million
Sometimes the casino manages to negotiate with the customer in cases he is entitled to the jackpot but the institution refuses to pay it. In 2009, a similar case occurred at Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Tampa, Florida. This casino belongs to the Seminole tribe.
Bill Seebeck played a slot. One of $1,5-dollar spins ended with the jackpot of $166,666,666.65.
At first, everything was fine. The administration congratulated the client and wrote him a check for the full amount. But then the casino conducted an investigation and found out that an error had occurred at the software level.
The maximum payout in this model could not exceed $90,000, and with the $1,5 bet, the potential gain was limited to $2,500. But the administration of Hard Rock was not even going to part with this money, because it was a question of the slot malfunction canceling the results of the draw.
Seebeck hired a lawyer specializing in the intricacies of the complicated legislation in force on Indian reservations. However, the case did not come to court.
The casino offered Bill $99,000 in compensation, and he agreed.
$80 Instead of $8 Million
Veronica Castillo also thought that the luck smiled at her, but her dreams of wealth broke on the harsh reality. The woman played at the Lucky Eagle Casino, Rochester, WA. The slot showed her a message about winning eight million dollars, but the administration officials were quick to upset Veronica. Later, she told:
They closed the slot, removed it away, printed out a ticket and gave me eighty dollars… As for me, this is a hoax or even a fraud. I immediately thought: 'With how many people has this happened? People think they have won, but they leave empty-handed.'
According to John Setterstrom, CEO Lucky Eagle Casino, this is the first case of such a kind in this institution. He claims that there was a malfunction of the device, as a result of which an erroneous message about winning the jackpot appeared on the screen.
This version was confirmed by auditors from the company producing this slot. According to the technical characteristics of the model, it cannot pay out more than twenty thousand winnings, and with the bet Veronica played, the limit is six thousand dollars.
Conclussion
Such stories discourage us. Due to such cases, we lose confidence in specific casinos and the entire gambling industry.
In most cases, it is really a question of software errors, but this does not ease the disappointed customers. We would like gambling operators and slot manufacturers to be responsible for such malfunctions in the devices' operations. Mandatory compensations would make them take a more responsible attitude towards testing equipment operability.
In online casinos, the denial of a prize payment is also not uncommon. Often, Internet portals do not credit winnings to a client's account and block accounts, accusing clients of breaking the rules. To avoid such misunderstandings, read our articles on how to choose an honest casino, how to register and play for money there.
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