Posted on 07/05/2006 12:28:47 AM PDT by Marius3188
Two men from Manitoba have hired a lawyer and are threatening legal action after a Winnipeg casino refused to pay out more than $209,000 in slot-machine winnings.
The men were playing a computerized version of Keno last week when they matched all five numbers on the screen.
The machine said the win was worth a jackpot of $209,716.40. The casino said it was a software error.
"It's our position that it's not a mistake that my clients should be paying for, if it was a mistake," lawyer Josh Weinstein told CBC Radio on Tuesday. "We don't have results of independent testing."
The two men, who have asked not to be identified, were playing a nickel machine that requires matching a small set of numbers with another group of numbers randomly generated by the machine's software.
4 million nickels
Weinstein says messages on the machine indicated that matching all five numbers would pay out the equivalent of more than four million nickels.
But the Manitoba Lotteries Corp. says that in some cases, a machine's software can make serious errors. It says nickel machines normally don't pay out more than $3,000.
"This type of malfunction is very rare and it's unfortunate that the machine was being played and it malfunctioned like it did," said Susan Olynik, a vice-president with the corporation.
Olynik said American experts are investigating to see whether there are software errors. The machine involved has been in service for three years and had its software updated last year, officials said. It receives regular maintenance every three to four months.
Corporation in negotiations with men
Weinstein says the screen his clients were playing on showed no warning about a maximum payout.
"My clients saw what the payout was. As they were playing, they saw what five numbers would have gotten someone. It's not disputed that it was on the screen."
But Olynik said the slot machines have a sticker on them advising players that a "malfunction" voids all winnings.
"Discussions with the customer and Manitoba Lotteries are private at this point, but we are meeting with the customer and we are taking a review of the situation," Olynik said. She would not say if they have been offered a lesser prize.
There have been similar cases.
In 2005, a man from Virginia won more than $11 million US at a slot machine on a reserve in Oklahoma, but was told it was a software error, says the Canadian Press.
He settled for a $1,199 US payout.
In 2005, a man from Virginia won more than $11 million US at a slot machine on a reserve in Oklahoma, but was told it was a software error, says the Canadian Press.
He settled for a $1,199 US payout.
Man, that sucks!! 1st phone call--I quit work! 2nd phone call--Can I please have my job back!
There was a case here in Washington state a few years back. Some gal started hitting on a machine, 12,000 bux worth. They said the machine was in "maintenance mode" or whatever and told her they wouldn't pay.
She started raising a stink.
A few days later, she walked into the Casino and picked up her check for the 12K. I guess the casino decided it would have lost way more than a measly twelve thousand in business if they got a rep for not paying.
That may be true for the smaller payouts, but not for the monsters.
The machine couldn't very well "malfunction" if no one was playing, and most keno machines will go through sample subroutines to attract players' attention--usually displaying the highest potential payouts to appeal to the players' innate greed. There can be more than a nickel involver per bet (usually is, a nickel is the minimum in Montana, 40 nickels is the maximum per play [$2.00], but $800.00 is also listed as the maximum payout per play). I am not sure if the rules vary on the Reservations there. (Manitoba is another country and I cannot state what the rules are there.)In Montana, progressive jackpots can increase winnings to the legal maximum for certain combinations of numbers.
If the machine had been updated, etc., then someone should have noticed the listed payouts.
If the machine was advertising this payout on screen, then this just reeks of incompetence or a a ripoff, but not a "malfunction"--the machine did what it was programmed to do.
A woman I used to work with won over $4 million bucks on a slot machine at a local casino. The casino didn't hesitate to pay up, with lots of publicity, and it was the best move they could have made. There's now three big casinos here in Kansas City as a result of good publicity and no payout problems.
so that's the new opt out in Casinos not paying the Piper? just claim software malfunction? geez...
That is not a huge payout at all...for a casino.
Some smart nearby casino should offer to pay the 200k
they would get more than 200k worth of free publicity.
And make the other place look like the cheap crooks/sore losers they are.
It's called welching on the bet. The kind of thing that if you or I did it, we'd be lucky if they only broke our legs and left our kneecaps intact.
I'd take them to the cleaners, and throw in emotional distress to boot.
Ain't a jury in the world that would side with the casino.
Never quit your job if you win a jackpot
Get yourself fired and enjoy it
Calling Joe Pesci.
I'd certainly get a new career... It would be me and whoever else I could find, standing at the entrance to the casino with picket signs stating that I won a jackpot that the casino refused to pay!
That might get their attention.
Mark
"software error" eh? that's not the customer's problem - it's the casino's. the machine told the customer that they had won. the customer has no responsibility for the accuracy of the machine - the casino does. By paying the software developers, they are de-facto endorsing their product.
if the machine pays out fraudulently - then it is the casino's responsibility to go after the software developers.
this is punishing the victims.
The guy should have held out. Rules of business: if you advertise a certain product for a price, that's what you're obligated to provide. False advertising is illegal.
They are canadians........what do you expect....look at michigan for example, canadian governor, lousy business climate.....
What they are saying is that the fact that this machine hit the jackpot is a softwear problem, because the machine is set never to hit that jackpot. Clear fraud.
I guess if someone claimed they accidently dropped a rare coin in the slot machine the Casino would show them the same consideration and return their coin. I don't think so.
This Casino is going to end up the LOSER regardless of the outcome at this point.
I agree it's unfortunate, but unfortunate for whom? I guess it's a case of "heads we win, tails you lose".
Ever watch "Beating Vegas" on the History Channel? Totally excellent series. They really deserve the occasional beat down. I remember the time the New York Daily News published like 100,000 multimillion dollar "winning" game cards. A lot of the "winners" were minorities whose community leaders did not take the "in case of error we reserve the right to cancel this contest" explanation quietly.
A lot of slot machines run on Windows OS. Surprise I know.
(The Palestinian terrorist regime is the crisis and Israel's fist is the answer.)
I don't care what kind of error there is. If the machine says you won $5.4 trillion, you won $5.4 trillion. Scumbag casinos want to reap the money, but they don't want to pay out. I hope they shut this particular one down. This is one case where I support the lawsuit.
The suckers keep coming anyway.
Here in Tn I hear on the radio all the time this advertisement to come open a business in Mi.
I thought they must really be hurting up there.
Heading up there later in the month to Alpena to do some Salmon fishing.
fishing is real good..........employment is not.... nor is the business climate here....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.