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Technically, the casino has a point if it were a malfunction and the machine itself had a warning that malfunctions voided any winnings. But I certainly think the casino could have done better than give her 80 bucks in compensation.
A woman from the Portland area went to a casino in Washington, appeared to win a multi-million dollar jackpot, then had casino bosses tell her there was no prize because the machine malfunctioned.
Veronica Castillo isn't a big gambler, but she took her mom to the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington, south of Olympia. The next morning she was playing a video game called Jurassic Riches, when her balance started climbing with a win. It didn't stop until it was more than $8.5 million.
She was stunned, everyone was excited. She was a millionaire for about five minutes. Casino bosses then told her there was no jackpot, that the machine malfunctioned. She actually won about $10.50.
Compelling argument why she should have received a better compensation:
If the machine shows that you won the jackpot I don't see how the casino can come out and say "Oh, that was a machine malfunction". The odds at any casino are bad enough without their having the ability to welch on any bet they choose claiming their equipment didn't work right. If the machine is malfunctioning it is THEIR problem.
Surely they must have some insurance to cover a "machine malfunction". If it really was a machine malfunction they should seek relief from the machine manufacturer AFTER they pay the money they owe this woman.
Pay the woman, its not her fault the machine is claimed to have malfunctioned. Surely the Casino's have enough checks in place to shut down equipment that is not working properly.
Give the woman her money and then address your machine problems.
Like the link above points out:
How often do you think a player accidentally bets more than intended (mistakenly tosses in the wrong color chip), and loses... and then the house says "Oh, that's all right. Honest mistake, here's your money back!". Yeah, somewhere between 'never' and 'not once in the history of the planet'.
Offering her $80 is a slap in the face. And she probably had to haggle for that! The first offer was probably a free six-pack of Olympia from the bar...
Yes, clearly it was a malfunction - $8.5M on a nickel slot machine is not even conceivable. But, they should have paid her the max possible, not a measly $80.
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Here's where I think the Casino could win. It all comes down to the max payout for that machine. If the 8 million was the payout after ONE pull like on a progressive slot then that's one thing but if not then it should fall back to the stated max payout for that machine.
If that machine has a max advertised payout of 1000 coins then that's what she should get no matter if she actually hit it or not.
Let's look at it this way, you go to an ATM machine and push the buttons to withdraw $40. When the money is dispensed much to your surprise you've gotten $100. Clearly the machine malfunctioned and any sane and mildly intelligent person would know it. Should you be allowed to keep the $60 mistake? Good luck trying.
Same with a slot machine.
With all that being said, as the Casino I would have comped her a bunch of stuff along with the max payout just as a customer service thing.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out given the Casino is on a reservation. Laws on reservation land are way different than in the U.S..
Here's one for y'all to ponder. If you go to an Indian Casino and hurt yourself due to something the Casino did I hope y'all know that you're basically on your own for any losses like medical/job loss etc. U.S. laws do NOT apply on the reservation and rarely (never) do injured people (non Indians) actually prevail in Indian Nation Courts.
I know this because my mother in law got hurt at one due to their negligence and I looked into how to get her medical bills payed. Sadly I had to tell her to forget it...
This casino is operated by the Chehalis tribe. About Us | Lucky Eagle Casino My understanding is that casinos owned by Native American tribes don't operate under the same rules as casinos in places such as Las Vegas. You don't have the same options to pursue a legal remedy like you would against federally rated casino. True or not, the Native American casinos have had a reputation for 'malfunctions'. A lot of people avoid them.
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