They will get some of it back one way or another.
Posted on 08/11/2006 7:35:34 PM PDT by xJones
BRIDGEPORT, Ind. (AP) -- Gamblers at Caesars Indiana raked in nearly a half-million dollars over two days on one slot machine that gave players credit for putting in 10 times as much money as they really had.
Caesars lost $487,000 before a player notified officials of the problem with the slot machine, The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., reported Friday.
The Indiana Gaming Commission is investigating, and the casino might end up being fined for failing to follow procedures designed to prevent such a problem, said Jennifer Arnold, the commission's deputy director.
The casino intends to try to get the money back, but commission Director Ernest Yelton said he did not know whether players were legally obligated to return their winnings.
Kathryn Ford of Louisville, Ky., realized something was wrong July 23 when she and her husband sat down at two of the machines, called Extra Money.
"We were going to have a race to see who could accumulate the most at one time on the same machine," she said.
But when she put in a $20 bill, the machine registered it as $200. She tried another $20 bill and the same thing happened, she said.
Ford said she put eight $20 bills in the machine and received vouchers that could be redeemed for $1,600 in cash -- without even playing.
Other gamblers noticed.
"There was even a young woman who jumped in while I was sitting there. She ... reached across me, popped a hundred in, popped out a thousand and then she took off," Ford said.
Ford and her husband reported the problem to a security officer, and casino officials determined that new software had been installed on the machine on July 21, according to a gaming commission report. The machine had a switch set in a position for use in the Philippines instead of the United States, and it instructed the machine to multiply credits by 10, the report said.
Seven other machines also had received new software, but they did not have the error.
Casino general manager Ed Garruto acknowledged that "our testing procedures before putting the game in place were not completely followed."
The commission report said three technicians and one supervisor were involved in the installation and testing of the software, and the technician who set the machine has been suspended pending investigation.
Garruto said he did not believe the error was deliberate.
"It looks like it was a costly mistake," he said.
But Caesars intends to try to recover the money, although Garruto added he wasn't sure they were under any legal obligation.
"We are going to contact some of the patrons who may have benefited a great deal and see if we can effect a recovery," he said. Some 24 of the gamblers won't be hard to find, because they used their casino player cards.
Little did we know in those days that the little jerk had a gambling problem!
They will get some of it back one way or another.
What gives! I did not win all that money. Rats!
IronJack:
Little did we know in those days that the little jerk had a gambling problem!
Time has a way of working things out.That same loser is probably still working in a mid-level IRS job.
And if he is, he STILL has his thumb on all of us! He can still rat us out to curry favor.
If a bank credits your account in error, you know it is an error, and take the money and run, in most places that is a crime. I don't see a whole bunch of difference here. I think the casino has a good chance of getting the money back.
If the machine had been erroneously programmed and the payout rate had accidentally favored the casino I wonder would the casino be trying to find it's customers to reimburse them?
All the games, machines, etc. in a casino have odds that favor the house. Play long enough and you lose. When you lose the money is gone.
Because of a malfunction the odds are in favor of the player on a machine. Play that machine long enough and you win. Now the house wants back the money it lost???
Gambling is not a smart thing to do IMHO.
I was reading about this a week ago in the NY Daily News. I guess this is one of those filler pieces that shows up whenever there's a little space left.
If they came looking for me, I'd tell them that I'll be an ex-card-holder of Caesar's and a future card holder of the Tropicana (or a hotel not own by the same management) and I'll be sure to be a part of their New Ad campaign about Honest Slots.
it's bush's fault
"your talking about getting back a stub.
If your lucky."
I had one of those waiters at a fancy restaruant reach over my shoulder and grab my plate when I wasn't finished eating everything on it and I pinned his hand to the table with a fork. I hate those hovering bastards!
I guess the famous "machine malfunction" excuse applies only when they don't feel like paying a jackpot.
I had a call the other night for some fake charity. I told her times were really tough with my eBay habit and unsympathetic casinos. She was speechless as I hung up...
No doubt, there are lots of good places to eat here.
Took me awhile to figure this out....
The Matre'de sits you at the table...bye, thanks, see ya.
The water / drink boy comes by...bye, thanks, see ya.
The actual waiter arrives......
"I'm going to place my order with you. Unless the food is sub-standard, or I signal you that I need something, do not approach my table. I am here to eat. I am not here to be bothered, every 30 seconds, by someone wanting to fill my water glass. Am I clear on this?"
The answer is always "yes."
And I always add, "Good, I'm glad we understand each other. Your tip is riding on it."
And I tip good, when the service is what I want. You know that when you go back and they remember.
It's amazing how well that works.
Try it.
If the casino really wants to get back most of their money, they should just go knock on the doors of this technician's relatives.
The casino intends to try to get the money back
I'll give mine back, where do I go to turn it in? ha ha
Sounds like the work of "bizarro George."
Or a Ned Flanders.
Lol.
Give us da money back, Mrs. Smith, or you'll be swimmin' wit da fishes.
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.