BLACK HAWK, Colo. Casinos in Colorado have been quietly helping prosecute hundreds of everyday gamblers under a little-known law. Court records show in the past five years, 728 casino customers.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Next time your friend or significant other asks if they can give it a try at a slot machine that you’ve supplied money for, think again — they could end up leaving with your $100,000 jackpot.
Gambler Jan Flato put $50 in a slot machine at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Fort Lauderdale, hoping for a chance to win $100,000
At one point, Flato let his friend, 35-year-old Marina Navarro, push the button for luck.
Then, suddenly, lights flashed and the pay line showed that he had won the $100,000 jackpot… or so he thought.
Once managers of the casino analyzed the video, it showed that Navarro pushed the button, which made her the rightful winner of the jackpot.
Seminole spokesman Gary Bitner couldn’t say much, but did reiterate the rule when it comes to gambling: “The person who pushes a slot machine button or pulls the arm is the person who wins the jackpot.”
Not only did Flato lose the cash he put into the machine, but he has barely heard from Navarro since she walked out that night with the jackpot. That night, she even asked armed security to keep an eye on Flato as she walked out.
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“I said, ‘Marina, what are you doing?’ and she gets up and walks out,” Flato said.
Weeks later, she allegedly sent Flato a text message asking, “Still hate me?” He responded, “How could you do that to me?” And her response? “I miss you.”
Flato said he is still furious about what happened. But now, he has an important message for other slot players: “Don’t ever let them touch the button, don’t even tell them to touch anything for luck, because they can do what Marina did to me,” Flato said.
Navarro said Flato became distressed when they found out the jackpot wasn’t his. “Jan all of a sudden went ballistic,” she said. “He started screaming in front of everybody.”
Navarro then said Flato sent her threatening text messages. One message read, “Having me as an enemy ….not good,” followed by “We’ll [see] who made the Big mistake. It won’t be me.”
Navarro said she offered Flato some of the winnings, but after the texts he sent, she rescinded the offer.
Woman lost out on thousands of dollars after big casino mistake
Cynthia Obie from Maryland said she lost out on thousands of dollars after the casino staff took down her Social Security number wrong.
A Maryland woman who thought she hit the jackpot Friday night ended up going home with jack squat -- all because of a typo.
Cynthia Obie told FOX5DC she was at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. when her slot machine's symbols suddenly aligned and she won a tremendous payout.
“I was very excited. Like, I need this money,” Obie told the news station.
But Obie said that when casino staff took down her personal information, they misread her Social Security — by one number.
That mistake cost Obie nearly everything.
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The Social Security number the casino plugged in belonged to an individual who happened to owe Maryland a hefty amount of child support, FOX5DC reported.
“I’m like, 'No. All of my daughters are grown. I’ve never paid child support.' I’m like, 'this can’t be right,'” she said.
The Maryland woman said she would have been thousands of dollars richer by now -- she did not reveal the exact amount of the jackpot -- but the typo prevented her from getting a penny. Instead, she was offered a $200 free play credit and drink vouchers for the night.
An MGM spokesperson said in a statement to FOX5DC the casino is aware of the “unfortunate error” and is working on fixing the situation.
“Due to MLGCA [Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency] rules and Maryland State Law, we cannot provide an additional payout for this jackpot, however, if she presents the proper identification credentials to the Maryland Gaming Commission, they will provide her with the appropriate payout,” the statement read. “We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused Ms. Obie.”
Obie said she’s frustrated with the situation and just wants the money she won.
“Now I’m at the point, this is insane. You guys are a billion-dollar corporation,' she said. 'You do the research: I won fair and square. I just want my money.'