'Malfunctioned' win spurs Oklahoma casino questions
While Oklahoma has become Las Vegas' competition by drawing in Texas residents to its 85 casinos and bingo parlors, Indian property gambling regulations have some questioning their rules and fairness.
An Arlington man said he thought his life would be forever changed when he was told he had won $11,289,874.74 after playing on a WinStar Casino machine that displayed the word 'Congratulations!'
While Stanley Rosemond's life did change, it wasn't in the way he expected—and it was without $11 million.
Last summer, Rosemond went to WinStar, 85 miles north of Dallas. After the casino slot 'big win,' he was escorted to the cashier's booth, where he said employees seemed excited for him.
'The attendant inside shows me the numbers and says, 'Would you like to see what you've won?' he said.
But after waiting several hours, Rosemond and his wife were taken to a large empty room and were seated before casino officials.
'[There was] four of them and two of us, and they're on one side and we're on the other side,' Rosemond said. 'We don't know what to expect.'
The mood got less festive when the casino told Rosemond there would be no $11 million prize coming his way.
'He says, 'OK, your machine malfunctioned, so we can't pay you,' Rosemond recalled.
Rosemond failed to spot a tiny warning label on the WinStar machine: 'Malfunctions void all plays and pays.'
That didn't stop him from feeling as though the casino should still pay up.
'You shouldn't have a machine that malfunctions,' he said. 'It should work, and if it doesn't, work the casino should stand behind it, because they are taking people's money away.'
Las Vegas slot machines can clear $100,000 a year per machine, he said.
'You pay the player off,' he said. 'Your machine was wrong. You screwed up. How about a malfunction when the player's supposed to win and it shows a loss?'
WinStar Casinos, which is owned by the Chickasaw Indian tribe, declined to talk on camera to News 8.
In a written statement, WinStar said, 'Mr. Rosemond is claiming a win bigger than the machine could possibly pay based on the type of machine, the denomination and the wager.'
The tribe said the machine could only pay only $5,000.
Rosemond said WinStar offered him a series of take it or leave it settlements that started out at $800, which he turned down.
They subsequently offered Rosemond $1,199, which is $1 less than the casino would have to report to the IRS. They said he could accept it on the spot or leave with nothing.
'We didn't know what we could do,' Rosemond said.
Rosemond said he took the casino's offer because he felt trapped. He tried to keep the one key piece of evidence from WinStar of his 'malfunctioned' win—a card given to every WinStar player that tracks their identity and winnings.
However, once he was told he had won big, casino officials confiscated it. Despite asking for the card back, Rosemond left without it after the assistant general manager said the card belonged to the Chickasaw Nation.
'This is duress,' Thompson said. 'Any signature in those situations is under duress [and] should have no legal standing.'
Kay Vanwey, who was hired as Rosemond's lawyer after he returned from Oklahoma, was stopped in her tracks when she discovered the tribe would not let her take legal action in the case.
'It is the Chickasaw Nation that makes the laws,' Vanwey said. 'It is the Chickasaw Nation that interprets the laws. It is the Chickasaw Nation that enforces the laws.'
She received a letter from the tribe's lawyer saying, 'All inquiries you make may be at your own personal peril and those people you hope to represent.'
'If the intent was to intimidate me and frighten me, I certainly took it that way,' she said.
WinStar is the largest of 11 Chickasaw casinos in Oklahoma, casinos that netted more than $91 million last year, according to tribal records.
Complaints about payment from Oklahoma Indian casinos are not rare.
Oklahoma Assistant Attorney General Bill Leader said he gets about a dozen complaints from gamblers at [Oklahoma] Indian casinos a year, but has no jurisdiction in resolving them.
Back in Las Vegas, Bill Thompson minces no words about the lesson behind this.
'You ought to have a sign on the border of Oklahoma: 'You're about to enter Oklahoma and gamble in a casino. Two things can happen. They are both bad. You can lose and you can win. You ain't getting paid,' he said.
Last November, Rosemond received a summons from the Chickasaw tribal court in Oklahoma. He was the subject of a legal action, and in a declaratory judgment, the tribe said the case was closed.
– The Winstar Casino awarded an amazing $779,001 Wheel of Fortune® Special Edition™ MegaJackpot® on a penny machine, on Wednesday, May 27th. The winner, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had won $100 on a nearby machine, and had only invested $80 into the winning machine when the jackpot hit.
- One lucky spin is all it takes. Suddenly, the lights are flashing, bells are ringing and you realize that you’ve become the next big jackpot winner here at WinStar World Casino and Resort! Believe it or not, we’re paying out big-time wins every day. In fact, WinStar patrons hit $78,950,656.16 in jackpots last month alone!
- . hotball jackpots begin at $1000 and grow $100 per session after 10 sessions until won. each jackpot is invalid for the remainder of session when jackpot is won. mystery ball is only valid if single winner on the 12 regular games. all bingo receipts must be signed in order to have a valid bingo. Warm ups add a “0” game.
While Oklahoma has become Las Vegas' competition by drawing in Texas residents to its 85 casinos and bingo parlors, Indian property gambling regulations have some questioning their rules and fairness.
An Arlington man said he thought his life would be forever changed when he was told he had won $11,289,874.74 after playing on a WinStar Casino machine that displayed the word 'Congratulations!'
While Stanley Rosemond's life did change, it wasn't in the way he expected—and it was without $11 million.
Last summer, Rosemond went to WinStar, 85 miles north of Dallas. After the casino slot 'big win,' he was escorted to the cashier's booth, where he said employees seemed excited for him.
'The attendant inside shows me the numbers and says, 'Would you like to see what you've won?' he said.
But after waiting several hours, Rosemond and his wife were taken to a large empty room and were seated before casino officials.
'[There was] four of them and two of us, and they're on one side and we're on the other side,' Rosemond said. 'We don't know what to expect.'
The mood got less festive when the casino told Rosemond there would be no $11 million prize coming his way.
Winstar World Casino Jackpot Winners 2017
'He says, 'OK, your machine malfunctioned, so we can't pay you,' Rosemond recalled.
Rosemond failed to spot a tiny warning label on the WinStar machine: 'Malfunctions void all plays and pays.'
That didn't stop him from feeling as though the casino should still pay up.
'You shouldn't have a machine that malfunctions,' he said. 'It should work, and if it doesn't, work the casino should stand behind it, because they are taking people's money away.'
William Thompson, who teaches public administration at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, is an expert in the gambling business. He said while slot machines can malfunction, the casinos owe it to their customers to pay them unless the player is cheating.
Las Vegas slot machines can clear $100,000 a year per machine, he said.
'You pay the player off,' he said. 'Your machine was wrong. You screwed up. How about a malfunction when the player's supposed to win and it shows a loss?'
WinStar Casinos, which is owned by the Chickasaw Indian tribe, declined to talk on camera to News 8.
In a written statement, WinStar said, 'Mr. Rosemond is claiming a win bigger than the machine could possibly pay based on the type of machine, the denomination and the wager.'
The tribe said the machine could only pay only $5,000.
Rosemond said WinStar offered him a series of take it or leave it settlements that started out at $800, which he turned down.
They subsequently offered Rosemond $1,199, which is $1 less than the casino would have to report to the IRS. They said he could accept it on the spot or leave with nothing.
'We didn't know what we could do,' Rosemond said.
Rosemond said he took the casino's offer because he felt trapped. He tried to keep the one key piece of evidence from WinStar of his 'malfunctioned' win—a card given to every WinStar player that tracks their identity and winnings.
However, once he was told he had won big, casino officials confiscated it. Despite asking for the card back, Rosemond left without it after the assistant general manager said the card belonged to the Chickasaw Nation.
'This is duress,' Thompson said. 'Any signature in those situations is under duress [and] should have no legal standing.'
Kay Vanwey, who was hired as Rosemond's lawyer after he returned from Oklahoma, was stopped in her tracks when she discovered the tribe would not let her take legal action in the case.
'It is the Chickasaw Nation that makes the laws,' Vanwey said. 'It is the Chickasaw Nation that interprets the laws. It is the Chickasaw Nation that enforces the laws.'
She received a letter from the tribe's lawyer saying, 'All inquiries you make may be at your own personal peril and those people you hope to represent.'
'If the intent was to intimidate me and frighten me, I certainly took it that way,' she said.
WinStar is the largest of 11 Chickasaw casinos in Oklahoma, casinos that netted more than $91 million last year, according to tribal records.
Complaints about payment from Oklahoma Indian casinos are not rare.
Oklahoma Assistant Attorney General Bill Leader said he gets about a dozen complaints from gamblers at [Oklahoma] Indian casinos a year, but has no jurisdiction in resolving them.
Back in Las Vegas, Bill Thompson minces no words about the lesson behind this.
'You ought to have a sign on the border of Oklahoma: 'You're about to enter Oklahoma and gamble in a casino. Two things can happen. They are both bad. You can lose and you can win. You ain't getting paid,' he said.
Last November, Rosemond received a summons from the Chickasaw tribal court in Oklahoma. He was the subject of a legal action, and in a declaratory judgment, the tribe said the case was closed.
News 8 asked the Chickasaw Nation how many casino malfunctions they have a year; they did not reply.
FRANKLIN, TN–(Marketwired – Mar 1, 2016) – A lucky player at WinStar World Casino and Resort has won a life-changing jackpot on VGT’s Mr. Money Bags Easy Money Jackpot™ wide area progressive. The WinStar guest was playing Reel Fever® when the Easy Money Jackpot progressive jackpot hit for $939,962.50.
The jackpot is the largest yet on VGT’s Mr. Money Bags Easy Money Jackpot. Combined with previous jackpots, the Easy Money Jackpot progressive has paid out more than $1.5 million since it launched last summer. The jackpot has reset to its starting value of $250,000.
WinStar General Manager Wayne McCormick said the lucky patron was playing the machine the evening of Feb. 22.
“It is always an exciting time for the WinStar staff and other players when they see a guest win a substantial jackpot,” McCormick said.
VGT President Jay Sevigny said Easy Money Jackpot has become a popular game in Oklahoma.
Winstar World Casino Jackpot Winners
“We are thrilled to award the largest jackpot yet on Easy Money Jackpot, and it’s fun to know the chance of it hitting again today is the same as yesterday!” said VGT President Jay Sevigny. “Players across Oklahoma have fallen in love with Easy Money Jackpot, particularly because it adds to the thrill of the VGT games they already know and love. We are excited that Easy Money Jackpot has been so warmly embraced by players, and we invite players to visit their favorite casino today to give Easy Money Jackpot a try.”
The Easy Money Jackpot progressive has a life-changing start-up jackpot of $250,000.00. Easy Money Jackpot is a 3-reel mechanical wide area progressive and appears on top of eight player-favorite VGT game titles: 777 Bourbon Street®, Crazy Cherry®, Hot Red Ruby®, King of Coin®, Lucky Ducky®, Mr. Money Bags®, Reel Fever® and Smooth as Silk®.
The progressive is available for play now at 68 casino locations across Oklahoma, and is available for installation in all North American Class II jurisdictions.
For more information on the new Easy Money Jackpot wide area progressive, visitwww.easymoneyjackpot.com.
Join VGT online:
Visit VGT’s website
Discover Easy Money Jackpot
Join VGT on Facebook
Visit VGT’s website
Discover Easy Money Jackpot
Join VGT on Facebook
About Video Gaming Technologies
VGT–An Aristocrat Company is the leading designer/manufacturer/distributor of Class II games for Native American casinos and emerging markets. The company is headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., with a manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Okla., and design studios throughout the country. The VGT difference provides customers with exciting game titles that generate intense player loyalty, record-setting gaming revenues, the assurance of reliability and unmatched customer service. Visit www.vgt.net.
VGT–An Aristocrat Company is the leading designer/manufacturer/distributor of Class II games for Native American casinos and emerging markets. The company is headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., with a manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Okla., and design studios throughout the country. The VGT difference provides customers with exciting game titles that generate intense player loyalty, record-setting gaming revenues, the assurance of reliability and unmatched customer service. Visit www.vgt.net.
About Aristocrat
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL), a leading global provider of land-based and online gaming solutions. The Company is licensed by more than 200 regulators and its products and services are available in more than 90 countries around the world. Aristocrat offers a diverse range of products and services including electronic gaming machines and casino management systems. For further information visit the company’s website at www.aristocrat-us.com.
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL), a leading global provider of land-based and online gaming solutions. The Company is licensed by more than 200 regulators and its products and services are available in more than 90 countries around the world. Aristocrat offers a diverse range of products and services including electronic gaming machines and casino management systems. For further information visit the company’s website at www.aristocrat-us.com.
About WinStar World Casino and Resort
With more games than any other casino in the world, WinStar World Casino and Resort offers more than 7,400 electronic games, 98 tables games, 46 poker tables, a 3,500-seat Global Event Center and the nearly 1,400-room WinStar World Casino Hotel. Located just north of the Oklahoma/Texas border along Interstate 35, WinStar World Casino and Resort presents unrivaled gaming action 24 hours a day, seven days a week, world-class entertainers and a wide range of restaurants. For more information visit our website atwww.winstarworldcasino.com.
With more games than any other casino in the world, WinStar World Casino and Resort offers more than 7,400 electronic games, 98 tables games, 46 poker tables, a 3,500-seat Global Event Center and the nearly 1,400-room WinStar World Casino Hotel. Located just north of the Oklahoma/Texas border along Interstate 35, WinStar World Casino and Resort presents unrivaled gaming action 24 hours a day, seven days a week, world-class entertainers and a wide range of restaurants. For more information visit our website atwww.winstarworldcasino.com.
Contact:
Paul Speirs-Hernandez
Steinbeck Communications
Email Contact
+1 (702) 413-4278
@steinbeckcomm
Paul Speirs-Hernandez
Steinbeck Communications
Email Contact
+1 (702) 413-4278
@steinbeckcomm