Man Sues Over Slots Jackpot

In August of 2006, Gary Hoffman was playing the “Mystical Mermaid” slots game at the Sandia Resort and Casino on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico, when he hit the jackpot and “won” more than a million dollars on the game. However, casino officials told him that he hadn’t won and would not be collecting any of his winnings as it was a computer malfunction. Hoffman says that they were they rude and intimidating to him, and he is suing them.

Hoffman is a retired Albuquerque employee and the nickel slots game told him he had won $1,597,244.10. However, supposedly the machine has a disclaimer on it that says that it only pays a maximum of $2,500 and that all malfunctions null and void any winnings. However, as soon as Hoffman won, he says that the casino employees took him to a conference room where they told him they were not going to pay.

He also says that they offered him $385 and a couple of free meals, and one employee "became quite intimidating with me, pointed his finger in my face and said, 'You didn't win. We're not paying you any money. Do you understand what I'm telling you? You're not getting any money.'"

The casino says that they offered him the $2,500 which is the maximum that the slots pays out, but that Hoffman refused it saying that he wanted the full $1.6 million. However, experts say that Hoffman really has very little recourse as it is difficult for the government to enforce the lawsuit as it happened on Native American grounds and they often are not subject to the U.S. Courts.



 

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