News HomeMost Read News
Disabled Casino Player Gets $320K From Casino
The thing about casino venues is that they’re open to a variety of players. Some are younger while others are older and some of them have disabilities. But if they enjoy a good game according to the rules no casino will close its doors to them.
Something similar happened in a Star casino where an elderly gentleman with a disability was allowed to play pokies with the help of his friend. He even managed to get a jackpot, but when he went to get the prize, the casino refused to give it to him. That’s why he took the matter to court.
A Jackpot Delayed
The thing about Mr. Joe is that he has motor neuron disease, but that hasn’t stopped him from visiting the Star casino. He used to be a regular there and enjoyed the pokies with a friend. But Mr. Joe isn’t an ordinary player, he’s got a Platinum Vantage VIP membership. His disability prevents him from playing the pokies alone which is why he visited the casino with a friend.
His friend’s name is Mr. Lie. Mr. Lie and Joe had been playing for some time. This time they decided to go for the Year of the Tiger game. Mr. Lie would push the buttons and set the bet amount, and Mr. Joe would tell him how much to bet and which way to go about the game.
But this time everything was different because Mr. Joe won a jackpot of $285,000. Both of them had gone to get the prize, but the casino refused to cash it out. Mr. Joe took the matter to court and it was revealed that Mr. Lie had signed a voluntary exclusion order back in 2016, but he hadn’t been stopped from entering or playing every time he went to the Star casino.
The court saw it another way. Mr. Lie wasn’t playing the game, Mr. Joe was doing that and because of his condition, he couldn’t operate the game himself. The bottom line is that the casino decided to swing the sentence in Mr. Joe’s favor.
This means that the casino needs to pay Mr. Joe’s legal costs, the full amount of the jackpot, which is $285,000, and interest of $35,000. In short, a total amount of $320,000 needs to be paid to Mr. Joe. The fact that they didn’t pay out his jackpot was a breach of regulations.
It was also noted that the casino didn’t do anything to prevent Mr. Lie from playing, although he was banned from doing so. The moral of the story is that casinos need to adhere to the rules and regulations. This goes for the players too. If disabled people are allowed to play with the help of another player, then the casino needs to pay them their winnings, if they win.
Conclusion
In the case of Mr. Joe, the casino didn’t go by the rules it set out for itself. All the rules are there for a reason which is why both casino venues and players need to respect them.
