Gaming Patron Disputes
Patron disputes come in a variety of forms, but the basic premise is usually the same in every case: an unhappy customer believes he or she was not given something he or she is entitled to. While the issue may be clear-cut, the solution seldom is.
Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis has been instrumental in helping establish case law in Mississippi since the gaming industry came to the state in 1991. During that time, the firm has successfully represented casinos and those companies who provide equipment and support to the gaming industry before the Mississippi Gaming Commission. Attorneys from the firm regularly provide training for casino personnel (at no cost to the company) on premises liability, dispute prevention and resolution, and evidence preservation.
Below are some examples of cases we have defended for our gaming clients:
A patron accompanied by his nephew, who was a minor, was playing a table game. The nephew placed his uncle’s money in the betting circle. The result was a $50,000 win from the table jackpot. The patron was not awarded the jackpot and a dispute followed.
A patron was playing a table game with a maximum bet of $5,000. The patron claimed the dealer told him he could bet up to $20,000 per hand. The patron sued for breach of contract for $15,000 for every hand he had played. (He assumed he would have won every hand.)
A patron playing a slot machine claimed he won the primary progressive jackpot twice in thirty minutes for the same amount ($2.75 million). The casino did not take the patron seriously, but tested the machine and moved it off the floor, replacing it with a stand alone. The patron filed a dispute. In trial, the patron claimed destruction of evidence.
A patron played two coins in an IGT progressive. He pulled the handle so hard that it jarred open the Bill Validator door, thus stopping the reels immediately. The reel combination equaled $20,000 without a reel tilt. The patron was not awarded the progressive jackpot and a dispute followed.
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