Fiesta Henderson Million Dollar Jackpot Dispute

Last update: Apr. 15, 2010

As shown in this Channel 8 News video, video poker player Aurea Privee hit a progressive royal flush. However, the amount of the jackpot is in dispute. Signage for the 1-cent, 100-coin, game said $835.06, which is normal for that kind of game. At the 1:28 point in the video, the pay table shows she was playing 6/5 Bonus Poker. At a jackpot of $835.06, the return, with correct strategy, would have been 96.96%.

However, the game screen displayed a jackpot of $1,000,000.82. With correct strategy, that would have had a return of 4378.21%! In other words, for every dollar bet, she would get back $43.78 on average. When she hit the royal, the screen also announced a win of just over a million dollars.

According to the video, for a few minutes the patron thought she was a millionaire. Then the casino refused to pay, saying there was a malfunction, and the Gaming Control Board was called in to investigate. The nature of the problem was an incomplete software update. As the video shows, the patron is waiting for a hearing.

In Nevada, a "malfunction" voids the bet. The Gaming Control Board has an FAQ about slot machine malfunctions. The examples given in that document are electrical or mechanical in nature. The question at hand is whether human error can be called a malfunction. In my non-legally trained opinion, no. The machine functioned as it was programmed to do. The error was the Fiesta's fault.

To maintain the integrity of gaming in Nevada, I think the player should be paid. If the public can't trust a casino to honor a bet, even if made in error, it will jeopardize the trust of players. If casinos can start using "human error" as an excuse to not honor a bet, then patrons could be denied winnings routinely. It is not unusual for a casino to offer a bad bet (for them) in sports or through an ill-conceived promotion. The vast majority of the time, casinos will do the right thing and honor such bets anyway. It takes just one stiffed player to erase the good will created by thousands of honored bets.

As I understand the case, the initial decision went in favor of the casino. The case is currently in appeal. To me at least, it brings disrepute to gaming in Nevada that the Fiesta did not pay a winning jackpot. More importantly, that Gaming sided in the Fiesta's favor, casts more doubt about the integrity of gaming in Nevada. A bet is a bet. If you lose, you pay. No excuses.