We all dream of landing the big wins at the casino. Whether you take on the dealer at the blackjack table or your lucky number comes up on the roulette wheel. However, for some, the excitement and unpredictability of the slots provide the best chance to secure huge money. And, that’s exactly what happened to a pensioner in an Ontario casino, yet the casino refused to pay him out on the $10,000 he had won.
Why did the Canadian casino refuse to pay?
The Ontario casino refused to pay John Marando on the grounds that the 82-year-old man had signed a voluntary self-exclusion 17 years ago, which would prevent him from playing. These exclusions were designed to help any players that may have developed a gambling problem and, once you’ve signed the exclusion, you should be removed from the casino once you’re recognised.
Yet, Marando claims that he had been to the OLG Slots at Mohawk Racetrack near Milton since the start of the year. During that time, he is said to have won around $1,000 on several occasions and $400 from the very same slot on the day of his big win, which was paid out on. Obviously, given the self-exclusion, he should not have been able to play at any point.
The win came by after Marando had collected his winnings from the day, but decided to put a final $20 into the machine, where he would play at $2 a spin, although the first eight spins yielded nothing. “All of a sudden ding, ding, ding, and I see this thing going round and round, one thousand, two thousand… $10,000 and $10,002 by the way”, Marando said.
After going to collect his winnings, he revealed he was told: “we can’t pay you, you signed yourself out 17 years ago”. Inevitably, given the earlier win, this drew scepticism from Marando that they prevented him winning because he had hit the jackpot on the game.
What’s more, Marando said he suffered a brain injury where he was told that his memory could be affected. Therefore, he doesn’t remember signing the exclusion agreement all that time ago. “I can’t remember 17 years ago, I’m 17 years older and I’ve had a brain operation about eight years ago”.
Marando contacts lawyer to try and receive winnings
Despite his pleas, a spokesman for Ontario Lottery and Gaming said that if a player has been excluded under their regulations, then it prohibits them to be paid out. With such a clear stance on the matter, Marando has decided to fight the decision by bringing in his legal team. Although, it’s unsure how it will play out given the clear rules that are in place to help problem gamblers through
the self-exclusion process.
Ultimately, we wait to see how successful John Marando will be in trying to obtain his winnings, but don’t let that put you off playing the slots! You won’t have the same trouble once you’ve signed up and played at Lucky Nugget Casino, where there are a whole host of quality slots to choose from.
