Hitting a million-dollar casino jackpot can trigger a carousel of emotions at any age. However, for a 72-year-old retired school teacher in Shamong, New Jersey, the initial burst of happiness when she realized she had won more than $2 million came to an abrupt end. 

Her initial shock and “dream come true” feeling was soon washed away, leaving room for a nightmare as she was informed by casino officials her winnings would be denied because of an alleged glitch in the system.

Shocking Experience for the Senior Player

R.B., who spoke to 6ABC Action News to share her story, described herself as a fervent fan and frequent player of slot machines. 

She explained that, at the end of February, she went to Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City and spent hundreds of dollars on a Wheel of Fortune machine.

“I was hoping for $1,000, saying, Please God let me win,” she recalled, followed by the memory of the machine going off, saying “You’re a winner” and seeing the gold coins popping out. 

The woman also recalled “this very nice guy” saying “Oh my God, you hit, you hit! Lady, you’re a millionaire,” adding even more to her original excitement. She allegedly won a jackpot of $1.2 million. The senior also claimed that she hit the multiplier.

While everyone around her continued to celebrate, claimed R.B., she eventually hit the service button on the slot machine and saw the security crew swarming in.

“That’s when the sentences came up ’tilted,” she remembered. The former school teacher said that she was told that she had won “nothing” and that the respective slot machine was dealing with a malfunction referred to as a “reel tilt.” 

She was explained the said malfunction or glitch in the system would void her win.

R.B. also recalled that a Bally’s attendant opened the machine and asked her to “spin it off” which she refused to do.

“He had it rolling real slow. He had it opened and then he is pushing it” only to offer her a $350 win in the end.

R.B.’s attorney, Mike Dicroce, claimed Bally’s attendants “fooled with the machine before anybody else had the opportunity to take a look at this.” Dicroce added that that respective action by a casino attendant could have tampered with evidence of his client’s jackpot win.

Accordingly, he required the New Jersey Gaming Enforcement, Bally’s, and slotmaker International Game Technology (IGT), which is the responsible party for the payout, to hold on to the machine and the video footage from the casino floor for an independent forensic review.

Not the First Occurrence of Its Kind

Apparently, this is not the first time that the reel tilt glitch was disputed on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine.

In 2000, attorney Jacques Bezou took New Orleans‘ Harrah Casino and IGT to court after his client disputed the same glitch.

Bezou explained IGT’s position that claimed that despite the fact that the symbols came up “aesthetically,” the outcome wasn’t considered a win for his client “because the computer says it wasn’t a win.”

Neither the jury nor the appellate judges agreed to IGT’s claim. At the end of a lengthy legal limbo that lasted several years, IGT was held responsible for the $1.3 million jackpot.

R.B. is hopeful that the law and an ounce of luck would also help her cash in on what she thinks is rightfully hers.

Besides the $1.28 million jackpot and multiplier that would raise her win to $2.56 million, she also plans on filing a distress claim for over $1 million.

She explained she was anxious and “upset” because she wanted the money so she could buy a trailer for her homeless son. 

“Why would I ever go to a casino again in my life? Any casino? Why, if there is no hope,” she added.

In April 2021, a 54-year-old online casino player from Lincolnshire received his winnings from Betfred after following London’s High Court decision in his favor. 

He was finally denied the win by the operator who claimed a software error had occurred. 

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According to charging documents, Deangelo Romaine Jacox (32), identified as the truck’s driver, and passengers Shawn Eric Lewis Jr. (35), and Tristin Tyler Jacox Mann (33) are the three men who assaulted and stole around $38,100 from the 67-year-old victim who was returning to his residence in the 700 block of Griffin Court at around 2:15 a.m. on Sunday. 

A Lucky Night at the Casino Gone Wrong

Located just 40 minutes outside of the Twin Cities, Treasure Island Resort & Casino is an appealing spot for gamblers with its 1800 slots, 40 table games, bingo, and a dedicated poker room. 

After spending a few hours there and scooping up an impressive win of thousands of dollars, the victim returned home only to be robbed and assaulted outside his home. 

The nightmare started when he noticed a red pickup truck pulling up to his property and two men getting out of the motor vehicle and starting to physically assault him. Next, they took his casino earnings in cash from him and left in the same pickup truck. 

The criminal complaint that was filed in Washington County District Court states that as the victim was subject to punching and kicking, two of his female relatives exited his house, at which point the robbers threatened they “were going to kill the girls”.

One of the assaulters pointed a gun at one of the two women, asking her to get back into the house or be shot. 

The three men then fled the scene. The victim used his vehicle to follow them until the suspects were stopped by Oakdale police officers next to the intersection of Minnesota 36 and White Bear Avenue in Maplewood. 

The Three Men Are Now Facing Charges 

The three suspects are now each facing a series of charges, including aiding and abetting first- and second-degree aggravated robbery as well as aiding and abetting threats of violence – reckless disregard risk.

Jacox is also facing an additional charge of fleeing police, according to the same court documents. 

It is not known whether the three men followed their victim to his home from the casino located in the Red Wing area.

Lewis Jr. and Jacox Mann showed up in Washington County District Court earlier in the week, on Tuesday morning. The court established Lewis’ bond to be set at $250,000 while Jacox Mann’s bond was set at $150,000, both without conditions.

Jacox failed to appear in court. Since his criminal complaint had not been signed by a judge before the hold expiring at 3:13 a.m., he was released from custody.

According to Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s spokeswoman, Laura Perkins, Jacox was arrested on a warrant on Tuesday night and he is expected to appear in court on Wednesday morning.

In 2021, a 74-year-old Win-River Casino winner in Redding was robbed at gunpoint while returning home from the casino.
It is not only casino winners who are at risk of falling victim to robbers. At the end of November, a Sacramento Capital Casino attacker was convicted of robbery and murder after he attempted to rob the venue and fatally wounded a security guard in the process.

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The Hoosier Lottery Commission in Indiana has approved a $50,000 Powerball prize for a man named Paul Marshall, even though his winning ticket was torn to pieces by a store employee. The decision came during a recent meeting in Indianapolis, where five commissioners unanimously supported Marshall’s appeal.

Hoosier Lottery Commission Validates $50,000 Win

The incident unfolded when Marshall returned to the store where he purchased the winning ticket to validate it. A store employee, in the habit of tearing up lottery tickets after checking them with the lottery terminal, mistakenly shredded Marshall’s winning ticket. Indiana retailers are not authorized to pay out prizes exceeding $600, adding to Marshall’s predicament.

When Marshall went to the claim center with the printed slip containing instructions on prize collection, he was informed that the physical ticket was required for payout. Fortunately, lottery officials were able to reconstruct the sequence of events by visiting the store and reviewing video surveillance footage, confirming Marshall’s account.

Chuck Taylor, the lottery director of legal affairs and compliance, stated that the commissioners unanimously approved Marshall’s prize payout after verifying the authenticity of his claim, reported The Lottery Post. 

The Hoosier Lottery Commission attributed the clerk’s mistake to muscle memory. However, all is well that ends well and Marshall can now celebrate his $50,000 Powerball win, turning a torn ticket mishap into a fortunate twist of fate.

While Marshall’s story had a happy ending, another individual, Drena Harris, faced a less fortunate outcome. Harris, who won $500 on a scratch card, had her claim denied by the commissioners. Her winning ticket, posted on Facebook, was fraudulently claimed by one of her followers, who managed to cash out the prize before Harris could collect it. The lottery commission emphasized the importance of caution when sharing lottery wins on social media, citing Harris’s case as a cautionary tale.

In other lottery news, a cashier’s error at a Michigan gas station led to a $390,000 windfall for Lucky for Life player Michael Sopejstal from Illinois. The cashier mistakenly printed a ticket with 10 lines for one draw instead of 10 draws, and when Sopejstal opted to keep the ticket, he later discovered he had won the $25,000 a year for life jackpot. Despite contemplating the lifetime option, Sopejstal ultimately chose the lump sum and plans to use the money for a vacation, saving the remainder.

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In most states across the US, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. Even if the winnings are in the millions, most states require the winners to be identified, which can sometimes cause trouble for the lucky few. Maine is one of the states that requires winners to be identified. However, the winner of one of the largest Mega Millions jackpots in the state was able to collect their winnings through a limited liability company called LaKoma Island Investments earlier this year. This effectively enabled the person to remain anonymous and collect the grand prize.

Now, a new report released by the Portland Press Herald suggests that the lucky winner is willing to go to great lengths to protect his identity. Reportedly, the person who won the $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot filed a lawsuit against the mother of his child with the US District Court in Portland. With scarce details on the topic, the lawsuit identifies the man only by a pseudonym and confirms that he currently resides in Maine. Similarly, the mother of his child was also identified with a pseudonym, but it was confirmed that she lives in Dracut, Massachusetts.

The new lawsuit alleges that the woman breached a non-disclosure agreement that was signed with the winner of the jackpot. This agreement reportedly dates to February this year and was signed between the duo before the man claimed the Mega Millions jackpot. The winner of the jackpot alleges in his lawsuit that the mother of his child shared “protected subject matter” with two persons she was not allowed to under the non-disclosure agreement. The defendant is given time until December 6, 2023, to submit a response.

The Lottery Winner Seeks Injunction, $100K in Damages

The lucky winner of the $1.35 billion jackpot beat incredible odds of 1 in more than 300 million to win the grand prize. As with other big sums, the winner can select a lump cash payment or annual installment payments for the full sum. The winner from Maine selected a lump cash sum payment, taking a staggering $723.6 million. It’s important to note that lottery winnings across the US are taxable so this sum is before the applicable taxes.

In his case against the mother of his child, the lottery winner seeks injunctive relief from a judge. Moreover, the winner is after some $100,000 in damages from the defendant.

Undoubtedly, the lawsuit reaffirms the lottery winner’s dedication to concealing his identity. The legal claim explains that the non-disclosure agreement signed between the winner and the defendant was to address “the unique safety, security, and privacy concerns associated with winning the lottery.” The legal document confirmed that the winner wanted to protect his identity so he could avoid irreparable harm to himself and his assets.

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Relax Gaming, an iGaming aggregator and developer, has officially announced its 11th winner of the popular Dream Drop Mega Jackpot, which was won when a lucky player activated the said jackpot with Jackpothunter.com online casino.

Winning the ultimate prize

After a player placed a bet of €2 on the Volatile Vikings Dream Drop slot, they won a whopping €2.976.908.13, automatically making them the eleventh lucky player to win a seven-figure sum in just a little more than a year, showing that Relax’s rewards from its innovative game portfolio are there for players to take. What’s more, this newest announcement took place just 4 hours after one more fortunate player won another Major jackpot while trying their luck on another Dream Drop Jackpot slot game.

Commenting on the win, Simon Hammon, CEO of Relax Gaming, said: “The way that Dream Drop has changed the industry never ceases to amaze us, and to create eleven millionaires in just over a year has exceeded our expectations. We knew the Dream Drop Jackpot would perform well with players and operators alike, and to see this become a reality is a constant source of pride. We would like to send our congratulations to the lucky winner, and we eagerly anticipate the twelfth millionaire.”

Jackpothunter casino added: “It is truly a delight to be the casino that has played host to the eleventh Dream Drop Mega Jackpot winner! Everyone at Jackpothunter is excited to see such an impressive win happen on our platform, it validates where our brand is heading as we make winning jackpots easier. The integration of Relax titles has been a huge boost to our brand and we are delighted to have played a part in creating this win.”

Description of Volatile Vikings Dream Drop slot

Volatile Vikings Dream Drop was officially added to Relax’s portfolio in July 2022 and includes a lot of thrilling mechanics and features which involve state-of-the-art Multiplier Reveal and a useful Free Spins bonus round. But that’s not all; because it also involves the Dream Drop progressive jackpot.

About

Relax Gaming was founded and officially launched in 2010 with headquarters in Malta. Since then, the company has experienced incredible growth and today their rapidly-growing, independently created game portfolio includes more than 4,000 online casino games. Its partners are B2B companies, which the company supplies with its iGaming content.

This outstanding, innovative iGaming supplier is present in key global markets through cooperation with its B2B partners. Its most recent awards include: Casino/Slot Developer of the year at the SBC Awards, Best Mobile Gaming Software Provider at the EGR B2B Awards and Best Game Provider at the AskGamblers Awards. Also, its amazing gaming platform is composed of aggregated content. Some of these are: video slots, online casinos, poker and bingo, which operators can access via simple integration to increase player engagement and profit.

One of the main reasons why Relax is the leading aggregator of the iGaming industry is because it is backed by innovative technology, which means it has the ability to give operators the opportunity to activate a range of features that increase user satisfaction and engagement and encourage extended play.

Source: “Relax Gaming crowns eleventh millionaire with Jackpothunter Dream Drop Win”. European Gaming, October 30, 2023.

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In February, Jose Rivera from Altadena, California sued Edwin Castro, the winner of the massive $2.08 billion Powerball prize, claiming that he was not the rightful owner of the winning ticket. 

One week after Castro went into the spotlight with bells and whistles and claimed the mouth-watering prize on February 15, Rivera made the surprising announcement, claiming that it was actually he, and not Castro, who purchased the very lucky ticket from Joe’s Service Center on November 7, 2022.

Now, according to information from the City of Pasadena’s public information officer, Lisa Derderian, reported by The US Sun, investigators seem to suspect that Rivera had lied regarding the stolen ticket. 

Rivera Claims His Ex-Landlord Stole the Ticket From Him

In February, Rivera claimed that the ticket that he allegedly bought from the service center owned by Joe Chahayed was stolen from him by his ex-landlord, Urachi F. “Reggie” Romero, one day prior to the bin draw.

During an interview with The New York Post in May, Romero said he believed Rivera was the actual owner of the winning ticket. He remembered Rivera’s explanations regarding each of the numbers that he picked on the ticket: 10, 33, 41, 47, 56, and red Powerball 10.

Romero recalled asking Rivera about the reason why he selected two 10s, and receiving the explanation that the 10th represented the date when both of his parents had passed away. 

Rivera also told Romero that he had chosen the number 47 because it represented his age. The number 56 was chosen as a means of celebrating his father’s love for 1956 Chevy trucks. 

Romero concluded that Rivera seemed to have a reason behind every marked number on the ticket. The said conversation took place prior to the draw, according to Rivera’s former landlord. 

Nonetheless, Romero denied having taken the winning ticket from Rivera. He also denied having any sort of connection to Castro, adding that he was not aware of how the ticket had reached Castro.

The Formal Police Investigation, Relaunched in June

At the time of the draw, California Lottery expressed their confidence in Castro being the rightful winner of the huge prize while explaining they were not “authorized” to investigate any type of criminal activity among their players.

After it originally shut down the initial investigation into the complicated matter, the Pasadena Police Department announced it would relaunch a formal investigation in June. 

They also mentioned a close collaboration with investigators representing the California Lottery.

According to reports from Derderian, the Pasadena police department has now sent the documentation to the City Prosecutor “for potential misdemeanor charges” regarding a potentially false police report filed by Rivera. 

In the meanwhile, Castro, who has constantly denied all of Rivera’s allegations through the voice of his lawyers, has been busy spending his money on luxury property in Los Angeles, including a $47 million seven-bedroom mansion with an infinity pool in Bel Air, overlooking downtown L.A.

Castro’s lawyer, David De Paoli, explained that “at some point”, it will become clear to everyone his client is the rightful owner of the winning Powerball ticket. 

Earlier this month, another very lucky Powerball player from California hit the massive $1.76 billion jackpot. The news triggered some online users to raise questions regarding the credibility of Powerball wins, since, according to Powerball data, four of the top five biggest jackpots were won in The Golden State. 

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X Factor winner Myles Stephenson opened up about the gambling problems he experienced in his early youth. In an interview with BBC, the musician reminisced about this dark period of his life, sharing insights into how he got hooked on gambling.

For reference, Stephenson is a part of the Rak-Su R&B group, which won the 2017 edition of X Factor.

Now 32, the singer says that he experienced serious gambling problems between the ages of 18 and 22. At first, Stephenson only played for fun, placing the occasional bet with friends. Eventually, his gambling habits spiraled out of control.

Stephenson told BBC that at his worst he would visit betting shops at 07:00 on his way to work. Eventually, he started gambling online, which is where his serious problems began, causing him to lose a “ridiculous amount of money.”

According to the singer, the convenience of online gambling and the ability to gamble wherever he was is what truly addicted him.

Stephenson Got His Life Under Control and Wants to Help Others

Luckily, Stephenson managed to get his life under control, eventually excluding himself from online gambling. To make sure he didn’t visit any betting shops, the singer started dropping a work colleague at their home, distracting himself from the urge to gamble.

Once the musician put gambling behind himself, he never once looked back. According to his interview with BBC, he is still excluded from all gambling websites.

Years later, Stephenson expressed his desire to help others going through similar problems. To that end, he joined forces with GamCare, joining the charity’s new campaign. This provided him with a platform to speak and give advice to people struggling with problem gambling.

While all British operators are required to monitor the activities of their players and identify signs of harm, this still isn’t enough to fully curb gambling addiction. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission plays an important role in the war on gambling harm, enforcing Britain’s rules and making sure that operators do not violate the player protection protocols.

Myles Stephenson isn’t the only celebrity who has struggled with addiction. Elsewhere, the Italian soccer professional Nicolo Fagioli received a suspension because of illegal bets he placed. The player admitted to having become addicted to gambling and will now undergo treatment.

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Jackpocket, America’s leading lottery app, announced that three winners in New Jersey recently shared the $533,000 Jersey Cash 5 prize. As a result, each of the lucky players will get $177,685 back home. Two of these players had purchased their tickets via Jackpocket.

Loyalty Rewarded

Jackpocket interviewed Dustin, one of the winners, asking him how he felt. The winner thus provided some insights into his journey to the prize.

Dustin told the lottery app that he had purchased the Quick Pick ticket for the October 2 drawing just as the Powerball jackpot neared $1 billion. The player revealed that he would sometimes play Powerball or Mega Millions for the social aspect but usually prefers Cash 5.

Loyal to his preferences, Dustin went on Jackpocket, spending $20 on a number of tickets. His loyalty was quickly rewarded as he became one of the three Jersey Cash 5 winners.

Dustin learned that he had won the prize in the morning on October 3. At first, he almost couldn’t believe it.

A little confetti thing popped up and I was like, ‘Big win. What is that?’ I was in shock. I’ve had dreams where I’ve won the lotto before, so I was like, ‘This can’t be real.’ It took a while to sink in.

Dustin

Dustin Will Pay Off His Debts

Jackpocket asked Dustin about his plans for the money. To that, the player quickly responded that he was going to pay off his debts. Dustin revealed that he hasn’t truly been debt-free since he was 18.

In addition, the lucky New Jerseyan said that he is likely to buy a new truck. He explained that his current one is too small for him and his family, with his two kids barely fitting in the backseat. Therefore, a big full-size vehicle is on the top of Dustin’s shopping list.

While Dustin is thrilled about the prize, he admitted that he is a bit disappointed he has to share it with two other people. Laughing, he said:

I have to say I’m a little disappointed. The one time I win the lotto, I have to share it.

Dustin

Jersey Cash 5, as the name implies, is a game exclusively available to customers in the state. The game, available on Jackpocket, sports daily drawings and a rolling jackpot and provides customers with opportunities to win huge prizes.

Last month, a Jackpocket player won a $5,750,000 Lucky for Life prize.

The post Jersey Cash 5 Winner Says He Will Pay off Debts and Buy a Truck appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The much-anticipated Dream Drop Jackpots mechanic was introduced by Relax Gaming back in May 2022. The company’s Temple Tumble 2 Dream Drop was the first game to offer the innovative mechanic that grants players a chance to win a progressive jackpot by landing six Dream Drop symbols during a special jackpot entry spin that is triggered randomly.

Since the launch of the mechanic, it has proven highly popular and in fact, less than a year after its launch, made seven people millionaires. It was last month when a lucky Dream Drop Jackpot winner playing Temple Tumble 2 via White Hat Gaming’s platform secured a win of nearly $2 million.

Now, Relax Gaming confirmed that Temple Tumble 2 Dream Drop made another player a millionaire. The lucky person played the game via Kindred’s Unibet platform when they scored a life-changing award of $2.4 million ($2.57 million). The player placed a €1.27 ($1.35) wager, which ultimately granted him the eye-popping €2,408,389 ($2,568,462) jackpot. That lucky player became the seventh one to secure a seven-digit win from Relax Gaming’s leading game.

The recent jackpot win reaffirms further the success of Relax Gaming’s leading mechanic. In fact, the company was recently recognized during the EGR B2B Awards as the Best Mobile Gaming Software Provider. Additionally, Relax Gaming secured a Casino / Slot Developer of the Year award during the SBC Awards.

The Company Continues to Deliver Exciting Experiences and Huge Prizes

Kindred Group’s director casino and gaming, David Robertson, said that it is always exciting to see players secure life-changing awards by using the company’s platform. Moreover, he pointed out that Relax Gaming’s innovative content is engaging and well-received by the players. Finally, Robertson said that the big wins “will only enhance the satisfaction that players have for the Dream Drop titles.”

“We have only scratched the surface with this mechanic as there are a number of fantastic Dream Drop Jackpot titles coming to casinos this year and we’re excited to see this winning momentum continue at pace.“

Simon Hammon, CEO at Relax Gaming

Simon Hammon, Relax Gaming’s CEO, added that the latest seven-figure jackpot reaffirms the success of the company’s mechanic. At the same time, he pointed out that online players enjoy Relax Gaming’s content which is overwhelming to see.

Hammon added that the jackpots won recently mark only the initial success of the mechanic and confirmed that there will be new Dream Drop Jackpot games arriving for online gambling operators this year. Finally, he said that it will be exciting to see how the new games will be received by the players.

The post Lucky Winner Secures Seventh Dream Drop Jackpot via Unibet appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Even the best of us sometimes get distracted. However, an Australian man took it a step further by holding a $40 million (around USD 26.46 million) Powerball ticket for a week before redeeming it.

As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the winner is a “grandfather” from Swan Valley. The lottery player purchased the Slikpik 18 ticket from Springs News in Bennett Springs around an hour before the draw closed.

Unfortunately, the player failed to check whether he won later for an entire week, instead keeping the ticket in his pocket. Luckily, he didn’t lose or damage the ticket and eventually took it to the store where he bought it.

The man was shocked to learn that he is the lottery winner everyone was looking for.

Winning the Lottery Changed the Man’s Life

Although the Perth man has preferred to remain anonymous for now, he spoke about how he felt to be a winner. According to his own words, the grandfather was in “complete disbelief and shock” when he learned that he had won 40 million Australian dollars.

The lottery winner added that he and his family celebrated the monumental victory with a modest but memorable feast of fish and chips. He noted that winning the lottery has forever changed his family’s lives for the better.

As for what the winner will do with the money, he said that he will share the winnings with his loved ones and will make sure that his grandkids get everything they need.

We’re a tight family and will share the win together, making sure our kids and grandkids are looked after.

A statement by the lottery winner

The lottery winner added that from now on he will be always booking business class tickets when traveling around the world.

The Sydney Morning Herald also reported that Milan Vuletich, who owns Spring News where the winner bought the ticket, was beyond surprised to learn that he had sold a ticket for $40 million. Vuletich noted that his store had sold $1 million Division One tickets a few years ago but he never expected to actually sell a ticket for a prize this big.

The Perth lottery winner might have been a little bit distracted to check his ticket, but elsewhere, a lottery winner almost threw away a $1 million ticket. This happened to a 30-year-old woman from Clinton County, Michigan, who threw away her winning ticket without checking it properly. Luckily, she was wise enough to double-check the ticket the next morning before she threw the garbage.

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