Should Lotto Pay Up???

Should Lotto Pay Up???

CanadianLove

#1Mar 18th, 2009

OLG offers slot player free dinner instead of $43M

Updated: Wed Mar. 18 2009 2:00:21 PM

ctvtoronto.ca

A Wasaga Beach, Ont. man is taking the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to court after they offered him a free dinner instead of the $43 million he thought he won.

Pawel Kusnirewicz was playing the two-cent slots at Georgian Downs Casino in Innisfill on Dec. 2 when suddenly bells on the machine began ringing, whistles began blowing and a voice on the machine told him to call an attendant because he had just become a millionaire.

"You've just won $42.9 million," the machine said.

A casino attendant rushed over to congratulate the man but then called over supervisors when he realized the size of the jackpot.

Supervisors told him that the machine was broken and that they couldn't offer him the prize money but as compensation the casino would treat him and three of his friends to dinner.

Kusnirewicz decided to call his lawyer instead.

The OLG was served yesterday with legal documents informing them that the man intends to sue the corporation for the prize money.

The OLG has said the top prize at the two-cent machine was only supposed to be $9,000 even though no maximum amount was posted on the machine. The corporation also said that all machines are labelled with a sign that says all plays are void if the machine malfunctions.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is investigating the charges.

CTV Toronto - OLG offers slot player free dinner instead of $43M - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television

Spade

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 18th, 2009

If the OLG can prove that the machine was programmed to give a $9000 maximum prize, but it malfunctioned displaying $42.9 million, then based on the sign that says the OLG is not responsible for machine error, then it should award $9000 as a gesture of good faith.

CanadianLove

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 18th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by Spade

If the OLG can prove that the machine was programmed to give a $9000 maximum prize, but it malfunctioned displaying $42.9 million, then based on the sign that says the OLG is not responsible for machine error, then it should award $9000 as a gesture of good faith.

Thing there is they said that the max. payout is not posted on the machines. Million should not even be in the machine vocabulary as far as I'm concerned. I don't do the casinos so I can't say. Maybe they all have the same chips inside with different programming.

Risus

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Sure they should pay up, otherwise everytime there is a big jackpot winner, they will use the excuse that the machine was broken.
Offering the guy a free dinner was BS.

earth_as_one

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Maybe a tech put the wrong chips in the machine and it burped. Who knows. The incident should be thoroughly investigated by an objective party. A simple mistake shouldn't cost the OLG 42.9 million. The people should get some level of compensation based on damages. Thinking you won and then finding out you didn't must be a bummer.

JLM

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by CanadianLove

OLG offers slot player free dinner instead of $43M

Updated: Wed Mar. 18 2009 2:00:21 PM

ctvtoronto.ca

A Wasaga Beach, Ont. man is taking the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to court after they offered him a free dinner instead of the $43 million he thought he won.

Pawel Kusnirewicz was playing the two-cent slots at Georgian Downs Casino in Innisfill on Dec. 2 when suddenly bells on the machine began ringing, whistles began blowing and a voice on the machine told him to call an attendant because he had just become a millionaire.

"You've just won $42.9 million," the machine said.

A casino attendant rushed over to congratulate the man but then called over supervisors when he realized the size of the jackpot.

Supervisors told him that the machine was broken and that they couldn't offer him the prize money but as compensation the casino would treat him and three of his friends to dinner.

Kusnirewicz decided to call his lawyer instead.

The OLG was served yesterday with legal documents informing them that the man intends to sue the corporation for the prize money.

The OLG has said the top prize at the two-cent machine was only supposed to be $9,000 even though no maximum amount was posted on the machine. The corporation also said that all machines are labelled with a sign that says all plays are void if the machine malfunctions.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is investigating the charges.

CTV Toronto - OLG offers slot player free dinner instead of $43M - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television

I suppose it would all depend on who has the better lawyer, but the money probably just isn't there, so he may have to settle for fillet mignon and I'd go back for secondds.

JLM

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by Risus

Sure they should pay up, otherwise everytime there is a big jackpot winner, they will use the excuse that the machine was broken.
Offering the guy a free dinner was BS.

Of course and a little thin too. There's a lesson here, professional casinos don't do that. YOu could probably buy ocean frontage in Nebraska off that guy too.

petros

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

At what point did they decide the machine was broken?

L Gilbert

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Good question, Petros.
Also, the way it is reported makes it sound as if the OLGC is trying to avoid coughing up the dough. But, reporting the news isn't really trustworthy anymore. Stories get warped.
If the report is accurate, though, I'd be chatting with my shyster if I were the guy.

lone wolf

#10

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

When was that big scratch ticket thing?

He got paid some undisclosed figure last I heard....

Risus

#11

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by lone wolf

When was that big scratch ticket thing?

He got paid some undisclosed figure last I heard....

Thats the last I heard too.

shadowshiv

#12

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by Spade

If the OLG can prove that the machine was programmed to give a $9000 maximum prize, but it malfunctioned displaying $42.9 million, then based on the sign that says the OLG is not responsible for machine error, then it should award $9000 as a gesture of good faith.

The maximum payout on a penny machine would never be in the millions(especially $42.9). You would have to play the $1 or $2 machines to get that kind of payout. Maybe a 25cent machine, but it would probably be a maximum of one million dollars(and you would have to put in multiple quarters at once).

Perhaps the guy is due $9000, but there is NO way he deserves $42.9 million! Common sense should prevail in this case, but it rarely does when money(and lots of it!) is involved.

L Gilbert

#13

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

I agree. But a dinner? That's being ridiculously cheap.

shadowshiv

#14

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by L Gilbert

I agree. But a dinner? That's being ridiculously cheap.

Some people would have taken that. That is probably what the Casino was hoping for(a lot less negative publicity that way).

JLM

#15

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by L Gilbert

I agree. But a dinner? That's being ridiculously cheap.

Depends on what you call a dinner- I'd demand salad, soup, filet mignon scalaped potatoes, three or four vegetables and lemon meringue pie.

shadowshiv

#16

Re: Should Lotto Pay Up???

Mar 19th, 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by JLM

Depends on what you call a dinner- I'd demand salad, soup, filet mignon scalaped potatoes, three or four vegetables and lemon meringue pie.

I heard they were offered stale Triskets and water.

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