MGM Grand Detroit Sued for Refusing to Pay $127K Progressive Blackjack Jackpot
Posted on: June 27, 2024, 06:15h.
Last updated on: June 28, 2024, 09:00h.
A Michigan woman who won a $127K jackpot playing progressive blackjack at the MGM Grand Detroit is suing the casino after it refused to pay out and instead accused her of “trespassing.” That’s despite the plaintiff playing at the casino – and mainly losing – for more than 20 years.
Denise Ezell, 65, visited the casino on October 30 last year with a friend to play at the progressive blackjack tables. This is a game where players can place a side bet in the hope that their two cards will combine with the dealer’s in a way that triggers a jackpot.
On the hand in question, Ezell held the jack and king of spades with the dealer showing the ace and queen of spades – a four-card straight flush that qualified for a big payout.
“It was exuberating,” Ezell told The Detroit Free Press Thursday. “We were high-fiving … The dealer – he was excited. So were people around me. No one had ever seen anyone win that jackpot.”
‘Panhandling’ Claim
But when Ezell provided her driving license as ID, casino management told her she wouldn’t be paid because she was trespassing on the property. Instead, she was asked to leave.
It turns out that Ezell had been 86’d from the casino in 2015 after being accused of “panhandling.”
Ezell says the incident was a misunderstanding. She had been arguing with her cousin, who had refused to float her some cash when she started losing, as was the prearranged agreement when they gambled together, she claims. But casino security thought she was pestering a stranger for money, according to the lawsuit.
As she left on that occasion, Ezell asked the security guard “how long does this last?” She was told “maybe 24 or 48 hours,” the lawsuit states.
She received no notification from the casino, either by email, phone call, letter or text message, that she was not welcome on the property, the filing claims.
In the meantime, Ezell has been back hundreds of times, and the casino was always happy to take her money, she says.
‘They Take Your Damn Money’
In the days after her “win,” she called the casino and spoke to an employee who told her, “Don’t worry about them saying you were trespassing, we are going to get you your jackpot,” according to the lawsuit.
But when the employee called her back, he explained the matter had escalated “beyond his paygrade.”
I just thought when you won, they would pay you,” Ezell said. “When you lose, they take your damn money.”
The MGM Grand said it had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit when contacted by the Free Press on Thursday and was not able to comment.
Ezell described the casino’s reason for not paying the jackpot as “bull***t.”
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Last Comments ( 5 )
MGM Grand isn't going to lose anything! There are plenty of people willing to pay their "poor people's tax" to the casinos!
Correct me if I am wrong, but MGM has been using facial recognition and AI for years now. I found this published in the Navada Independent on Jan 21st 2020 in an article entitled "How AI and facial recognition tech could reshape Las Vegas casinos" "Blan Feldman..., Distinguished Fellow in Responsible Gambling at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute and a former executive at MGM Resorts International, told The Nevada Independent that while facial recognition presents an opportunity worth more study, the field is still dominated by more questions than answers". Mr. Feldman continues “Facial recognition technology has become quite effective in recognizing an individual, but as it relates specifically to problem gambling, I'd say the jury is still out,” I also found this from OCT 18, 2000. on Gaming floor website "MGM LAS VEGAS SIGNS ON TO FACEIT? ENABLED GRIFFIN G.O.L.D. CASINO SECURITY DATABASE SYSTEM" That's it's a database and facial recognition system from 24 years ago. Yeah. I bet the jury is still out, how do you take the money of habitual bi-weekly gamblers if you tell them that they are trespassed BEFORE they part with their money. No doubt you want to wait until after they win to inform them that they have been trespassed.
Pay her that’s weak. Plus she’s a honey
Casino accepted her wager hence entered into a legally binding contract with her. MGM is thus obligated to pay out. Whether she was or wasn’t supposed to be on their premises should be irrelevant imho
MGM will lose far more than $127,000 in bad publicity and lost revenue, because who in their right mind would want to gamble there? In Nevada, if you are trespassed you have to acknowledge and sign a letter to that effect. Furthermore the Nevada Gaming Control Board has actual teeth (NOT an advisory committee) and would not permit such BS as it would cast aspersions on the entire state's very lucrative gaming industry. I hope she is awarded the jackpot and a lot more either in court or out. If it were me, I would have been on the phone to my attorney the next morning and not dick around for eight months.