Oct 21, 2024
For many people, hitting a $150,000 jackpot would be cause for celebration. But for one gambler, that moment of triumph quickly turned sour.
A casino employee named Kelley, known on TikTok as (@casinomassagekelley), shared the story of a gambler who recently hit it big — only to be denied his prize.
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“This guy hit a $150,000 slot jackpot, and then they came to pay him out, and they took his ID and everything, and it turned out he banned himself from the casino — from all of the properties,” she explained in a video uploaded to TikTok. “So, he literally… trespassed and did not get anything.”
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According to Kelley, this jackpot winner had knowingly signed himself up for the self-exclusion program. Designed to help those with gambling addictions, the program prevents individuals from entering casino properties, both physically and online.
Self-exclusion programs are meant to protect, but as this story shows they can have surprising consequences.
Was this incident just a case of a casino following the rules — or did they overstep?
What is a self-exclusion program?
Sometimes the smartest gamble is to take a step back. Self-exclusion programs give people a way to pull away from the table before the stakes get too high.
According to research from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), the risk of gambling addiction rose by 30% between 2018 and 2021, with an estimated nine million U.S. adults affected.
New Jersey chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Mathew J. Plakin, explains that the self-exclusion program, established in 2001, allows individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from all Atlantic City casinos.
Once enrolled, participants are prohibited from entering casinos with measures enforced to ensure compliance — one of those measures being the inability to collect any winnings.
Plakin’s website also states, “If you are caught gambling at a casino, racetrack sports wagering facility, or on an Internet gaming site, you will be subject to forfeiture of any winnings.”
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According to the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), some reasons for entering the self-exclusion include:
- gambling is causing you financial and emotional hardship
- gambling has taken over all aspects of your life
- your focus is winning back losses
- you don’t have fun when you gamble
The man who had to walk away from the $150,000 jackpot placed himself on that list with the intention of avoiding temptation and, sometimes, even a winning moment can reaffirm why those measures are in place.
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Was the casino right?
Opinions on the casino’s actions are divided, with many TikTok users in the comments questioning the ethics behind denying a $150,000 payout.
While some criticized the decision, claiming it was just another tactic to avoid paying out, others pointed out that the rules apply to more than just self-excluded customers.
One TikTok user warned that potential gamblers should make sure they have a clean record before trying their luck, sharing a story of someone who had won a prize, only to be arrested when the casino ran a check and discovered an outstanding warrant.
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Another user, GlennDro, commented, “that’s the sleaziest thing ever. Casinos will do anything to not pay out. Should have paid that man.”
However, Kelley was quick to set the record straight in the comments. “He signed papers banning himself from the property and that any winnings would be forfeited,” he said. “If he didn’t, he would have definitely [gotten] paid, my man.”
Casinos operate with a strict rule book and those rules are enforced no matter how high the stakes.
Whether it’s unpaid debts, legal trouble, or a self-imposed ban, these regulations are designed to maintain a level of accountability.
While it may seem harsh for the $150,000 jackpot winner to walk out empty-handed, it's a reminder that gambling is more than just a game of luck.
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Victoria Vesovski is a Toronto-based staff reporter at Moneywise covering personal finance, lifestyle and trending news. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and New York University, and her work has appeared on platforms including Yahoo Finance, MSN Money and Apple News.
