‘It was a calculated attack’: This 24-year-old Chicago man won a whopping $800,000 in sports bets at Midwest casinos — but they refuse to pay. 3 ways to make sure you cash in on big wins

“It was a calculated attack where I thought I had an edge,” McPeek told CBS News Chicago.

In August, he visited the sportsbook at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, owned by Caesars Entertainment. To ensure his bets wouldn’t be rejected, he remained anonymous, making multiple small bets at kiosks instead of with a clerk at a counter.

He even went so far as to disguise himself with sunglasses or hiding his hair.

Over the course of a single week, McPeek says he bet around $30,000 and won $350,000.

A month later, he traveled across state lines to employ the same strategies at another Caesars property — the Isle Casino in Bettendorf, Iowa. This time, he says his tickets totaled about $450,000 in winnings.

But McPeek says when he tried to cash in, both casinos voided his tickets, citing house rules and anti-money-laundering policies. He says he’s willing to sue to get his winnings.

Where’s the money?

McPeek maintains that he played by the rules but Caesars says he tried to circumvent them, particularly by crossing state lines — something that can violate betting regulations.

Scott Morrow, a former casino executive who now teaches gaming at the University of Nevada—Las Vegas says Caesars was justified in voiding his tickets on those grounds.

“I have a tough time finding sympathy for his case,” Morrow said.

But Eli Feustel, a seasoned betting expert and author, sides with McPeek — not because of how the bets were made, but because of Caesars’ timing in voiding his wins. He argues that the casinos only acted after realizing McPeek might actually win.

“The clear answer is Caesars owes this,” he told CBS News.