Casino forced to pay huge jackpot to disabled man assisted by banned player

[The Buzz]

A judge in Australia ruled that Sydney’s Star Entertainment must pay a AUD $285,000 jackpot, as well as AUD $35,000 interest, to a disabled man who used the assistance of a banned player while winning the jackpot in 2019.

David Joe, a Platinum Vantage VIP member who suffers from motor neurone disease, asked his friend Lois Lie to help operate the pokies in the casino. The two put $10 into the Year of the Tiger machine and won the jackpot plus other prizes, but the casino refused to hand over the winnings, saying Lie signed a voluntary exclusion order in October 2016, was banned from the premises and was not entitled to any winnings.

From The Guardian:

“In the context of their playing machines for several hours, [Joe’s] truly significant disability plainly deprived him of the ability to operate the machines himself for enjoyment,” wrote judge Robert Montgomery.

In ordering Star to pay the $285,000 jackpot plus almost $35,000 in interest, the judge found the money was won by Joe, not Lie, and could not be withheld.

Montgomery found Joe was the one taking all the economic risk by telling Lie which buttons to press and providing all the money being wagered.

“The whole of the economic stake wagered during the operation of gaming machines by Mr Lie, whilst [Joe’s] card was inserted and he watched and gave Mr Lie directions, was [Joe’s] money,” the judge said.

Joe was also unaware his friend was banned because Lie had had unfettered access for six months by that time anyway.

Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/australi...%20has%20ruled.

[Pokerface]

Leaning towards agreeing with the judge on this one.

[Danville]

This was a clear cut case.
They let the self excluded individual lose for months after exclusion, then cried foul when a jackpot was caught.
To make matters worse, they battle in court against a disabled person.
Talk about a P.R nightmare.