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Caesars Indiana Loses Money from Faulty Slot Machine
Caesar's Indiana lost big bucks last month when a faulty slot machine erroneously paid out almost half a million dollars to an unknown number of gamblers who used it.
For two days following July 21, the slot machine gave the gamblers credit for 10 time more the money they put in, a technical problem that cost the casino to lose $487,000.
Gamblers could get vouchers from the machine for the amount credited to them and then cash in the vouchers.
The faulty slot machine was only reported when Kathryn Ford of Louisville, Ky., decided to report the incident.
She said she put a $20 bill into the machine, and then the machine registered a credit of $200. Then, it registered $1600 when she put in eight $20 bills. She then notified a security guard when she noticed that something was wrong.
"I felt guilty," Ford said. "But I also knew they have cameras covering the whole room."
The casino management thanked her for her honesty and gave her a $200 voucher.
It is still unclear as to what might have caused the technical glitch. However, a report from the Indiana Gaming Commission says that it might have been caused by a switch in the machine that was mistakenly set for Philippine use rather than in the United States.
So far, however, there has been no indication that there has been any criminal behavior involved.
It has been reported that the casino is planning to get their money back.
"The casino has the option to pursue legal action against the patrons who received money," said Jennifer Arnold, the commission's deputy director. "But honestly, I'm not sure if the patrons are actually obligated to return the money."
