Casino scams exposed: Man wins $150,000 jackpot, but there’s a catch.

Photo byVirrage Images/Shutterstock @casinomassagekelley/TikTok Maksym Dykha/Shutterstock

A worker at a casino, Kelley (@casinomassagekelley), posted a situation that appears to have been plucked directly from a film—a movie that enjoys subjecting its characters to a series of bad and exasperating situations.

On a popular TikTok video that has received more than 350,000 likes, she revealed the story of a gambler who was turned away from winning a $150,000 slot machine prize.

“I work in a casino, and this guy hit $150,000 slot jackpot, and then they came to pay him out, and they took his ID and everything, and it turned out he had banned himself from the casino, from all of the properties. So, he literally got trespassed and did not get anything.”

Self-exclusion in Casinos

If you're curious about whether Kelley's statement is accurate, indeed, the individual mentioned in it decided to leave the casino. Self-exclusion is a strategy individuals struggling with gambling issues employ to manage their frequent trips to the casino. Matthew J. Platkin, the Attorney General for the New Jersey State Department, discussed self-exclusion on the official government website.

“The program was established in 2001 to allow people with a gambling problem to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling in all Atlantic City casinos. In 2013, the program was expanded to also include self-exclusion for Internet gaming activities.”

The Attorney General's site also offers a peek into the behind-the-scenes activities involved in self-exclusion. It seems like a quite complex procedure. Moreover, the details seem to back up Kelley's account of what occurred to the $150,000 lottery winner.

“For land-based casinos, the Division will distribute a photograph and description of you to each casino. The casinos will then remove you from any mailing lists and make notations in their computer files that you are ineligible for any kind of credit or complimentary service.”

The declaration clearly indicates that freebies and discounts are not provided to gamblers who have chosen to self-exclude. The site further mentions, "Should you be found gambling at a casino, … your winnings will be subject to forfeiture." Additionally, gambling at racetracks and through online/sports gambling platforms are part of the self-exclusion initiative.

Viewers were livid

One person wrote, “Casinos lie and scam people to get out of anything.”

A different user pointed out the unfair treatment given to the prohibited client. People who have been kicked out of casinos are completely fine with giving their cash. Yet, if they manage to win a huge jackpot, they're not permitted to keep the winnings. "But it was fine to take all his losses," the TikToker questioned.

A single user on the platform mentioned that they had self-imposed a ban from casinos for a period of two years. They believed that the individual in Kelley's narrative should have understood the consequences of attempting to gamble while on the self-exclusion list. "I self-excluded for 2 years. They make sure to go over all this information with you before you sign any documents. The state cop advised me that if I were to win a jackpot, I should just walk away."

Other reasons a jackpot payout may be denied

Someone else penned that it wasn’t just self-excluded customers who were barred from payouts, however. If you’re planning on gambling at a legal casino, they warned that you should make sure you’re straight with Johnny Law. “One guy I know had won a prize. when they ran his name they saw he had a warrant, the casino host had him arrested instead of giving him the prize!” they penned.

And if you’re not paying your child support? Maybe you should think twice before hitting up the casino. “I’ve seen a guy not get his jackpot because he owed child support,” one said.

Kelley herself said she’s seen this happen, too. “If they see you owe child support they’ll take that too,” she wrote.