N.J. Online Casino Player Suing Slot Maker Over Unpaid $100,000 Jackpot

An online casino player is suing a slot game manufacturer who failed to pay out a $100,000 jackpot because of a “bug” in the digital game, according to a federal lawsuit filed this month.

Lisa Piluso of Yardley, Pennsylvania claims breach of contract and fraud in a five-count lawsuit against American Gaming Systems New Jersey, LLC filed Nov. 11 in U.S. District Court. Piluso alleges winning the six-figure jackpot while playing on her cell phone in New Jersey, only to be refused the full amount. Her suit claims she was initially awarded $280 and later offered $1,000.

The Associated Press reports that 13 other online casino gamblers have also filed the same complaint against the company with N.J. gaming regulators. The state Division of Gaming Enforcement provided play-nj.com with a notice of violation referencing the complaints, which were all filed in 2020.

‘Experienced’ online casino player denied full win

Las Vegas-based AGS supplies the popular slot game “Capital Gains” to multiple N.J. online casino operators.
Piluso was playing the slot title on a platform offered through Caesars Interactive Entertainment on Oct. 2, 2020, when she allegedly hit the $100,000 progressive jackpot.

She contacted Caesars and AGS directly after not being awarded the full payout. According to her federal complaint, AGS offered Piluso and her husband $1,000 because they were “nice people.”

“I’m an experienced online player, and I was shocked when AGS officials, including the company president, told me they weren’t going to pay, even when I showed them the screenshot that I made of the $100,000 jackpot,” the AP quoted Piluso as saying in a statement through her attorney.
Neither Caesars Entertainment nor Caesars Interactive is named as defendants in Pilsuo’s complaint.

Online bug discovered

The NJDGE investigated the multiple complaints related to “Capital Gains.”

In a letter to Piluso, state regulators explained AGS “discovered an issue/bug within the game.” Bonus symbols failed to clear from previous rounds from a player’s screen, the company found.

“This error caused the patron(s) to believe that their bonus round winnings were higher than the actual winnings,” a state deputy attorney general wrote.
The AP reports AGS was fined $1,000 by the NJDGE for the infraction.

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