Woman fights casino over $416,000 jackpot win

[Guest manmerlion]

Even if it's a genuine glitch, MBS should just pay the lady, rather than attract all this bad publicity.

Woman fights casino over $416,000 jackpot win

MBS claims glitch in machine, offers her $50,000 and car instead

By Tham Yuen-C & Ng Kai Ling

IT WAS the first time Ms Choo Hong Eng was playing the slot machines at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino on Tuesday, and another casino patron had to show her the ropes.

But less than half an hour and $50 later, the machine seemed to get stuck.

When she turned to her kind fellow gamer for help again, he stared with disbelief at the numbers flickering on her screen: '$416,742.11' and above it 'Cash Bonus'.

A crowd of gamers and casino staff gathered and started congratulating her.

But moments later, a casino manager showed up to tell her that the machine had a glitch, and that she had instead won $50,000 and a sports car worth $258,962, which she could sell back to the casino for cash.

Ms Choo, 58, who runs a vegetarian food stall in a coffee shop in Geylang Avenue 1, told The Straits Times last night in Mandarin: 'The other patrons told me not to be taken in. They said there was no indication anywhere that I had won only $50,000 and a car.'

So the determined woman is standing her ground for the $416,742.11 in winnings she says is rightfully hers.

The Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) is now in the picture, investigating the matter.

Ms Choo had filed a complaint with it after her discussions with MBS were deadlocked.

On her side, Ms Choo has casino patrons who were there with her at 6am, offering to be her witnesses.

One of them, Mr Moo Ngow Chai, a 63-year-old Malaysian, said in Mandarin in a telephone interview yesterday: 'I saw what happened and thought it was very unfair of the casino to deny her the winnings.

'The jackpot machine clearly displayed the words 'Cash Bonus'. There were no pictures of a car at all.'

Ms Choo said a few elderly women around at the time rallied around her, 'guarding' the machine to ensure that the casino staff did not turn it off, since they were not allowed to take photographs as evidence.

Mr David Green, who helped draft Singapore's casino regulations and is a Macau-based gaming consultant, said such disputes are rare in the industry, as gaming machines are put through stringent checks before going into use.

In Singapore, machines from only CRA-approved manufacturers are used.

A CRA spokesman confirmed that before the machines are deployed, they are tested by qualified independent test laboratories to ensure that they meet all CRA requirements.

Mr Green, noting that slot machines can save the data of the last 10 plays, said: 'Inspectors should be able to track easily what went wrong and determine whether it is a problem with the machine or that a player is trying to cheat,' he said.

Investigations should not take more than a month, he said.

He explained that machines usually carry warning labels declaring that plays are void if the machine malfunctions, so legally, casinos are not bound to make a payout.

'But this is usually not the case. Casinos will often offer some form of payout. It is not in their interest to get into disputes with their customers,' he said.

Yesterday, Ms Choo told The Straits Times that MBS has not given her an indication of how long it will take to resolve the matter.

'They said only that they need to investigate,' she said.

To make sure her dispute was logged, she had wanted to make a police report upon leaving the casino, but was told to go to the CRA instead.

She made a police report yesterday anyway.

She said: 'It's a matter of principle. I wouldn't take a single cent more from them, but I wouldn't accept a single cent less either.'

MBS, when contacted, declined comment, citing ongoing investigations.

Once the CRA makes its decision, however, the party who has to pay must do so in 15 days.

Meanwhile, all Ms Choo can do is wait.

Last night, at her vegetarian food stall, friends and patrons who had heard about what happened patted her on the back and told her to fight on.

The boss of a bakery next to the coffee shop even baked her a cake with a '7 7 7' on it, depicting a jackpot win.

Ms Choo said she is not bothered about those who think she is being greedy, because she was planning to do some charitable work with the money.

Saying a casino should be fair to its patrons, she said: 'Even though I'm illiterate in English, I can tell the difference between 'cash' and 'car'. One has four letters and the other has three.'

[Guest MercZai]

singapore's casino is like legalize robbers :tsk: earn so much still so niao~

[Guest manmerlion]

This case is being investigated by CRA. I hope this agency is not another toothless organisation like CASE.

MercZai wrote:

singapore's casino is like legalize robbers :tsk: earn so much still so niao~

[Guest jhun_4040]

HAHAHHAHHA !!

"I can tell the difference between the word cash and car. One is 3 letters while another is 4" !!!!

[Guest Wes23]

I need to go vegetarian soon, hopefully I can win just 10% I also happy.

[Guest st8800]

Since they are already willing to pay 300k.... what's another 116k. Stupid to blow this up over such a small sum. Unless they totally don't want to pay.... then maybe makes more sense.

[Guest Jarebbsg]

I am sure Ms Choo is suffering from sleepless nights till she gets what she claims for.

if CRA voids the play, I m sure she will have mental issue.

[Guest Sunshine]

st8800 wrote:

Since they are already willing to pay 300k.... what's another 116k. Stupid to blow this up over such a small sum. Unless they totally don't want to pay.... then maybe makes more sense.

Bro so to say if you are in her shoes, you will just take whatever is being offer?

Wow.....so kind n nice of you!

$116k might mean 'small sum' to you but it definitely mean a lot to many even to people in this forum driving Mercedes.

PS : sorry, got ur message wrongly bro st. Hee

[Guest Wes23]

I think the first would be me! Kindly donate the 116k to me pls? I can wash plates for you aunty!

[Guest jhun_4040]

Sunshine wrote:

Bro so to say if you are in her shoes, you will just take whatever is being offer?

Wow.....so kind n nice of you!

$116k might mean 'small sum' to you but it definitely mean a lot to many even to people in this forum driving Mercedes.

i read differently !! lol to me i think st was saying if mbs paid so much le, wat another 116k to mbs to pay and settled it !

[Guest Sunshine]

jhun_4040 wrote:

i read differently !! lol to me i think st was saying if mbs paid so much le, wat another 116k to mbs to pay and settled it !

Oh haha..... Now I read it differently. Paid seh!

[Guest 6008]

Sunshine wrote:

Oh haha..... Now I read it differently. Paid seh!

Why ? COE went sky high you kan cheong hah ? Hahaha..... :becky:

[Guest 6008]

Let's make a guess . Will that lady be able to get the full amount ? Or the offered amount ?

[Guest Sunshine]

6008 wrote:

Why ? COE went sky high you kan cheong hah ? Hahaha..... :becky:

Ya lor! Kan Cheung spider......:Cry:

[Guest Sunshine]

6008 wrote:

Let's make a guess . Will that lady be able to get the full amount ? Or the offered amount ?

Probably an amount lower than the initiate offer.

[Guest st8800]

Sunshine wrote:

Oh haha..... Now I read it differently. Paid seh!

No problem jhun is correct:bounce:

[Guest vincemerz]

st8800 wrote:

Since they are already willing to pay 300k.... what's another 116k. Stupid to blow this up over such a small sum. Unless they totally don't want to pay.... then maybe makes more sense.

Agreed. MBS bo Liao.

[Guest vincemerz]

6008 wrote:

Let's make a guess . Will that lady be able to get the full amount ? Or the offered amount ?

Full amount la. If dont get, tourist won't come Singapore lo. So the regulatory will make MBS pay 416 plus fine MBS for glitch. Singapore style.

[Guest Sunshine]

vincemerz wrote:

Full amount la. If dont get, tourist won't come Singapore lo. So the regulatory will make MBS pay 416 plus fine MBS for glitch. Singapore style.

Ya ya ya.......its a 'fine' city! :becky: