A woman has ended up in an awkward situation after hitting a casino jackpot — because she may not be able to take home any of the money.
The 69-year-old, who has not been publicly identified, reportedly won on a slot machine at Hollywood Casino in Grantville, Pennsylvania.
The venue has more than 1,500 slot machines on its gaming floor, each offering different jackpot amounts. According to the casino’s website, one recent player walked away with $179,623, while another won $81,824.
The site also lists a winner named Nina, who collected $41,635. The exact amount won by the New Jersey woman over the weekend hasn’t been confirmed, but reports suggest she won’t be paid out.
That’s because police were called to remove her from the property after it was discovered she had a lifetime ban from all Pennsylvania casinos, per The Independent.
She was reportedly placed on the ban list in 2019 after choosing to join a “Self-exclusion Program,” which allows individuals to bar themselves for one year, five years, or permanently.
The program is commonly used by people trying to manage or recover from gambling addiction.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) explains that the system “allows a person to request to be excluded from legalized gaming activities within a casino and offsite venues, online, at VGT establishments or on fantasy contests”.
It is intended to help those with gambling-related problems reduce access and temptation by cutting off entry to regulated gambling spaces.
Although reports have stated it’s unclear whether the woman can claim her prize, PGCB rules indicate self-excluded individuals are not allowed to receive winnings while their exclusion is in effect.
It states: “Individuals who enroll in self-exclusion are prohibited from collecting any winnings, recovering any losses or accepting complimentary gifts or services or any other thing of value from a licensee or operator.”
In cases like this, the funds may instead be transferred to the PGCB.
PGCB spokesperson Doug Harbach previously told WeAreGreenBay.com that jackpots forfeited under these circumstances go to the agency and are used to support efforts aimed at addressing gambling addiction.
Beyond potentially losing the jackpot, the incident report said officers intended to file a Non-Traffic Citation for trespassing.
The report read: “On the above stated date and time [15:37 on May 31], the Pennsylvania State Police at Hollywood Casino – Penn National were contacted by Hollywood Casino – Penn National Surveillance who reported a female guest on the gaming floor had been identified as being lifetime self-excluded after she won a slot machine jackpot.
“Troopers reviewed all information involved and confirmed the female guest had voluntarily self-excluded herself for lifetime exclusion status in 2019. Troopers made contact with the female who was escorted off the property.”
Please gamble responsibly. For help, support and advice about problem gambling, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline on 1-800-GAMBLER, 24/7.