New Jersey regulators say that 14 players of a slot game filed the same complaint against its manufacturer after receiving smaller payouts, the Associated Press reported.
Lisa Piluso of Yardley, Pennsylvania, filed suit against American Gaming Systems (AGS), claiming that they refused to pay her a $100,000 jackpot from the game Capital Gains due to a system bug. The Las Vegas-based company allegedly offered her $280 but later offered her $1,000, still a far cry from the jackpot she hit. Piluso accused AGS of consumer fraud in the official lawsuit filings.
"How many other players have been in the same situation but agreed to settle for a fraction of their winnings after being told they, too, were 'nice people?'" Piluso said in a statement issued by her lawyer, Paul D'Amato.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement investigated Piluso's claims in August, telling her that AGS "had discovered an issue/bug within the game" that resulted in inaccurate bonus winnings.
"This error caused the patron(s) to believe that their bonus round winnings were higher than the actual winnings," Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Russo-Belles wrote, adding that regulatory action was taken against the AGS.
In a separate statement to AP, the attorney general's office said it fined AGS $1,000 for improper game maintenance. It is unknown whether this fine was paid.
AGS did not respond to requests for comment.
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Camden, Piluso accuses the company of consumer fraud and other wrongful actions related to the jackpot she was told she had won while playing on her cell phone in New Jersey on Oct. 2, 2020.
"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," she said in the statement issued through D'Amato.
"They said I actually won about $300, but they then offered me $1,000, saying we were 'nice people,'" Piluso said.
The Capital Gains game she was playing was on an online platform hosted by Caesars Interactive New Jersey, although neither Caesars casino nor its online branch were named as defendants in the lawsuit. Caesars had no immediate comment.
An attorney to whom the violation notice against AGS was sent did not return a message seeking comment Friday.
The violation notice has not been posted on the gaming enforcement division's website, which includes a bi-monthly list of enforcement actions taken by the director.
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