Slot player appeals ruling on malfunction

Sonny Roy Marquez filed for the review in District Court, seeking the reversal of a board decision reached after a January hearing.

Marquez, of Riverside County, said he was playing an IGT slot machine at the Gold Strike Hotel and Gambling Hall last May when a combination came up on the pay line allowing him a bonus spin. After that spin, Marquez said the machine indicated he had won $8,388,228.

But personnel at the casino investigated and found that the machine had malfunctioned and voided the jackpot.

Gaming Control Board investigators determined that a defective pin or socket on a computer program chip caused the malfunction. Agent Steven Moll issued a decision on July 9 that the casino was not obligated to pay the jackpot.

On July 30 Marquez appealed the decision to the full board, which endorsed the results of the investigation.

The Gold Strike, near Boulder City, was destroyed by a fire in June and is being rebuilt as the Hacienda.

archive