MGM Grand Detroit Sued for Refusing to Pay $127K Progressive Blackjack Jackpot
A woman from Michigan who won a $127K jackpot while playing progressive blackjack at the MGM Grand Detroit is suing the casino after it denied her payout and accused her of “trespassing.” This is despite the plaintiff's more than 20 years of playing and primarily losing at the casino.
Denise Ezell, 65, went to the casino on October 30 of last year with a friend to participate in the progressive blackjack tables. This is a game in which participants may make a side wager with the expectation that their two cards will connect with the dealer’s, resulting in a jackpot being activated.
In the hand at hand, Ezell possessed the jack and king of spades, while the dealer revealed the ace and queen of spades – a four-card straight flush that qualified for a substantial payout.
“It was exuberating,” Ezell told The Detroit Free Press Thursday. “We were high-fiving … The dealer – he was excited. So were people around me. No one had ever seen anyone win that jackpot.”
‘Soliciting Donations’ Assertion
However, when Ezell presented her driver's license as identification, the casino management informed her that she would not receive payment as she was trespassing on the premises. Instead, she was instructed to go.
It appears that Ezell had been banned from the casino in 2015 due to allegations of "panhandling."
Ezell claims that the occurrence was a misinterpretation. She had been disputing with her cousin, who had declined to lend her some money when she began to lose, as they had agreed beforehand when they gambled together, she asserts. However, casino security believed she was harassing an unfamiliar person for cash, as stated in the lawsuit.
As she departed on that occasion, Ezell inquired of the security guard, “how long does this continue?” The lawsuit claims she was informed “possibly 24 or 48 hours.”
The filing states that she did not get any notification from the casino, whether through email, phone call, letter, or text message, indicating that she was unwelcome on the property.
In the interim, Ezell has returned countless times, and she claims the casino was always eager to accept her money.
‘They Snatch Your Damn Cash’
In the days following her “victory,” she contacted the casino and spoke with a staff member who informed her, “Don’t be concerned about their claim that you were trespassing; we will ensure you receive your jackpot,” as stated in the lawsuit.
However, when the employee returned her call, he clarified that the situation had progressed “beyond his level of authority.”
"I just thought when you won, they would pay you,” Ezell said. “When you lose, they take your damn money.”
When contacted by the Free Press on Thursday, the MGM Grand stated that it had not yet been officially served with the lawsuit and could not provide a comment.
Ezell referred to the casino's justification for withholding the jackpot as “nonsense.”
