HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- After a closed-door meeting between a man who claims he won a $250,000 jackpot and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, it is still a waiting game.
On Aug. 29, Freddy Howard swiped his Players Club card in one of the casino's slot machines. According to Howard, the machine showed he had won nearly $260,000.
Despite issuing Howard a giant trophy check in that amount, the casino refused to pay, stating only that the prize had not been won.
The casino said for the time being it will not pay out the money Howard said he won. Instead, it made an announcement that a forensic investigation will be done on the software.
Casino representatives said they are awaiting results from a machine that they originally said malfunctioned before blaming the confusion on human error. Now, they said it is a combination of the two and that the "Swipe & Win" promotion is simply a promotional tool and not a gaming machine or table.
"It's not actually on the gaming floor. It's not funded by our slot machines. It's a promotion that we'd like to create some enthusiasm so that people will come to the facility, enjoy the facility and participate," said Jim Allen of the Seminole Hard Rock Casino.
Howard and his attorneys said the promotional tool brought bad publicity to a casino not regulated by the state.
"People should really consider twice before they'd go there and take a chance on spending their good money there and winning and not being able to have their winnings," said Richard Perlini, Howard's attorney.
Howard was presented with a trophy check after swiping his card at the promotional machine but the casino later said it would not pay.
"They gave him a fake check. They took it back. He's just asking for a real check," said Keith Herbert, Howard's attorney.
"We became caught up in the excitement of the event and that was our human error," said a casino representative.
Forensics results on the Rockin' Rewards Players Club machine are expected early next week.
Casino officials would not say why the machines were not operable on Wednesday, but they said a machine paid out a jackpot Tuesday night.
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