A long-running issue
A Pennsylvania woman is suing the manufacturer of an online slot game she believes has cheated her out of $100,000. Philadelphia resident Lisa Piluso has filed a lawsuit against American Gaming Systems (AGS) in a US District Court in New Jersey following her “repeated, unsuccessful efforts to collect the $100,000.”
Instead of crediting her account with $100,000, she got just $280
According to a news release from the woman’s attorney Paul D’Amato, AGS informed her that the slot game had a bug and that she had not actually won the jackpot prize on October 2, 2020. Piluso was playing the Capital Gains online slot game on her mobile device through the Caesars Atlantic City online casino at the time of the win. Instead of crediting her account with $100,000, she got just $280.
Shortly after she thought she won the big jackpot, Piluso rang the Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino, with an employee allegedly confirming that she had won the big prize. However, the employee also said that Caesars would still need to review the winning outcome and that she would receive an email to confirm. She never received the email and eventually contacted a New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) investigator.
AGS tries to settle
Piluso and her husband received a phone call from AGS representatives on November 27, 2020. One of the representatives informed the couple that the game had experienced a glitch causing three money balls to appear.
Piluso rejected the settlement offer
Piluso was shocked AGS officials would not pay her the $100,000 jackpot, despite her having a screenshot of the big win. Officials said that the woman actually won $330 rather than $280. They told the couple they would add an additional $1,000 to this total as they were “nice people” and had waited a while to resolve the issue. Piluso rejected the settlement offer.
The New Jersey DGE sent Piluso a letter on August 27 outlining the details of the glitch and the error of showcasing the $100,000 prize. In the letter, the regulator stated that it had taken regulatory action against AGS. It fined the company $1,000 for the game not functioning properly.
Looking for answers
The lawsuit accuses AGS of products liability, negligence, breach of contract, and consumer fraud. In order for Piluso to get financial damages, her legal team needs to prove that the online slot game was a defective product. The lawsuit also demands answers from the DGE, including the full details of the investigation into the matter. Caesars is not a defendant in this complaint.
An AGS representative has revealed that the company has worked alongside the DGE in New Jersey to investigate the cause of the incident and has subsequently taken corrective action. The spokesperson said: “Although Ms. Piluso may disagree with the outcome of that administrative process, there is no precedent for her demand, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves in court, if necessary,”