IGT takes responsibility for slot dispute

Alan Sayre

Friday, July 14, 2000 | 11:01 a.m.

NEW ORLEANS -- A major slot machine company took responsibility Wednesday for the fight over a disputed $1.3 million jackpot that a dissatisfied player claims he won at Harrah's New Orleans Casino.

"At this point, there is no jackpot and no completion of play by the gentleman in question," added Ed Rogich, vice president for marketing of International Game Technology of Reno.

If an investigation reveals that the jackpot is due the unidentified man, IGT will have to pay it, Rogich said.

For reasons yet to be determined, the "Wheel of Fortune" machine, which accepts up to $3 a pull for the seven-figure jackpot, went into a "reel tilt" on Sunday, indicating a machine malfunction, said Rogich. The man who was playing it said it had indicated he won the jackpot.

Normally, a tilt would result in an attendant being called to the machine to reset it and the player would find out if the spin in question won anything. In this case, the player filed a claim, which obligated IGT to stop play on the machine and launch an investigation, Rogich said.

Rogich said the typical slot machine takes in about 3,500 pulls of the handle daily and registers about one tilt per month.

There are several indications that a machine has gone into the tilt mode, including the continuous spinning of the reels, which apparently occurred at Harrah's, Rogich said. A tilt can be caused by a number of factors, including jammed tokens, a power surge, improper maintenance and a security breach, he said.

The machine has been sent to a gambling technology lab, where experts will be able to retrieve the memory and determine whether a tilt did occur. Then, an electronic card can be inserted into the same kind of machine to determine whether any prize -- including the jackpot -- was won, Rogich said.

"We'll be excited to pay out the jackpot if it indeed was won," Rogich said.

Rogich said that since the play has not been completed, the player still faces odds "in the millions of one" of winning the jackpot. "It's a longshot," Rogich said.

Rogich said he did not know why the player thought the machine indicated a jackpot. Results of lab tests will be reviewed by state police.

The "Wheel of Fortune" game allows players simultaneously in several Louisiana casinos to build on a common, big-dollar jackpot. Harrah's and the other casinos merely serve as hosts for the machines. IGT is responsible for maintaining and verifying any jackpot payouts, Rogich said.

A similar claim on an IGT progressive system machine at Harrah's New Orleans shortly after the casino opened last fall is now in court. Rogich said state police reviewed gambling lab results and ruled that no jackpot had been won.

"The fact that it happened (twice) to Harrah's is very unfortunate," Rogich said. "We apologize to Harrah's."