Column: Seminole Tribe won't pay $250K 'win'

Thursday, September 14, 2006  

"Executives at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino put on a clinic Wednesday on how to make a bad situation worse.

First, have a meeting with the guy whom the casino led to believe won a $259,945 jackpot last month and offer him nothing except an empty apology.

Then, hold a news conference and admit the casino made "a mistake," but decline to fix it with the happy ending everyone expected, namely paying the guy the money.

Jim Allen, the CEO of the Seminole Tribe's gambling operations, explained with a straight face that it would harm the casino's credibility and integrity if it started paying people who didn't actually win.

Coming from a self-regulated outfit that clears more than $500 million annual profit from its casinos, that's rich."

Get the Story:
Michael Mayo: Casino admits mistake, but will it pay out? Don't bet on it ... (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 9/14)