A gambler’s dream turned into a nightmare when he was denied a $100,000 jackpot because his friend pushed the button on the slot machine. This is the story of Jan Flato, who learned the hard way that the rules of gambling are not always fair.
Flato was playing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in January 2023. He had been feeding cash into the $50-a-spin Double Top Dollar machine, hoping to hit the big prize. He had a friend with him, Marina Navarro, whom he had met at the casino a few weeks earlier. Flato, being a generous and superstitious man, allowed Navarro to press the button on the machine for luck.
That decision proved to be a costly mistake. When the lights flashed and the pay line showed that he had won the $100,000 jackpot, Flato was ecstatic. He thought he had finally hit the jackpot of his life. However, his joy was short-lived.
When it was time to collect the winnings, Flato received some bad news. The managers of the casino analyzed the video and it showed that Navarro was the one who pushed the button, which, according to the rules of the casino, made her the rightful winner of the jackpot. Seminole spokesman Gary Bitner couldn’t say much, but did reiterate the rule when it comes to gambling: “The person who pushes a slot machine button or pulls the arm is the person who wins the jackpot”.
Flato was stunned. He couldn’t believe that his friend had betrayed him and taken his money. He said, “I said, ‘Marina, what are you doing?’ and she gets up and walks out.” Flato said he had put $50,000 of his own money into the machine, and that Navarro had not contributed anything. He felt that he deserved the jackpot, and that Navarro had no right to claim it.
She said that Flato became angry and violent when they found out the jackpot wasn’t his. “Jan all of a sudden went ballistic,” she said. “He started screaming in front of everybody”. Navarro said she offered Flato some of the winnings, but after the texts he sent, she rescinded the offer.One message read, “Having me as an enemy…not good,” followed by “We’ll see who made the Big mistake. It won’t be me”.
This incident has sparked a lot of controversy and debate among gamblers and casino-goers. Some people sympathize with Flato, and think that he was robbed of his rightful jackpot. They argue that he was the one who paid for the spins, and that Navarro was just a lucky bystander. They also question the fairness of the casino’s rule, and wonder if it is legal and ethical.
Flato, who is still furious about what happened, has a warning for other slot players: “Don’t ever let them touch the button, don’t even tell them to touch anything for luck, because they can do what Marina did to me.” He said he is considering taking legal action against Navarro and the casino, and that he hopes to get his money back.
Navarro, on the other hand, said she is happy with her jackpot, and that she plans to use it to buy a house and a car. She said she has no regrets about what she did, and that she still misses Flato. She said she sent him a text message asking, “Still hate me?” He responded, “How could you do that to me?” And her response? “I miss you”.
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– Gambler lost $100,000 jackpot because friend pushed the button – SFGATE