Thursday, October 25, 2007

Indian Gambling Lesson

One wonders if Wisconsin is as impotent as New Mexico, given DarthDoyle's signature on some documents.

Hoffman, a retired Albuquerque city employee, was playing a "Mystical Mermaid" slot machine on the morning of Aug. 16, 2006, when he thought he hit it big.

The nickel slot said he'd won $1,597,244.10. Patrons and casino employees came to congratulate him. He even got a marriage proposal, Hoffman said. But, soon he was asked to come to an executive conference room, where he says he was told
the casino refused to pay
.

The Captain 'splains it for us:

New Mexico does not have the legal authority to give standing for a lawsuit against an Indian casino. Its sovereignty does not reach into the reservations, one reason why casinos can exist there in the first place. Even federal courts would be loathe to intrude on a contract dispute, which leaves Hoffman few choices to remedy his loss.

Something to think about...

2 comments:

Billiam said...

Surely you don't expect them to be... honest, do you? Heavans, the things people expect, even from 'natives'.

Headless Blogger said...

What happens at the Sandia Casino, stays at the Sandia Casino.

Life lesson, don't gamble the machines on cruise ships and at Indian casinos. No regulation and no competition lets the odds favor the house as much as they want. And if that isn't enough, the machine "malfunctioned."