Poker player allegedly DENIED $500 royal flush bonus at MGM Springfield due to leaving his ID in the car

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Horrible story if true (and it probably is).

Andrew Lauer is claiming that he hit a royal flush at MGM Springfield, was entitled to a $500 bonus due to a poker room promo for hitting 2-card royals, and then they refused to give him the $500 because his ID was in his car.

When he offered to go get the ID out of the car, they told him that it didn't matter, and that he already forfeited the $500 because he didn't have the ID on his person at the time he hit.

This is complete BS (the ruling, not the story).

Also, he claims that a casino employee agreed to give him some comp points in lieu of this, but when he went to use the comp points at dinner, he found he had none.

Awful all around.

MGM Springfield is located in Massachusetts, a little bit north of Hartford, Connecticut.

By the way, to clarify, I am NOT criticizing the casino for requiring ID to collect the bonus.

I'm fine with that.

I'm even fine with them requiring ID to play in the room at all.

My problem comes with their refusal to hold the $500 until he produced the ID (which would have been just a few minutes after he went to the car), which they wouldn't do.

Straight up stealing, and probably illegal.

Who goes to a Casino with no ID on them to start with?

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Originally Posted by Dan Druff

By the way, to clarify, I am NOT criticizing the casino for requiring ID to collect the bonus.

I'm fine with that.

I'm even fine with them requiring ID to play in the room at all.

My problem comes with their refusal to hold the $500 until he produced the ID (which would have been just a few minutes after he went to the car), which they wouldn't do.

Straight up stealing, and probably illegal.

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Stealing. FKN Thieves. As good Cheer they should let him run to car or up to room..pos casino..spread it round.. and to answer the Troller...MEN walk In Casinos and gamble without ID...MEN. we keep it in the room safe. fk u and the Casino.

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Originally Posted by Dan Druff

By the way, to clarify, I am NOT criticizing the casino for requiring ID to collect the bonus.

I'm fine with that.

I'm even fine with them requiring ID to play in the room at all.

My problem comes with their refusal to hold the $500 until he produced the ID (which would have been just a few minutes after he went to the car), which they wouldn't do.

Straight up stealing, and probably illegal.

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In Arizona a guy at my local card room hit BBJ they held it for him and it was days until he came back with I.D . Although I'm a curious why he would leave his I.D in his car ?

Leaving your wallet in the car gives you a chance to think over reloading if it clearly isn’t your night at the tables.

Better to drive home then spew off.

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Originally Posted by DonaldTrumpsHairPiece

Who goes to a Casino with no ID on them to start with?

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:this

The way they can get out of it might seem like bullshit especially if he can get access in 5 minutes but you should probably have it on you at all times.

Lets say he was married and his girl was in another part of the casino with his wallet in her purse would they wait if he texted her to bring it or say that isn't acceptable you need it now? You get nothing! You lose! Good day sir?

This scenario would be worse then it being in his car if they refused to pay him imo.

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonaldTrumpsHairPiece

Who goes to a Casino with no ID on them to start with?

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:this

The way they can get out of it might seem like bullshit especially if he can get access in 5 minutes but you should probably have it on you at all times.

Lets say he was married and his girl was in another part of the casino with his wallet in her purse would they wait if he texted her to bring it or say that isn't acceptable you need it now? You get nothing! You lose! Good day sir?

This scenario would be worse then it being in his car if they refused to pay him imo.

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Hello, Perhap's one may wonder why would you let a Evil Corrupt Corp/people influence you to be a Liar ....nah fk them and their 500 and come on a site like this...f em...keep yr integrity. perhaps.

There's dummies on RealGrinders who are vigorously defending the casino here because "rules are rules".

LOL

This is honestly really shady behavior on the part of the casino. Looks like they want to draw in business by the promo but actually pay it as infrequently as possible.

There's absolutely no possible reason to not let the guy run to the car and get the ID other than wanting to fuck him out of the money.

"Rules" don't mean shit when it's the casino's own rules, which can be adjusted for common sense purposes at any time.

I've been in contact with the victim here, and he might appear on the next radio. Either way, I'll be talking about it.

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Originally Posted by shoeshine box

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BeerAndPoker

:this

The way they can get out of it might seem like bullshit especially if he can get access in 5 minutes but you should probably have it on you at all times.

Lets say he was married and his girl was in another part of the casino with his wallet in her purse would they wait if he texted her to bring it or say that isn't acceptable you need it now? You get nothing! You lose! Good day sir?

This scenario would be worse then it being in his car if they refused to pay him imo.

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Hello, Perhap's one may wonder why would you let a Evil Corrupt Corp/people influence you to be a Liar ....nah fk them and their 500 and come on a site like this...f em...keep yr integrity. perhaps.

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It's not a great look for the casino and they should just pay the man since they are more then capable of doing that knowing they've now raised awareness of this being a rule if the scenario comes up in the future.

The biggest issue is hardly anyone is aware of this rule existing nor do they think they will run into it winning a promotion but having your ID on you while at a casino is important for various reasons.

As for fairness I would pay the man and document this as an exception so if by chance he gets lucky with something again and don't have his ID then he knows for the future that he forfeits his winnings.

A casino really should ask themselves do we want to lose this customer for life over this? While they are technically in their rights to withhold them money it seems stupid to do so.

People should always take their ID into a casino. If you hit a jackpot on a machine or Royal Flush or High Hand, they usually ask for an ID and/or a Player's Club Card for record keeping purposes. Everyone should know this. However, it is extremely scummy for the casino not to honor the payout if the guy had the ID in his vehicle. But, there has to be more to the story. Incidentally, a friend told me he recently hit a High Hand and had to go out to his car to get his ID. The casino allowed him to do so, which is a reasonable accommodation, and paid him. That seems like what most casinos do. That's why there has to be more to the story here.

I am surprised they don't randomly and aggressively card like they do at Encore. Every time I go to Encore at the door, security always asks for my ID, and they sometimes even do it AGAIN when I head into the poker room INSIDE the casino.

This stuff just makes me not want to play there. I will add, however, as a good rule of praxis: always have your ID on your person in a casino. The player's card is not good enough, and as we see in the Phil Ivey saga amongst countless others, these casino companies will use any quasi-legal reason they can get out of not paying out.