Banned Man Loses Jackpot

Troy Blackford has a long history with the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona. In 1996, Blackford came just shy of winning a large jackpot while playing a slot machine there and got angry and hit the machine. Not only did he punch it, but he did so with enough force to break the glass on the slot machine. The casino banned him for life.

However, Blackford went back. About two years later they saw him in the casino and took him back to the holding room. He claimed that someone had told him that he was no longer banned, but the person he claims told him that does not work for the casino.

In May of 2000, he wrote a letter to the casino and formally apologized for his behavior. The casino manager marked his paperwork as unchanged and he was still banned from the casino. Blackford and his family claim that the ban was lifted, but they could not produce any sort of evidence to support their claims.

Then May of 2006 he was there again, and was playing the slot machines when he hit it big on Dynamite Jack. After winning smaller amounts at several slot machines, he won $7,181.25 which brought his total for the trip to almost $10.000. However, the casino seized his winnings and sent them to a Gambling Treatment center.

He sued the casino, but the jury found that he had no proof to claim that he was there legally, so they awarded the winnings to the casino. They would be placed in a Gambler’s Anonymous fund to help those that need help.

 

Back to Monthly Archive // Main Slot Machine News Index