Has a Casino Ever Refunded a Player's Losses?

Kind of a weird question. I just heard a story about a young man who was sent out by his mom to get a money order to pay the rent. He ended up at a local casino instead and lost all of the rent money. Has there ever been a case where a casino returned money lost at their tables if, later, such circumstances came to light? This would also include ill-gotten gains or maybe money lost by a mentally challenged person. I’m guessing answer is no, but thought I’d ask.

In the 1985 movie Lost in America starring Albert Brooks and Julie Haggerty, the yuppie couple quit their jobs, liquidate their assets, buy a Winnebago, and start out from L.A. to drop out from the workaday world, Easy Rider-style.

In Las Vegas, the wife loses their entire $100,000 nest egg in one disastrous run at a Desert Inn roulette table. There's a scene in the office of the casino manager, played by actor-filmmaker-TV producer Garry Marshall, in which the Brooks character desperately tries to persuade the Marshall character to return the money as a publicity stunt. You can see a few moments of that episode in this video (from 1:28 to 1:39).

Needless to say, the casino manager isn't sympathetic. And that's generally been our impression of the idea that any casino anywhere ever refunded a player's losses no matter what the circumstances.

That said, casinos routinely offer discounts/rebates on losses, but generally for their biggest players and large losses that are almost always negotiated in advance.

Of course, anyone can ask for a loss rebate by contacting a casino host; it doesn't cost anything to inquire. But unless it's an unusually large loss or there are extremely extenuating circumstances, the typical casino response is to offer a soft comp, such as a meal, room, or show ticket instead of cash. On occasion, a host might relent and reimburse a player's airfare. Another concession is to dole out some non-negotiable chips; win with them and you're paid in real chips that can be cashed out.

But for a casino to refund a player's entire loss, such as in the case of the young man who lost the rent money, we've never heard of it.

Maybe you have. If so, let us know in a comment box.

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Thomas Dikens Nov-28-2021

Karma Play

I use to do kind of a dark play at roulette.  Some one, of apparently limited means, would bet a number of times on  the same number and eventually walk away broke.  After they had left, I would bet their number......... However, deciding this was bad karma, I now call them back to the table and tell them, "I am going to bet five bucks for you on your number four times". I also, of course, place a bet for myself.  Some what amazingly, they sometimes hit..... so I guess, I have refunded their loss and made a profit at the same time.  I have received a few sincere handshakes and a couple of great hugs, which may have more value than the chips. ........ More, practical, actually would be a Casino that refunded=, once every day, one person's loss of the day, I think it would be a great promo.  Why play else where if you have a long shot hope at the "kind" Casino?  Maybe they could try it at the new version of The Palms?  Smiles.

rokgpsman Nov-28-2021

Casino returns losses

I've been a blackjack tables where the dealer made an error, called over the supervisor and he told the dealer to give chips back to the players. Stuff like a card missing from the deck and it gets found on the floor after a few rounds have been played. Or a player continuing to draw cards even though they've gone over 21, the dealer finds out later in the round and he can't/won't back up the cards, so the other players get the incorrect cards and all hell breaks loose when they lose. Supervisor's solution is to refund the table for that round. But I've not seen the casino refund losses on bets made properly with no mistakes on the casino's part. If a mentally impaired player bets and loses the casino would probably say the guardian of that person is at fault for not acting responsibly. Drunk people are impaired, they lose and the casino does not refund their losses, that's why free alcohol beverages are available to players. Casinos hear lots of sad stories that fall on deaf ears.

kennethross Nov-28-2021

Good idea!

I like tdikens’ idea a lot. 
I’d be substantially more inclined to offer up my currency at a casino property which, at the end of its official casino day, randomly selects one player card number from among the cards used that day, and provides a complete refund for that day’s losses (NOT slot play … an actual refund). 
If the player had not lost money on that day, the casino might offer a comped meal (or whatever) instead as a nice gesture.
I suspect that local players, quite possibly in droves, would preferentially drive to that casino simply because the promotion offers the player one last long-shot hope of ending up even for the gaming day.

Luis Nov-28-2021

Reader Poll

What Happened to the Readers Poll, Ever since September ( the 21st I think), there hasn't been a Poll, is it that unpopular?I quite liked them. Will the Poll return in some way?

Bud Ackley Nov-28-2021

Refunding losses as a promotion

The problem with a promotion of giving one loser his money back is that it would focus gamblers' attention on what casinos spend all their time and energy and devious genius trying to keep their loyal customers from remembering: They'll probably lose their money, and that ain't fun.

Casinos do everything they can to make people forget that casino gambling is an elaborate shell game. Free drinks! Free shows! Loose slots! We'll cash your paycheck for you! Win a car! Anything that reminds people of the ugly and inevitable flip side of all that would be counter-productive.

rokgpsman Nov-28-2021

There are no benevolent casinos

Now and then a casino will have a promotion at their slot club/players club where they say new slot club members get their first day losses reimbursed up to some amount such as $100. This promotion is to bring in customers to the casino and hopefully acquire new players. But the $100 you're reimbursed is in the form of slot play, not cash like you lost, so of course when you play it you likely don't end up with the full amount, often zero. And sometimes it doesn't get reimbursed to you until some following date, to force you to make a second visit. This way they might get a restaurant visit or additional gambling or a hotel room out of you. It's good to be suspicious and think about the details of casino promotions that at first seem extra good for the player. Casinos rarely do anything for the player without there being a sound business reason. This isn't odd, it's the way a successful casino works. All the so-called free things they do for customers are paid for by player losses.

Question of the Day - 28 November 2021

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