Can't Employees Offer Jackpot Winners Cash or a Check?

A customer at Main Street Station got a dealt a royal flush and won $10,000. The casino gave him cash. He asked for a check, but the casino employee said he had to ask for a check before they counted out the $10,000 cash. He asked them why they didn't give him the option beforehand of cash or check and the casino employee said they're not allowed to ask that question. Weird, but thought you might know an answer?

“Sounds like there was some miscommunication in this instance, as we typically do give customers the option of taking a payment by check at that amount,” says Boyd Gaming communications director David Strow.

Strow says the general policy at Main Street Station is similar to that at other Boyd properties: “For jackpots of $10,000 and above, we ask the customer how they would prefer to be paid –- check, cash, or some combination of the two. For taxable jackpots below that number (i.e., $1,200-$10,000), the default payment method is cash, but we will pay by check if a customer prefers that method.”

“The property’s leadership team is very interested in investigating further to ensure our team members are clear on the payment policy,” Strow adds. So if the submitter of this question knows the jackpot winner and can find out who was involved and when it occurred, contact Boyd. They'd like to hear from you.

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Comments

rokgpsman Feb-09-2019

Big tip wanted?

The casino employees handling the jackpot payment for the customer were most likely hoping for a large tip from him as they gave him all that cash. Handing him a check would not be the same inducement, they know what the are doing.

rokgpsman Feb-09-2019

correction

typo in my comment, 'the' = 'they' in last sentence.

David Feb-09-2019

They don't deserve a tip

Not sure why any casino employee feels entitled to share in the good fortune of a jackpot winner. Despite the "woe is me" stories you hear from the Democrats and labor unions the casino employees are doing just fine, especially in a low cost of living area like Las Vegas. With jackpots so few and far between these days (it has been six years since I've seen anyone receive a hand-pay and I go to Las Vegas every summer) and so many other policies that are anti-player it is borderline insulting that a tip would be expected just for counting out money.

kafka45 Feb-09-2019

sheesh.

God forbid any staff waits on ol' David. Sounds like he has a lot of fun going out and paying for ANY service.  Nice.

Vickar Feb-09-2019

Tipping

Which brings a related question to mind which I'm sure you've addressed before but it might be informative to revisit.  Tipping a hand payout is totally discretionary.  But if you do, how much and to whom?

Dan McGlasson Feb-09-2019

My two cents, or 2%!

Always good to review tipping - may be somewhere else on LVA but not sure.  I usually tip on hand pays, between 1% and 2% depending on attitude and speed of the runner.  Do I have to? No.  Do I enjoy doing it? Yes.  Gives me good vibes and makes someone else's day.

ralphie69 Feb-09-2019

Democrat here

A few years back I won a $2700 jackpot at the Hilton, (now Westgate).  I was helped by two slot techs and a hand-pay lady.  Since I had a fistful of $100 bills, they each got one.  
Yes, I'm a democrat and I feel a moral obligation to make up for all the republicans who are too cheap to tip anyone.

Dave Feb-09-2019

CTR

 I would have assumed that the casino would prefer to pay at least part by check when the prize is 10K or more, just to avoid a CTR – a Cash Transaction Report.

Ray Feb-09-2019

funny tangent

It's always funny when QoD comments veer off to other subjects. Tip or no tip? David probably doesn't tip at buffets either since he has to get up and get his own food. Thanks to Ralphie and Dan for the tip rationale. Since my wife used to work on an Illinois riverboat and actually pay out the jackpots, I know what they are required to do and that any tips are appreciated and deserved (and any amount is purely discretionary).

jay Feb-09-2019

Lazy

Sounds like the casino entered 10k in to the system went through the count and the act of reversing it was too much trouble.

Randall Ward Feb-09-2019

payouts

rare for me to get paid but I've been asked.  Deciding how you get paid and how much to tip are great problems to have.

O2bnVegas Feb-09-2019

Good management

Nice to know that MSS takes Service Recovery (i.e. damage control) seriously.  Keeps customers coming back more.

Tipping: The "just for counting out money" comment is an example of how we often lack appreciation for what is involved in someone else's job: the training, the accountability, meeting expectations (customer and management) even when your feet are killing you.

I tip $5-$10 to the jackpot payer.

Kevin Lewis Feb-09-2019

A few clarifications

1. Casino service employees work very hard, are NOT well paid, and most of them are tipped rarely, if at all.
2. Whether you or I (or any other single person) have seen a lot or a few jackpots has no bearing on the actual frequency thereof.
3. I tip on a hand pay, usually 1-2%, and the person receiving the tip often acts stunned. I doubt that being tipped substantially is a common occurrence for them.
4. Las Vegas is NOT a "low cost of living area." It has a score of 110, with 100 being the national average.
5. Tips should be rendered for good service overall,and frequently, I and others tip on handpays because of the good service we have received from slot floor personnel prior to hitting the jackpot.
6. I doubt that "casino employees are doing just fine" is a defensible blanket statement. Many earn minimum wage or just above that.
7. Not all casino employees belong to labor unions, and not all are Democrats, and making those things exclusion criteria for tipping is...reprehensible.

Question of the Day - 09 February 2019

Comments