If I Use Someone Else's Free Play, Will My Jackpot Be Paid?

If my sister wins a hand-pay while using the free play loaded on my players card while I am not present, what are the chances that the casino will not pay out?

[Editor's Note: Bob Dancer, who knows a thing or two about players club rules, protocols, and etiquette, was kind enough to answer this one for us.]

In general, players look at free play as a reward for their past action; thus, it should be theirs to do with as they please.

Casinos, however, don't look at it that way.

Yes, it's a reward, but it's also an educated guess on their part that once you're there in the casino, you'll keep playing, give it all back eventually, and often lose more in the process. If someone else is there just to pick up the free play, the casino has no chance to win this time, which isn't, to be sure, what the casino had in mind.

Whether or not you’re playing off free play is largely irrelevant, as is whether the person doing so is your sister. The more general question is if you hit a W2-G while someone else’s card is inserted in a machine, what happens?

Each casino has its own way of handling this. Most will at least pay you this time. Some will kick one or both parties out of the slot club. Some will give you a warning and kick one or both of you out if it happens a second time. Others don’t care at all and will pay off with no consequences. Some will pay you off, keep you both in the slot club, but reduce your future free-play amounts, because you "abused the system."

The South Point’s rules allow a player to play with a spouse's card. That's pretty rare. Usually the club rules state that you must play on your own card. Whether this is enforced or not is another story. Frequent players, especially losing ones, often get the benefit of the doubt on this. Anyone suspected of being an advantage player isn't always treated so leniently.

To avoid this possibility, many players play off free play on someone else’s card on a game where W2-Gs are not possible, perhaps on quarter single-line games where the top jackpot, generally $1,000, falls below the threshold for a hand-pay. Perhaps on blackjack.

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Comments

Kevin Lewis Feb-09-2022

You'll get paid

The relevant gaming law is that the casino tacitly accepts the wager when it deals/spins the play/hand/etc. At that point, a contract exists between the player and the house. Under the basic tenets of promise and consideration, whatever the player wins is not only legitimate; paying that win is mandatory. Of course, these are civil/contract/tort considerations, not criminal law.

A player whose wager is accepted by the machine, wins a jackpot, and is not paid, for whatever reason, has grounds to sue and will almost certainly win. For this and other reasons, casinos strive to pay winners even when there might be a problem with the player's "legitimacy." One example was when an underage gambler hit a $1 million-plus jackpot at (I think) Caesars; the casino wanted to pay him anyway but the Gaming Board said no.

Of course, if you're gambling at an Indian casino, none of the above applies; they can refuse to pay you because it's Tuesday, and good luck suing them and winning.

Randall Ward Feb-09-2022

payouts

my last trip I won a handpay on freeplay, that wasn't an issue but they did confirm it was my card.  Hardest part was getting the remaining freeplay back, had to go to booth to get it reactivated for some reason

rett98 Feb-09-2022

Good question

What a coincidence....My son and I were discussing this very subject yesterday as we intend to go to MGM National Harbor next week. He is a Pearl member and has $180 in free play and comp rooms for three nights. I am a Sapphire member so only get minimum comps....Anyway my son is going to book us the room for the 3 nights then leave (for work) but give us his players card to use for the free play.

Our best guess is that the casino would pay us if we hit a jackpot but they would have every right to demand our son be present to pay him the jackpot money as it was his card in the machine and his free play.

Donzack Feb-09-2022

Ask first

I always ask the rewards desk first rather than ask forgiveness later

Michael Rago Feb-09-2022

Happens

I was playing with my wife's card in after I played my free play with my card  and I hit $9600 jackpot. They gave me the W2G and the $9600 was on my wife's win/loss statement at the end of year.

Kenneth Mytinger Feb-09-2022

From another card

Somewhat akin to Bob's last paragraph, I've done this in reverse.

With out of town friends, playing together on bartops, I've put my card into a friend's machine and let him/her download some dollars.  Then the friend puts his/her card back in and resumes playing.

Certainly not "advantage play" for me, but the value of friendships far exceed a few slot dollars.

O2bnVegas Feb-09-2022

hmm

Any time I've hit a jackpot the attendant barely pays any attention to my players card other than pulling it out and inserting their employee card.  The jackpot is already coded to my players card the second it is hit anyway. I'd guess that things are 'reconciled' by the time the money is brought, since the player has to hand over their DL or other ID anyway.

What Kenneth said: To play FreePlay one must have their players card in, punch buttons to bring up the account and enter the player's PIN to bring up the FreePlay balance.  Ho wouldw Kenneth's friend would be able to play off Kenneth's FreePlay with his own card in?  Just wondering.

Candy

Kenneth Mytinger Feb-09-2022

Wrong choice of words

Should have said something like, I/me -- download $ on to machine friend is playing ...

Roy Furukawa Feb-09-2022

MLife

I get freeplay from Mlife, but never had someone else use it without me standing right there. Not easy to do since you have to check in at the Mlife desk to get it credited to your player's card. They once told me whoever is sitting at the machine is the person who will get the W2-G regardless of who's player's card was in the machine.

AL Feb-09-2022

My 1 experience

Over a decade ago, I was invited to stay and play as a guest in a family team that was playing higher denoms. By design, I was playing $5 Jacks or Better on the card of the mother of the group leader. (She was playing a different machine a short distance away, also playing on her card.) I hit a straight flush, which paid $1,250, and the machine locked up.  None of us wanted me to get hit with a W-2G, so I immediately beckoned her to come over and sit in the seat, while I went over to her machine to protect her money in that machine. At least 1 casino employee saw us switch positions, but she didn't say or do anything about it, and just made and gave the W-2G to the mother. The employee clearly didn't care, because we weren't doing anything to cheat the casino or break any laws.

Question of the Day - 09 February 2022

Comments