What happens to your slots winnings when you can’t prove your age? The money gets seized, as several New Jersey slots players recently found out.
State gambling regulators seized over $69,000 worth of slots jackpots won by players at three different casinos. The main reason was that the players didn’t have identification to prove that they were at least 21. A smaller portion of the money went unclaimed because players left without cashing it in.
According to the Philadelphia Tribune, the Division of Gaming Enforcement seized money from two casinos that are now closed in the Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal, while the third seizure came from the Tropicana.
$66,364 of the amount was from the Trump Taj Mahal, where several gamblers failed to verify their age. The Taj Mahal closed down on Oct. 10, meaning the wins occurred before this date.
The strangest case involves Trump Plaza because they’ve been closed since Sept. 16, 2014. The DGE still took the money under this circumstance, even though they had to go back over two years to do it.
None of the cases saw the casinos or gamblers contest the seizures or fines from the forfeiture orders.
All money taken from these unclaimed prizes and any resulting fines go into a state fund for senior citizens and the disabled. That said, it’s not like DGE regulators are taking the money and using it to go on vacation.
But just because the money is going to a good cause doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ensure that you get every penny of your slots winnings.
As we can see from this story, you first want to have proper identification before playing just in case you win big. Secondly, you want to make sure and cash in any slots vouchers you have. If you fail to do so, then you miss out on any potential winnings you may earn.