A lawsuit against Encore Boston Harbor claims that the casino illegally retains winnings from blackjack and slot machine players



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A lawsuit filed Monday in Middlesex County Superior Court states that Encore Boston Harbor had withheld money from customers who reported their winnings at blackjack and slot machines in violation of the rules and regulations of the state in gambling.

The suit, filed in the name of A. Richard Schuster of New York, claims that Ensemble forced the visitor to respect the rules of traditional blackjack, according to which the winnings should be paid at odds of 3 to 2, but only at 6. to 5, which are usually reserved for a different style of blackjack.

When a player receives a "blackjack" or two cards totaling 21, someone playing traditional blackjack who bets $ 50 should win $ 75. According to variant "6 to 5", this person would earn $ 60.

Schuster also alleges that the casino has withheld money from players on a slot machine, rounding up to one dollar when a player wins.

The suit alleges that Encore "has paid its clients a rating of 6 to 5 when a player is imposed a" blackjack "while the Massachusetts law states clearly and unambiguously that a player who sees himself to inflict a blackjack must receive a bonus of 3 to 2. & # 39;

According to the rules of the game of Massachusetts, winning bets pay 1 to 1 unless the player is awarded a "black jack", in which case the winning bets are paid with a rating of 3 against 2 for a standard blackjack or 6 to 5 for the "6 to 5 variation of blackjack", which is 1.2 times the initial bet.The odds are usually displayed at each table.

Wynn Resorts spokesman Michael Weaver said in a statement that "Encore Boston Harbor abides by the rules of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission regarding blackjack payments," referring a reporter to Massachusetts regulations.

In a statement to MassLive, the commission said: "We are aware of the lawsuit and we are reviewing the content to determine the next steps."

Schuster visited Everett Casino on Thursday and played several table games, including blackjack, according to the lawsuit. He claimed to have played at tables on the ground floor that should have reported gains of 3 to 2 but gains of 6 to 5 after being victims of several blackjack.

Schuster also claimed to have played slot machines and to have been paid only in full dollars when he attempted to redeem his tickets with the balance owed him.

The lawsuit describes several differences between traditional blackjack and the variant: "6 to 5" blackjack is usually played with a single bridge or two decks stacked, while standard blackjack may involve a "hoof" that can go up to eight.

The plaintiff also argues that standard blackjack requires a dealer to deal face-up cards without letting the players touch the cards, while the variant involves more games and the cards are dealt to the face-down player, allowing the player to recover them. their.

The rules of the game on the commission's website describe a separate procedure for the "Blackjack variant 6 to 5". The rules state that each player will receive two cards face down and that each player may use one hand to "pick up and score the two cards dealt to him. "

It is unclear whether the table played by Schuster indicated a rating of 6 to 5 or 3 to 2. The pursuit did not specify the signaling at Schuster's table.

These differences in probabilities may seem small, but they can lead to large pay differences. The suit believes that if the players are understaffed, they could lose about $ 35.60 per hour with $ 50 bets. This figure could rise to $ 85,440 a day and $ 30 million a year to the Encore 20 tables.

And it only costs $ 50 in a casino known to attract big players who could bet hundreds or thousands in a game.

When slot machine players withdraw their winnings, a statement of their winnings is printed on a ticket that must be redeemed on a machine. Schuster asserted that the machines only paid whole dollars, accusing Encore of rounding up the numbers and pocketing any remaining changes belonging to the player.

Some visitors to Encore objected to allegations of redemption of slot machine winnings. Bill Dorazio Sr., a resident of North Tewksbury who has played slots several times, told MassLive that he had "no problem" to use his winnings. Another visitor told MassLive that she had never had a problem getting the full amount.

Wynn Resorts has had its ups and downs in the year before the casino opened $ 2.6 billion, following the resignation of founder Steve Wynn following allegations of sexual misconduct. After a lengthy suit, Encore was fined $ 35 million but was finally allowed to keep his casino license.

Encore opened on June 23, attracting thousands of people this Sunday morning. Everett Casino generated $ 16.7 million in gross gaming revenue the first week of its business, according to the commission's monthly revenue report released Monday. The table games generated $ 7.6 million, nearly half of total revenue, the remaining $ 9.1 million from slot machines.

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