Slots Glitch Casino Hands Over £1 Million Compensation

A Swiss man who was denied a €43 million ($62 million) slots win last year, which the casino claims was a computer glitch, has now received £1 million as part of an out-of-court settlement according to local media.
Back in March 2011, Behar Merlaku was playing a slot machine at the Bregenz Casino in Austria when its display indicated he had won the huge jackpot. However, the 26 year-old’s joy soon turned to horror after two casino employees told him there had been a software error and offered him £60 ($100) and a free meal, instead.
Not surprisingly, the experience left Mr Merlaku feeling deeply affected as though the casino had played a cruel trick on him and says he has since suffered psychological problems. In addition, he asserted that his son was born with a cleft palate as a result of the stress his wife suffered while pregnant.
Rather naively, despite at the time acknowledging that the slot had displayed the jackpot, Bregenz Casino spokesman Martin Himmelbauer, 44, explained: “We wanted to apologize but he did not want to co-operate. We offered to pay out the cash that he did win, but he refused to accept it. Usually these matters are sorted out with a meal for two but in this case the man was not prepared to settle for anything less than the full payment.”
Consequently, Behar Merlaku took the casino to court demanding £5 million with his Austrian lawyer Thomas Kerle criticizing the casino for not allowing independent experts to check the slot machine, as well as local police who he claimed did little to investigate the case. Apparently, Casino Austria AG subsequently offered him €500k with Mr Merlaku eventually agreeing to a £1 million settlement, which he said he will now use to correct his son’s disability.
Unfortunately, slot machine glitches of this nature do seem to crop up from time to time in casinos causing great distress to customers. However, most end in favour of the casino, such as the case of Louise Chavez who believed he had won £20 million at the Fortune Valley Casino in Colorado, but settled for a free meal and a room for the night as compensation.