A man in Pennsylvania has had a brief moment of joy when he found out he had won a $57,000 jackpot. The elation of the win was short-lived, however, as the person soon discovered that they would not be able to collect the money.

Self-excluded man wins $57K jackpot, never to see it paid out

It was not because of some infamous game machine glitch, nor because the casino had cheated. Rather, the person who was playing was a self-excluded gambler featured on Pennsylvania’s Self-Exclusion List, and he had excluded himself for life.

Pennsylvania has two types of self-exclusion lists – the Voluntary and Involuntary Self-Exclusion List. Both have been enforced without compromise on the part of casinos. The self-exclusion program clearly states:

"Individuals who enroll in self-exclusion are prohibited from collecting any winnings, recovering any losses or accepting complimentary gifts or services or any other thing of value from a licensee or operator."

The man who had managed to sneak onto Parx Casino in Bensalem was in clear breach of his lifetime self-exclusion in the voluntary list, and his win was voided due to the fact that he had chosen to not be allowed to play on any of the state’s casinos.

While the onus is still on the casino to ensure that it does not allow self-excluded players to participate in games of chance, such offenders do share some of the blame.

The 46-year-old player was obviously disappointed, and the police were involved in the matter, with Pennsylvania State Police detailing the case in broad strokes.

He also received a citation for trespassing, as the player was found to have knowingly breached the self-exclusion mandate.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has not clarified if it would seek to pursue enforcement action against Parx Casino in Bensalem, which was previously known as the Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino.

Self-exclusion in place to protect vulnerable and at-risk customers

Observing the self-exclusion program is an important part of the regulator and state’s efforts to ensure that at-risk gamblers are protected.

Although cases of self-excluded players sneaking onto casino floors to play are not unheard of, the majority of self-excluded gamblers have had a positive impact on their gambling behavior.

However, the recent case demonstrates that self-exclusion is not necessarily a panacea nor does it offer the long-term solutions that some players may need.

Any individual on the state’s self-exclusion program, however, is prevented from participating in any and all forms of state-sanctioned gambling, including fantasy contests, sports betting, iGaming, video gaming terminals, and the lottery, as well as any other activity qualified as gambling.

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