January 1st, 2011 – by Glen Farmer
The saga of Sothea Sinn has finally concluded, as the SkyCity Casino in Wellington, NZ, has finally paid the man his winnings – despite having once excluded himself from the casino.
Last August, Sothea Sinn, 28, won a jackpot playing Caribbean Stud poker. SkySinn refused to pay the man because they realized that he banned himself as a problem gambler in 2004. They figured it would not be appropriate to pay him the cash, despite him having spent 22 hours in the casino before they realized who he was.
SkyCity stated that, due to its rules, Sinn should have gone through counselling and discussed it with the casino before he was allowed to rejoin.
The Department of Internal Affairs discussed the issue and determined that Sinn did not break the Gambling Act. According to the Department of Internal Affairs, Sinn’s exclusive expired back in 2005 – an exclusion is only valid for two years from the date which it was made.
The casino has reluctantly paid the tab to Sinn, as they feel that the the payment is “an outcome that its not appropriate.”
“It’s messed up that the casino will take all the money from a self excluded gambler, without paying them,” began observer Jon L. “If he ended up losing at the end of the day, its not like the casino would give him the money back after realizing he was a self-excluded gambler.”