It’s often been said that casinos want you to win. At some level, that sounds like an oxymoron because why would casinos, who make money from your betting, want to turn around and pay you that money back? For one reason, the odds are always stacked against you. Even when they’re paying you money, the casinos are still keeping a lot of it.
Secondly, when there’s a big winner, it generates excitement. Pictures get taken. Stories get told. Ads get printed. Another round of gamblers want to visit the casino with renewed dreams of coming home with a lot of money.
Still, even though casinos want to pay you, there are times when they either can’t or don’t pay. Sometimes, there are perfectly good reasons why casinos refuse to pay out on slot machine wins, but there have been a (thankfully small) number of cases in which people thought they earned big only to find out they didn’t.
Good Reasons Why Casinos Don’t Pay
Jun 04, 2020 The story goes like this: Katrina Bookman won a staggering sum of $43 million on a Sphinx slot machine without the ability to, actually, take it. It appears that the maximum possible win at the game was $3,500, and that her $43,848,350.00 million was a product of machine malfunction. The payout is a multiplier, which will be applied to your bet per line. Special Wild – if you land the Sphinx that is not a wild, all symbols around it will become wild. This is the best feature of the game as it can yield thousands of coins even at a bet of only 40 per round. How to Win in the Sphinx Wild Slot Machine. Below is the game’s.
Sphinx Slot Machine Payout Problems
Even if you were to win a significant amount of money at the casino, there are a few very good reasons why the casino might not hand over your winnings and both would be your fault (that’s why they’re good reasons).
No Identification
The first is if you forget your ID. The casino has to run an ID check on you (for a number of reasons, not the least of which is money laundering) and if you don’t have a valid ID, they can’t run the check. Therefore, you don’t get paid. When this happens, the casino will write you an unclaimed jackpot slip and you usually have 90 days to claim your winnings.
The Gambling Intercept Payment System
The second reason the casino might not pay is if your name comes up in the Gambling Intercept Payment (GIP) System. The GIP System is a database of people who owe child support, have monetary judgements against them, etc. If you owe money, the state will get your winnings and use it to pay what you owe. It’s kind of a bummer, but ultimately understandable.
The Machines Can Malfunction
There’s a third reason that casinos might not pay and it’s anything but a good reason for them to do so. Sometimes, a slot machine will malfunction and inform someone they won hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) when in fact they won a few dollars or none at all.
Sadly, there are warnings on the machines themselves and the legal system backs this up. If the machine malfunctions, the casino does not have to pay the winnings. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it can feel like the casinos are “stealing” a lot of money when really, the law is on the their side.
It doesn’t help the situation that the casinos are responsible for the operation of the slot machines, and they’re also the beneficiary when they break. I’ll talk about what to do when this happens in a moment, but spoiler alert—you won’t like it very much.
The Case of Katrina Bookman
Just to show the types of error that a casino can make for which they won’t pay, we’ll start with the case of Katrina Bookman. According to CNN, Ms. Bookman was playing at the Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York, when she apparently won almost $43 million on a slot machine.
Her winning is verified by a selfie she took next to a machine which is shown to be printing a cash ticket in the amount of $42,949,672.76. However, when she tried to cash in on her winnings, she was instead offered a complimentary steak dinner and $2.25. Of course, $2.25 is slightly less than $43 million.
The casino refused to pay because they claim the Sphinx Slot Machine at which Bookman played malfunctioned. This claim was verified by the New York State Gaming Commission, which basically entitles Bookman to absolutely nothing—the casino didn’t even have to offer the steak or the pocket change.
This incident feels grossly unfair, especially as Bookman’s lawyer, Alan Ripka questions a system in which the casino both operates and maintains the slot machines and gets to say when they are broken. He is trying to argue for either the casino’s negligence contributing to the malfunction (in which case Bookman should receive the money) or an outright conspiracy to prevent payment.
Given the case law against him, there seems little chance Ripka will win the settlement he and Bookman desire.
The Case of Veronica Castillo
Fox News tells a similar tale. This time, a woman from Oregon named Veronica Castillo went to the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington. While playing slots with her mother, Castillo said that a slot machine said that she was the winner of $8 million. In response, workers at the casino allegedly shut off the machine and offered her $80, less than her deposit of $100.
As in the case of Bookman, the casino claimed that the $8 million “prize” was due to a malfunction and that the maximum payout of $20,000 is posted on the machine. Fox News legal analyst Bob Massi has joined Castillo in voicing his concern over this incident, asking that someone needs to be held accountable for such a grievous error.
Castillo goes farther claiming that the casino’s policy is “deceiving…[it] might even be fraudulent.” Like Bookman, Castillo has explored legal options, though the fact that the error was attributed to slot machine error means that Castillo is likely to collect no damages including getting her $20 back. However, in her case, there are reports Castillo was offered a smaller sum around $30,000.
This is still less than her original winnings, but more than the casino is likely to pay.
Your Options If It Happens to You
The truly unfortunate part of this is that, when a casino decides not to pay, there is not a whole lot you can do about it. I stand by my earlier claim that casinos don’t mind to pay winners, but that doesn’t mean they want to pay them big money. Also, casinos know the law. If they’re not paying, more than likely, the law is on their side.
Therefore, if you find yourself holding a cash ticket or a selfie that says you are owed a lot of money and the casino says no, don’t expect much to happen. Yes, you can cause a scene. Yes, you can retain council. However, the casinos will have already laid down a good defense by posting notices of when they do and don’t pay.
Even worse, in the world of software, bugs happen. As long as the bugs didn’t happen through negligence, it will be hard for a lawyer to win a case for damages.
Still, I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one. Please seek professional advice if this ever happens to you. However, I will suggest that you keep your head when it happens, but record as much as you can. Fortunately, you have a cell phone you can use to photo or video record your winning ticket, the screen, etc.
Next, strongly consider taking any offer the casino gives you. It’s going to be rough if you end up with a steak instead of $8 million. Also, accepting anything could be seen as you entering into a contract with the casino to receive meat (or whatever) instead of money. Still, the casino has nothing to offer you. You might try to negotiate, but unless case law changes, you have no power.
Conclusion
It’s hard writing on this subject because while I would be silly to argue that casinos are paragons of virtue and generous giving, they’re generally pretty fair. In areas where there are several casinos (and they tend to bunch up), each one wants to do right by their customers or those casinos will watch their customers go elsewhere.
Still, casinos are businesses that are interested in earning and making money. Like all businesses, a casino can’t continue to operate if it just hands out money all willy-nilly. That’s why they know the law, will follow the law, and not pay out millions of dollars when they do not have to. This, sadly, is the cold, hard truth of business.
Ultimately, this type of thing happens very rarely. The amount of control and testing that goes into slot machine software virtually ensures this type of major malfunction is going to happen very infrequently. If it happens on a smaller scale is another matter, but it’s probably more likely a casino pays out a smaller mistake just to avoid the bad PR.
If you find yourself on the losing end of a casino mistake, stay calm and try to work with the casino. Just remember, they hold all of the chips (pun intended) and your best bet is to get something out of the deal. Keeping level-headed and asking for reasonable amounts is your best way to do that.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Where can I play the Mighty Sphinx slot machine online? What about the Mighty Sphinx RTP? And much more. We will discuss it all in our Mighty Sphinx Slot Review. Scroll down to find out!
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Introduction
If you like the themes of Egyptian slots, this is one title you should try. That is because it focuses on the Mighty Sphinx slot, a mythical character that symbolizes a gateway to the tombs of the Egyptian kings and pharaohs. This title has a release date going back to 2013 but it offers smooth gameplay even today. As a result, it is a favorite title to find among Egyptian slots at any of the several online casinos.
Technical details of this title are few that indicate a simplistic structure and gameplay. You will find the layout to comprise 50 bet lines. The layout comprises a 5×3 grid matrix. Due to the numerous paylines present, you will find several win possibilities in this layout matrix. NeoGames offers mighty prizes through different bonus features here. These comprise bonus rounds such as free spins, multiplier effects and theme-based icons with special features.
About the Developer
NeoGames is a software developer in casino games who has been around for more than a decade. The developer team at this company has titles that are of different casino games categories. They have a diversified slot offering with different themes, design details, and gameplay to attract players of different genres. The team remains dedicated to the growing ranks of their fans as they develop slots of the latest technology, suitable for desktops as well as mobile devices.
If you love the ones that are about myths and legends, they have a large selection. For instance, the Book of Dead is one title you will love to explore. There are other titles of a similar genre to try such as Egyptian Magic. This slot is about Giza pyramids and has icons like ankhs, sphinxes as found in this particular title. If you wish to try something different, there are entertaining themes in slots like Rainbow Charms, Reel Bandits, Astrodice and others. These come with diverse themes and have interesting gameplay to engage the players.
NeoGames is originally a Swedish company based in Gothenburg. They started with role-playing video games as their main product. Target Games catapulted them to be a large RPG publisher in Sweden. It went on to have several successful role-playing fantasy games as part of their product line.
About the Theme
Sphinx is an ancient Egyptian mythical character that has a lion’s body and a human’s head. The Giza’s sphinx is the most prominent statue known which is made of limestone and is 4500 years old. It is one of the largest ancient monuments and relics of ancient Egypt. The colossal construction is a wonder of history and stands testimony to the ancient civilization’s many achievements.
If you have been to Egypt you would have seen the Sphinx Alley that is an avenue lined with such statues that connect temples of Karnak and Luxor. As the legends go, the sphinx represents the guardian of the pyramids. There are beliefs that state that you have to guess the answer to a riddle to get entry to such a structure. The Mighty Sphinxes have stood the test of time and so is this slot that takes inspiration from the same.
Design Details
As you click open Mighty Sphinx slot, the slot machine’s main page reveals an adorned scarab beetle below in a desert landscape. The sphinx remains as part of the name logo as well as appears as the wild here. The myth of sphinxes guarding the entrance of a pyramid seems to work well here. As a sphinx guards the treasures of a tomb, so does the wild sphinx icon here hold the key to opening up treasures from this slot game.
The main layout or the reels lie within a frame that is guarded by desert snakes. There are temple pillars on either end and the game matrix stands on the sands of the desert. The bottom panel or the operating buttons blend in with the backdrop with rocks, earthen pots lying about. The visuals help recreate a desert scene to perfection. The panel and buttons in the form of pyramids, caskets, and frescos complete the look and feel of the theme.
What complete the theme are the different symbols; the main Egyptian symbols comprise of a queen, a pharaoh, a scarab, a snake, the ankh and across. The sphinx comes on as the wild and the scarab beetle as the scatter. The bonus symbol represents an Egyptian temple. Even the playing card symbols have design accents that add on hieroglyphic features to them.
About the Slot
This video slot with an Egyptian theme makes it easy for you to explore the gameplay, even if you are a beginner. The theme is evident from the visuals and the symbols. The background music and different icons help recreate the ancient mystics of Egypt. This slot game by NeoGames is easy to understand. If you take a demo mode run the spins display the bonus rounds, wilds, scatter and bonus symbols.
The wild and scatter icons have the standard functions here. There is a special bonus symbol that you will find whose function becomes apparent if you visit the instructions section. The overall matrix layout is simple but there are abundant paylines. These help increase the odds of wins for the player. That is what NeoGames aims to do. With the 5 reels that play over 50 bet lines, the more paylines you activate, the more are your chances of lucrative payouts. As a player, you have opportunities to make more wins when the free spins come in, along with multipliers. There are other convenient options like autoplay; here you get to choose the number of spins you wish to put the video slot on.
Where Can I Play the Mighty Sphinx Slot Machine?
Visit Slots & Casinos for more online casinos where you can play the Mighty Sphinx slot machine online.
Symbols and Their Significance
The setting of the Mighty Sphinx slot machine might be a desert landscape but there are untold riches that await those who play the same. That is what the symbols also portray, that of mythical significance and royalty. Not only are the aces, kings, jack and queen symbols present but several themes based icons that bring in special meanings to the reels.
Scatter
The scarab represents the scatter in this slot game; it provides free spins as and when at least two of the same appear. If there are three, this is equivalent to 5 free spins. The number of additional rounds rapidly increases if the scatter appears in 4 or 5; corresponding free spins can be as high as 50 or 200.
Free Sphinx Slot Machine
Wild
A blue stone set in a golden orb or the Akhet represents the wild; as it appears on the reels it is revealed as the Wild and helps to form wins; it can substitute most icons except the scatter or the bonus symbol.
Bonus
This is a special symbol here; it appears on active paylines or reels 2, 3, 4; if it comes on two active paylines a player gets a double bonus game round.
Queen
This symbol offers the most payout; if there are three on reels then the multiplier effect is 30; it becomes 500x for five of the same and 150x for 4 reels.
Pharaoh
This symbol is next in line when it comes to high payouts, after the queen symbol. It can help multiply coin bets by 25 when three of the same appear; one will get 100x with 4 on the reels and 250x as maximum payout for five of the same.
The ankh and the treasure chest are the next symbols to look out for; the chest pays out more than the ankh.
Mighty Sphinx Slot Machine Bonus Rounds
You need not satisfy yourself merely with the base game of Mighty Sphinx since there are lucrative bonus games as well. These are easy to activate and you will be surprised to find easy retriggers of the free spins. Indeed, once the spins start, it is easy to immerse yourself in the winning opportunities that the bonus rounds bring on.
Double Bonus Game
This starts with the special bonus symbol; this can appear on active paylines. They can come on reels 2, 3, 4 in a simultaneous manner. When this happens and two bonus symbols appear, the double bonus game commences. Here all prize amounts double.
Tomb of Treasures
The bonus symbols activate this game; as a player, you find a secret tomb awaiting you. There are stones to turn over with clicks. As you click on a stone, it can reveal a cash prize, a strike or a level advance. Here your aim is to get to the top of the pyramid and claim the grand prize. The third strike usually ends the bonus round; however, the strike prize is rewarding as well and increases with every level.
Free Spins
This is a bonus round apart from the Tomb of Treasure. If you find three or more scatters on the game board it provides you with 10 spin for free. Additionally, there is an increasing multiplier effect that applies. The ten spins for free begin with a multiplier effect of 1. As the free spins increase, the multiplier value goes up by 1. As a result, by the 10th round, you get a 10x multiplier effect on the wins.
What makes it exciting is the bonus and double bonus game. The separate bonus screen with the settings inside a tomb makes it akin to a treasure hunt.
Sphinx Slot Machine Online
How to Play Mighty Sphinx Slot Machine?
If you are new to slots, it is best to try the demo mode initially. That is an option most of the casino sites provide. Mighty Sphinx will also have free spin offers that many casinos provide. You can try your hand at the same for the following advantages:
- A demo run or free trial helps you discover the game;
- The gameplay features reveal during the trial spins, allowing you to understand how the slot works;
- You get to become familiar with the different controls and unique features of the game;
- Free spin offers or the use of no deposit bonuses are beneficial as they can help you win money even in such trial runs;
Play with Real Money
Once you are familiar with the slot game’s features and how the spins work, you can easily try it with real wagers. For this, you need to register a member account on a casino site. You can do so by providing age proof and residence proof at a licensed site. Once you have a member account at a casino site, it makes it easy for you to wager real money on this and other casino games. You can do so in the following ways:
- Opt for one of the several payment methods available; this will help you deposit in your member account;
- Ensure that you know the minimal amount deposit that the casino requires; it will also make you eligible to claim any of the different welcome bonus offers available;
- With a welcome bonus offer you can match up your initial deposit from 50% to 100% as per the bonus terms; this also helps to increase your wager amount;
More Slots like Mighty Sphinx
Setting the Bets
Once you open the title, you will realize that the total paylines are 50 and reels that move are five. You can choose the number of paylines you wish to wager on which can be anywhere between 1 and 50.
The operating windows at the bottom of the slot include ‘+’ and ‘–’ buttons for setting wagers and paylines. This allows you as a player to choose the number of paylines you wish to activate and set wagers for each. The bet for each line can vary between a minimum amount of 0.01 and a maximum of 5. The betting range can be 0.01 to a maximum bet of 250 for each spin. You can also set the Autoplay option which allows one to spin the slot a set number of times. The ‘Max Bet’ feature is also available to you. As a result of this button, the slot spins with a maximum bet for all lines. This enables you to have the highest probability of winning the jackpot prize.
Payouts & Paytable Mighty Sphinx Slot Machine
There are different ways to win in this slot game. For instance:
- The base game simply needs three of the same icon to appear on an active payline. These will help provide basic payouts. The theme-based icons provide higher payouts as per the paytable mentioned below;
- If the wild appears it will help you form a winning combination with other symbols and give you a win;
- Scatters come on and provide free spins; this bonus round also brings in multiplier effects; the multipliers come on in every round and can be maximum of 10x;
- With the bonus symbol appearing on the reels you get to enter the tomb of treasures game; here you can click and unlock different prizes or enjoy level advances ;
Most players of slot games are accustomed to free spins that come with scatters and also multiplier effects. However, this medium variance game ensures that the scatters come on fairly soon and provide free spins easily. Also, the increasing multiplier effect is a novel touch. This helps you as a player to see win amounts increase in your account.
*It is in £ with £1 as the bet amount.
There are several opportunities to win big here. With the maximum bet on all paylines, you get a chance to earn the maximum jackpot award. This is an amount of 4000 coins. Besides that, the more paylines you keep active, the higher are the wins. For instance, if you enter the Tomb of Treasures you can go up to 15 levels. Each level brings in cash prizes as well as free spins that come with multipliers.
Mighty Sphinx RTP
RTP Stands for return to player. This is an important piece of information for most players. This is why we include this number in our Mighty Sphinx Slot Review. The Mighty Sphinx RTP is 96.14% This means that over 96 percent of all bets being placed by players is also returned to players as winnings.
Playing on Mobile Devices
The software is mobile compatible. As a result, you can easily try it on your iPhone or Android device. This slot game is available at several popular casino sites like Karamba, Mr. Play, Strictlyslots, and others. These sites have mobile casino versions that allow you to try this software at ease. You can run it at demo mode or choose to wager on the same.
The smooth streaming software makes it exciting for a player to be able to click on the stones, reveal the different prizes and make the most of their opportunities. If you are lucky and get level advances, you will find yourself soon on the top of the pyramid. With the top spot, there are lucrative prizes to win and more takeaways that bring in maximum value for your wagers.
Conclusion
The slot machine comes with a Might Sphinx RTP of 96.14% and a high to medium volatility. Even then, you can enjoy the numerous features in this game and try it with ease, either on a desktop or on a mobile device. If you love Egyptian themes, this is one game that helps you delve into the treasures of a pharaoh’s tomb after you win the favor of the mythical sphinx.