Gamblers at Motor City Casino in Detroit had to wait for hours to cash out their money after a computer glitch trapped their cash inside electronic gaming machines. Motor City's officials said a problem with the casino's "ticket out system" caused the issues.
Casino officials discovered the situation around midnight on Friday night. Gamblers were told not to leave their gaming machines on slots row until they were issued hand payouts. Casino staff walked around to the hundreds of slot machines to determine how much was owed and issue cash payouts. Meanwhile, the first floor of the casino was closed.
Charlie Langton: Man on the Scene
Mike Jones, a gambler who was caught up in the situation, was displeased with the display. Jones said the delay caused a number of other problems for him. Mike Jones told Charlie Langton of WWJ Radio, "They told me just it was going to be a wait for my money so it had me mad, but I'm alright."
It was clear that Mike Jones was "alright", but he was not necessarily alright with how customers like him were inconvenienced. He said, "I just missed my buss, so now I'm upset about that."
Gambler Waited 5 Hours for $27
Sharon Whitfield, who was gambling on the slots at the time of the glitch, had to wait 5 hours for her payment. Whitfield had $27 in the casino at the time of the glitch.
Despite getting her money back, Sharon Whitfield was not happy with the situation. She told Charlie Langton, "I think that they should update the machines, they're old. And they should either give us some reward play or food comp for just all the hours we had to just sit."
Systems Restored Six Hours Later
It appears that Sharon Whitfield was one of the last to be paid. Around 6 a.m., Motor City Casino officials announced that the machines were operating normally again and the casino floor was reopened. The casino announced "Slot machine gamblers at Motor City Casino can go back to play. Computer glitch fixed. Good luck".
Unhappy Customers at Motor City Casino
Despite the breezy announcement that normalcy had returned, Motor City Casino appears to have alienated some of its customer base. Being told to wait hours to receive a bit of cash clearly had taxed nerves, and taxes patience.
Mike Jones said, "I don't think I'm going to be coming here gambling for a while because it's really sad how they got a billion dollar operation and getting done like this, it's bad, man. It's really bad."
Trying to Find the Glitch's Source
Motor City Casino officials said they are looking into the cause of the glitch. Such a system-wide malfunction is going to have to be found, or else another set of customers are likely to face a similar situation one night.
Such is modern life. Electronics make everyday life so much easier and more efficient. Yet the loss of electricity, a computer virus, or simple electronic malfunction can bring it all to a screeching halt.
