A Waterford woman has sued FanDuel after an online slot machine allegedly flashed a $154,160.40 win that never made it into her account. The lawsuit seeks $462,481, a figure described as the alleged jackpot plus treble damages.
According to AOL, Theresa Tomasik says she was playing FanDuel’s Huff ’N More Puff slot in April last year when alarms sounded on about her 10th spin and the app told her she had won big. Other users then received a “Big Win Alert” announcing that “Theresa T. from MI” had turned a spin into a huge win.
Tomasik said the money was gone when she checked her account. A few days later, she wrote on Facebook that FanDuel told her there had been “an error in their system” and that she had not won anything.
She also told AOL, “They didn’t want to pay me, I guess.” In another Facebook post, she said she wanted “my money because I am in a situation where it would be a life changing amount.”
Her lawyers filed suit earlier this month in Wayne County Circuit, accusing FanDuel of fraud and misrepresentation. The complaint says the company refused to provide Tomasik’s transaction history and did not respond to a complaint she filed with the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
The lawsuit asks for $462,481, which it says reflects the disputed winnings plus triple damages. As of April 24, FanDuel’s lawyers had not filed a formal response, and a company spokesperson declined to comment to the Free Press.
A Michigan Gaming Control Board representative also declined comment on the complaint, though the board’s website says players can file internet gaming and sports betting complaints electronically or on paper. It also says that if a provider does not respond to an email or does not address the issue within 10 business days, a player may return to file a complaint on the website.
Veerappan, Tomasik’s lawyer, compared the case with a casino slot machine payout and said a house cannot simply keep the quarter and refuse to pay. Similar disputes have surfaced elsewhere: CBS Chicago reported that a Chicago-area bettor’s wagers were voided by BetMGM under an “obvious error” clause, and in another case a bettor said the company later agreed to pay in full.
