Casino Refuses To Pay Million Dollar Jackpot

That's why the House never loses.

For about an hour last August, Gary Hoffman was a very lucky man. Hoffman was playing the nickel slot machines at the Sandia Resort and Casino on an Indian reservation in New Mexico when he appeared to hit the jackpot: the machine said he won nearly $1.6 million.

Not a bad take for one nickel.

But the ecstasy was short-lived. Hoffman says in a lawsuit filed earlier this year that Sandia refused to pay, claiming that the machine malfunctioned. Instead, he said, they gave him about $385 and a few free meals at the casino.

"We're sorry, no one's supposed to win the jackpot. Must have been a malfunction."

The casino says it's not responsible for what it describes as a computer error and says it offered Hoffman the maximum payout of $2,500 for that particular slot machine. But, a jury may never decide who is right. Lawyers told ABC News that gamblers like Hoffman may have little legal recourse against Native American casinos, which sometimes operate beyond the reach of U.S. courts.

Playing slot machines is the luck of the draw. In this case, the casino's luck ran out. It's probably more likely that a machine will malfunction and payout a jackpot than it is to legitimately hit that ol' 7 7 7. And it's not like a casino can't afford a million dollar payout ever once in a blue moon. Either way, keep your money in your pocket on those Native American reservations.