Check please....pretty please?

Just got back from MGM National Harbor and I am both happy and upset.

Here is what happened.

I'm playing $2 single line 9/6 DDB and get these two near misses.





No big deal I think. If I had a nickel for every near miss I would be a millionaire. Take a picture and move on.

Then I get this....



Let the happiness begin. I immediately text Simon23 to tell him I kept the right cards this time. :)
Then I do some quick calculations to figure out my current win/loss for the year and after I see that I figure I will take that as a check ($5,000 minimum win for a check being issued at MGM) and play my remaining cash to see if I can get that elusive quad with a kicker (which I have yet to get playing single line at any denomination on DDB, a man has to have his goals.)

Now comes the waiting game. And by that I mean it usually takes some time to even get an acknowledgement from a slot attendant when a jackpot is hit. Tonight it took 12 minutes for an attendant to come over. Considering it was a Wednesday night and not too busy that seems normal. I tell her I would like a check, she takes my players card and ID and leaves to get my check, my wonderful $8,000 check....or so I thought.
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.
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14 minutes later she comes back. That seemed like a reasonable amount of time for a check being issued I thought. I see her, not holding a check, but a TITO for $8,000. Let my controlled anger begin. She says they are unable to process a check for me and issued a TITO for the value of the jackpot. I immediately respond telling her that I am not upset at her but I would like to speak to a supervisor about the situation. Just as I finished saying that, a more experienced (and I base that on the fact I have seen her many times there) slot attendant comes by and tells me the policy has changed from $5,000 minimum to $10,000 minimum for a check being issued. Apparently many regular players who were hitting jackpots below $10,000 were being issued checks, cashing them and using that money to keep gambling. OK, it's a business decision. I can accept that. I don't like it, but I accept it.

I tell both of them that I was going to play more, but not now. If I were to hit another jackpot then I would have well over $10,000 in cash on me but would not be able to get a check so I choose not to play any more tonight. They were very nice and said I can cash it at the cage and could get an escort there. I respond that I am curious to see if the TITO redemption machine will cash an $8,000 TITO. They walked with me there I put it in and it spit it right back out.

Mental note.....I have successfully cashed around a $2,400 ticket but it won't do an $8K one.

I thank them for their help and I will go to the cage by myself.

I get to the cage and give the cashier both my TITOs. One for $110 and one for $8,000. I ask her if there is any way I could get a check for the $8k one. A supervisor comes over and says they only issue checks for jackpots.

Now I am getting a little upset, but in a friendly way. (When I get really upset I actually start to smile and sometimes laugh, I was pretty sure I was smiling quite a bit at this point.)

I tell him it was a jackpot and I did ask for a check but the attendant came back with that saying they only do $10K plus checks now. (I think that was news to him, way to go with the internal memos MGM.)

After saying that I immediately try to get to the point by asking him that if I was adamant up front with the attendant could I have gotten the check for $8k since It would be more money than I would want to carry on me. He said yes. I said I will do that next time if there is a next time. They pay me the whole amount in cash and get a security guy to escort me to my car. I drive home, making sure I am not being followed and post my story here.



So, my question to all of you is are there any other casinos that have minimum jackpot requirements to get a check issued? And what is the threshold at other MGM properties.

Congrats on the hits.
Just for future reference, you can get a money order at any 7-11. No one following you will mug you on your way into one. It will cost a few bucks, but may be worth it for the peace of mind.

Quote: billryan

Congrats on the hits.
Just for future reference, you can get a money order at any 7-11. No one following you will mug you on your way into one. It will cost a few bucks, but may be worth it for the peace of mind.

Funny you should mention a 7-11. The one next door to where I work was robbed 2 weeks ago.

Quote: cmlotito

Funny you should mention a 7-11. The one next door to where I work was robbed 2 weeks ago.

Nice hit!!

I can't, for the life of me, understand why someone is willing to risk up to 20 years in prison to rob a 7-11 for the $50 or so in the drawer.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Nice hit!!

I can't, for the life of me, understand why someone is willing to risk up to 20 years in prison to rob a 7-11 for the $50 or so in the drawer.

The police told me that there is a crew running around the DC area robbing small stores and restaurants and it looked like there MO. I guess they don't like grocery stores because of the number of people or it could be at my grocery store we have many of the armed security guards that work down the street shop here.

Really nice hit!!!

Nice hit.

If you play at that casino frequently and don't need the cash on hand, why not put up some front money? Arrive to casino with no money. Go to cage, ask for however much you want, go play. When you're done put whatever you got back in the front money account. It's basically the same thing as credit, except you're putting up your own money and you aren't borrowing it.

Quote: cmlotito

Apparently many regular players who were hitting jackpots below $10,000 were being issued checks, cashing them and using that money to keep gambling

I think you mean they were leaving with the checks and *not* continuing to gamble. That's the only reason I can think of for not wanting to cut you a check!

Nice hit there, sir!

Quote: RS

Nice hit.

If you play at that casino frequently and don't need the cash on hand, why not put up some front money? Arrive to casino with no money. Go to cage, ask for however much you want, go play. When you're done put whatever you got back in the front money account. It's basically the same thing as credit, except you're putting up your own money and you aren't borrowing it.

Never had this problem until last night. Every other casino I have ever won a jackpot of any size has allowed me to get a check. In my viewpoint, I shouldn't have to. $10,000 seems unreasonably high for a threshod. Honestly, how many people hit more than a $10,000 jackpot? I understand what they are trying to do. It just seems very shity.

Quote: odiousgambit

I think you mean they were leaving with the checks and *not* continuing to gamble. That's the only reason I can think of for not wanting to cut you a check!

Nice hit there, sir!

They way it was explained to me was that it takes time and presumably payroll to generate the checks for people who just go ahead and cash them and keep on playing. Now, I didn't ask if it was the same day it was generated, but it shouldn't matter. Gambling is a losing proposition for most people. Of course the checks will go back to the casino coffers sooner or later. The cost of processing the checks is the cost of doing business. Just seems to me they are pinching pennies for no reason.

Quote: cmlotito

Never had this problem until last night. Every other casino I have ever won a jackpot of any size has allowed me to get a check. In my viewpoint, I shouldn't have to. $10,000 seems unreasonably high for a threshod. Honestly, how many people hit more than a $10,000 jackpot? I understand what they are trying to do. It just seems very shity.

I would assume at that casino a lot of people hit $10,000 jackpots every day.

If your jackpot would have been for $9900 and they handled it the same way the casino would have had to file a Currency Transaction Report for $10,010 with the government (FINCEN) when you cashed out.

Quote: cmlotito

Never had this problem until last night. Every other casino I have ever won a jackpot of any size has allowed me to get a check. In my viewpoint, I shouldn't have to. $10,000 seems unreasonably high for a threshod. Honestly, how many people hit more than a $10,000 jackpot? I understand what they are trying to do. It just seems very shity.

yeah, mgm national harbor is shady like that.
just like you cant use freeplay till you put in REAL $$$ into the machine first.
that practice leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

F them!
that's why I only play live poker there.

btw- is 9/6 ddb (99%) the best machine there?

Quote: 100xOdds

yeah, mgm national harbor is shady like that.
just like you cant use freeplay till you put in REAL $$$ into the machine first.
that practice leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I prefer it this way. No counting down hands.

Quote: 100xOdds

yeah, mgm national harbor is shady like that.
just like you cant use freeplay till you put in REAL $$$ into the machine first.
that practice leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

F them!
that's why I only play live poker there.

btw- is 9/6 ddb (99%) the best machine there?

They have 9/7 DB on the same machines, single line. That's what I hit my last royal flush on 12 days earlier. I switched to DDB for the chance at more jackpots with kickers but have yet to get one with a kicker.

Congratulations on the royal! I wonder if the TITO machine in the high limit area would cash out an 8k ticket?

Quote: odiousgambit

I think you mean they were leaving with the checks and *not* continuing to gamble. That's the only reason I can think of for not wanting to cut you a check!

Nice hit there, sir!

Exactamundo 100%. The casino does not want to spend time and money writing checks that costs them money in lost business. $10,000 is a very high minimum, but so is $5,000 most players never accomplish. It's near impossible even putting a few thousand in hundreds inside a wallet to be discreet. Casinos that refuse a check are putting customer lives and money at risk for personal gain.

I wonder if it has anything to do with slot attendants' laments. I imagine paying the whole jackpot in a check makes it far less likely that a tip will be given.

Quote: 100xOdds

yeah, mgm national harbor is shady like that.
just like you cant use freeplay till you put in REAL $$$ into the machine first.
that practice leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

F them!
that's why I only play live poker there.

btw- is 9/6 ddb (99%) the best machine there?

That's just smart. I would do the same, I don't think that's shady, I'm surprised more casinos don't do this. From what I can remember that's how it started out.

Quote: Deucekies

I wonder if it has anything to do with slot attendants' laments. I imagine paying the whole jackpot in a check makes it far less likely that a tip will be given.

Good point.
Maybe if you asked for $7K in a check and $1K cash. Plus you still have play money.

Nice win.

But I never understood the whole, "I'm taking my money elsewhere" attitude. A slot attendant doesn't care. Their supervisor most likely doesn't care. Your host may care.

Seems like a "Two wrongs don't make a right" thing. They were automatically paying checks to a crowd that didn't all want them at a relatively low threshold, in an all-cash business. So they raise the threshold AND stop writing the checks.

Neither works for everybody. So why not just ASK, with a minimum 5k check? Obviously they have to talk to you, get ID, etc. before they process the payment.

Stupid to have rigid policy in either direction.

And even more stupid to whine about people cashing a check of theirs, with them, to spend it there (all or part), immediately or the next time they play. SMH.

Apologies if I missed something... Since when do you hit an $8K jackpot and not have the taxes forcibly immediately taken out? Am I that bad that I didn't know a check circumvents this somehow? I'd think the TITO is the best then because you can just take the cash and do what you want with it.

Quote: Romes

Apologies if I missed something... Since when do you hit an $8K jackpot and not have the taxes forcibly immediately taken out? Am I that bad that I didn't know a check circumvents this somehow? I'd think the TITO is the best then because you can just take the cash and do what you want with it.

I've never had taxes taken out here in Mich. If in other states, state taxes will be automatically withheld.

Quote: Romes

Apologies if I missed something... Since when do you hit an $8K jackpot and not have the taxes forcibly immediately taken out? Am I that bad that I didn't know a check circumvents this somehow? I'd think the TITO is the best then because you can just take the cash and do what you want with it.

I have won taxable jackpots (in casinos) in Nevada, New York, and Maryland. Only New York (Turning Stone) has asked me about taking taxes out. No one in Nevada or Maryland has ever asked. I hear that in Virginia, where I live, if you win more than $600 on a scratch ticket you have to go to the lottery office to cash it and they automatically take out taxes (not sure if that is state and or federal though).

Quote: Romes

Apologies if I missed something... Since when do you hit an $8K jackpot and not have the taxes forcibly immediately taken out? Am I that bad that I didn't know a check circumvents this somehow? I'd think the TITO is the best then because you can just take the cash and do what you want with it.

When i hit a 20k jackpot at the Turning Stone last year they would have given me all cash if i wanted it with no taxes taken out. I chose to take the majority of it as a check.

Quote: DRich

If your jackpot would have been for $9900 and they handled it the same way the casino would have had to file a Currency Transaction Report for $10,010 with the government (FINCEN) when you cashed out.

I have had to fill out CTR's for my job (wire transfers via Western Union). They are a PITA. MGM machines start spitting out tickets when credits roll over 10k. Keeps its under the CTR threshold which is definatdly smart to reduce paperwork.

You do have to fill out a form, a copy of which goes to the IRS. Some states take their cut right away, but Rhode Island, NY and Nevada don't. Not sure of others as I have no personal experiences in them.

I believe the feds only force taxes to be withheld at $5000 and above from poker tournaments. The amount could be wrong though.

I thought withholding was only if you don't provide ID or SS#.

From my personal handpay experiences...

In MS and LA, they took out state taxes only. MS was like 0.3%. LA was 6%, but I got most of that back by filing a LA state tax return.

In NV, they didn't take any taxes out. What's more, when I hit a jackpot in Bally's, the slot attendant paid me immediately. No getting a supervisor, no going to the cage for money, he just reset the machine, got my info, and handed me the money and a W2G.

In IL, they asked me if I wanted any taxes withheld. I said no, and they paid me the full amount.

Just got back from MGM tonight after hitting 4 aces no kicker for 1600. I jokingly asked for a check and they said minimum was 5000 for a check. Grrrrrr....

I told them what happened last night and they said they were not aware for any change to the policy. Sigh.

Quote: Deucekies

I wonder if it has anything to do with slot attendants' laments. I imagine paying the whole jackpot in a check makes it far less likely that a tip will be given.

Very doubtful. If they cared about that, would set machines for hand payment on smallish wins.

Quote: cmlotito

I have won taxable jackpots (in casinos) in Nevada, New York, and Maryland. Only New York (Turning Stone) has asked me about taking taxes out. No one in Nevada or Maryland has ever asked. I hear that in Virginia, where I live, if you win more than $600 on a scratch ticket you have to go to the lottery office to cash it and they automatically take out taxes (not sure if that is state and or federal though).

I pretty certain that's a federal law for lotteries in all states.

Never studied them, but do all jb's have identical payouts for jb pairs as well as 2 pair? Seems weird.
oops sorry, that's off topic. They can move this question if they want.

Quote: sammydv

Never studied them, but do all jb's have identical payouts for jb pairs as well as 2 pair? Seems weird.
oops sorry, that's off topic. They can move this question if they want.

Did you post in the wrong thread? I can't make sense of your post or understand what jb means.

Quote: cmlotito

Just got back from MGM National Harbor and I am both happy and upset.

Here is what happened.

I'm playing $2 single line 9/6 DDB and get these two near misses.

g]

g]

No big deal I think. If I had a nickel for every near miss I would be a millionaire. Take a picture and move on.

Then I get this....

g]

Let the happiness begin. I immediately text Simon23 to tell him I kept the right cards this time. :)
Then I do some quick calculations to figure out my current win/loss for the year and after I see that I figure I will take that as a check ($5,000 minimum win for a check being issued at MGM) and play my remaining cash to see if I can get that elusive quad with a kicker (which I have yet to get playing single line at any denomination on DDB, a man has to have his goals.)

Now comes the waiting game. And by that I mean it usually takes some time to even get an acknowledgement from a slot attendant when a jackpot is hit. Tonight it took 12 minutes for an attendant to come over. Considering it was a Wednesday night and not too busy that seems normal. I tell her I would like a check, she takes my players card and ID and leaves to get my check, my wonderful $8,000 check....or so I thought.
.
.
.
.
14 minutes later she comes back. That seemed like a reasonable amount of time for a check being issued I thought. I see her, not holding a check, but a TITO for $8,000. Let my controlled anger begin. She says they are unable to process a check for me and issued a TITO for the value of the jackpot. I immediately respond telling her that I am not upset at her but I would like to speak to a supervisor about the situation. Just as I finished saying that, a more experienced (and I base that on the fact I have seen her many times there) slot attendant comes by and tells me the policy has changed from $5,000 minimum to $10,000 minimum for a check being issued. Apparently many regular players who were hitting jackpots below $10,000 were being issued checks, cashing them and using that money to keep gambling. OK, it's a business decision. I can accept that. I don't like it, but I accept it.

I tell both of them that I was going to play more, but not now. If I were to hit another jackpot then I would have well over $10,000 in cash on me but would not be able to get a check so I choose not to play any more tonight. They were very nice and said I can cash it at the cage and could get an escort there. I respond that I am curious to see if the TITO redemption machine will cash an $8,000 TITO. They walked with me there I put it in and it spit it right back out.

Mental note.....I have successfully cashed around a $2,400 ticket but it won't do an $8K one.

I thank them for their help and I will go to the cage by myself.

I get to the cage and give the cashier both my TITOs. One for $110 and one for $8,000. I ask her if there is any way I could get a check for the $8k one. A supervisor comes over and says they only issue checks for jackpots.

Now I am getting a little upset, but in a friendly way. (When I get really upset I actually start to smile and sometimes laugh, I was pretty sure I was smiling quite a bit at this point.)

I tell him it was a jackpot and I did ask for a check but the attendant came back with that saying they only do $10K plus checks now. (I think that was news to him, way to go with the internal memos MGM.)

After saying that I immediately try to get to the point by asking him that if I was adamant up front with the attendant could I have gotten the check for $8k since It would be more money than I would want to carry on me. He said yes. I said I will do that next time if there is a next time. They pay me the whole amount in cash and get a security guy to escort me to my car. I drive home, making sure I am not being followed and post my story here.

g]

So, my question to all of you is are there any other casinos that have minimum jackpot requirements to get a check issued? And what is the threshold at other MGM properties.

Nice hit!!

Do casinos let you deposit money to their cage and then wire it to your bank account? I mean, they let you do the opposite, right?

It's all bs, the casino doesn't care if you get robbed, not their liability, and want people with a choice to give it all back. I tend to think the policy is malicious, who cares if some people wind up cashing the check, issue them.