In 2017, Jan Flato put $50 into a video poker machine at Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Casino, and had his friend Marina Navarro push the button for good luck. That turned out to be the biggest mistake he could have made. Flato’s money won, but the casino had to pay Marina Navarro the $100,000 jackpot. That’s because all casinos are required to pay the person who pushes the button or pulls the arm on the machine. Legally, there is no wager until the button is pushed or the arm is pulled, and the person doing the pushing or pulling is considered to be the person who made the wager actually happen. Maybe the lesson here is — when you’re paying, know who you’re letting push the button.
