An Australian pensioner received one hell of a Christmas present this weekend as she was finally awarded the $105,737 she won at an Adelaide casino 18 months ago.
Cecilia Cubillo has been fighting to claim the money since she hit the jackpot on an abandoned ‘pokies’ gaming machine that had a $1 credit on it left by a previous player.
Casino bosses had originally refused to give her the money claiming that it would contravene an Office of Liquor and Gambling Commissioner (OLGC) regulation regarding wins on abandoned machines.
The regulation was originally put in place to encourage gamers to take breaks without fear of losing their machine.
However, this week Adelaide Casino agreed to honour the winnings and presented Ms Cubillo with a nice big cheque in time for Christmas Day.
The turnaround follows a change in Commissioner at the OLGC. “We are sorry for any stress and embarrassment caused to Ms Cubillo by this situation,” Adelaide Casino General Manager David Christian told Adelaides’s The Advertiser.
“The former OLGC Commissioner confirmed that withholding the money was the correct approach (according to the former abandoned credit rules). We understand the current Commissioner holds a different view to that of his predecessor on this matter and Adelaide Casino is happy to comply with any regulatory changes he may choose to make.”
By Rebecca Jones
Twitter: RebeccaEJones
