What Happens If a Casino Overpays You? Can You Keep It?

For many, casinos are a great form of entertainment with the added bonus that you can potentially win some money.

However, casinos are not immune to making mistakes and possibly making double or triple the payment amount. So, what happens if you are the receiver of this error? What happens if a casino overpays you? Can you keep it? 

In this King Casino blog post, we will explore what happens if a casino overpays you, so continue reading to find out!

What Happens If a Casino Pays You Too Much?

In the event that a bookmaker, dealer or casino pays you more than you should have received, the right and ethical thing to do is return the extra money.

While receiving more money than you were expecting may feel good, remember that the money is not rightfully yours. It was made in error, either technical or administrative. You may have heard stories of punters being paid a lot more than they should have and getting away with it, and you might be tempted to keep the money.

However, remember that if you get caught or the casino notices the error, they are entitled to claim it back. If it is an online casino, they will most likely notice the error and debit the money from your account, potentially leaving you with a negative balance.

Can You Keep Money a Casino Gave You By Mistake?

The short answer is no. You cannot keep the money a casino gave you by mistake. Technically, you can keep the money and hope to get away with it. 

But, there is a high chance that the casino will notice the overpayment and demand it back, rightfully so. However, this is dependent on where you are playing the casino games. 

If it is at a land-based casino and the dealer did not notice the overpayment, you could leave with it and keep it. However, if the casino picks this up, you may not be allowed to play there again and may be obligated to pay back the money.

The best thing to do is return the money; keeping it, whether the casino notices or not, would be immoral and unethical.

Do Casinos Ever Make Mistakes In Payouts?

Casinos are highly regulated, well-run and operated organisations. So, they put systems in place that ensure that there are very minimal, if any mistakes. 

Even so, mistakes can happen in casinos, although they are rare. They can be due to human error, technical glitches, or administration errors. 

These payout errors can range from paying out more or less money than due, miscounting chips or paying punters for games they did not play.

Other times the errors can be due to technical glitches, such as a slot game displaying a jackpot win when it does not have a jackpot, or displaying a more significant number than its maximum payout potential. 

Regardless of the kind of mistake, if it happens, it can be easily fixed by both the punters and the casino.

Online Casino Overpaid Me – What To Do?

If an online casino ever overpays you, the best thing to do is report the error swiftly. If you are playing at a reputable and licensed casino, there should be a customer service team that you can contact to report the error.

It would most likely be advised not to use the extra money; doing so would be an unjust enrichment on your side and illegal. So, it is best not to touch the excess funds.

In the event that you do not report the excess funds and the casino picks up on the extra funds, they are entitled to claim it back, which could put your account in a negative balance. 

If you do not pay it back in due time, your account may be suspended, and you could face legal consequences.

What Happens If The Dealer Makes a Mistake?

Dealers are humans and can make mistakes, despite being well-trained and supervised by high-tech casino surveillance. So, in the unlikely event that a dealer makes a payout mistake, the casino will take steps they have set in place to rectify the error.

If the dealer picks up on the mistake, they may sort it out by themselves. 

However, sometimes fixing the error may require the involvement of the supervisor. The supervisor will then resolve the mistake using the systems set in place by the casino, depending on the nature of the mistake. 

In addition, if the error was due to the dealer’s negligence or incompetence, they may face disciplinary actions. 

Can The Casino Ask For Money Back?

If you receive extra money in error, the casino can ask for the money back, and they would be within their rights. If they ask for the excess funds, you will be obligated to pay it back.

Should you fail to return the money, the casino has the right to ban you from their premises, reclaim the money from your account, or even seek legal action against you. 

To prevent all that, the best thing to do would be to simply not touch the money and immediately alert the casino of the mistake. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, while payment errors are rare in casinos, they can happen. However, if you are ever on the receiving side of this error, you must understand that legally, the money is not yours to keep. You only received it in error.

The casino is within its rights to claim the money back, so the best thing to do is not to use it and alert the casino to the error.