CALIFORNIA - Rarely is wining a slot machine jackpot a bummer; especially when the jackpot is from a progressive system.  But Sornpaserd Unkeowannulack, a 31-year old slot machine player out of Clovis, is feeling the slot machine malfunction blues.  Operators of the Table Mountain Casino, east of Fresno, claim the $737,000 he supposedly won from a nickel slot machine was the result of a system glitch.

The winning jackpot meter reflected on the slot machine, the same meter that brightened Unkeowannulack’s life for a time, was the result of a malfunction in the progressive link system, reported the casino.  Table Mountain Casino received a letter from Progressive Gaming International Corp., the manufacturer of the mystery jackpot progressive system, apologizing from the confusion.  The mistake was, however, confirmed by International Gaming Technology, the mega company that produces the “Deep Pocket” slot machine.  According to IGT’s review of Unkeowannulack’s slot machine, “There was no winning combination for any amount of cash or credits on the last game.”

Table Mountain casino is positive the $737,000 payout is a malfunction.  They claim the most Unkeowannulack could have won from the slot machine was $10,000.  As a testimony to the casino’s empathy, Unkeowannulack was offered, “the monetary equivalent of the maximum dollar amount that could have correctly registered on the mystery jackpot progressive link system he was playing had he actually won a valid and verifiable progressive jackpot.”  In simple terms, he was offered $10,000.  Not 700 grand, but not a bad sum, especially when the casino is not obligated to pay him 10 cents.

California’s Table Mountain Rancheria Band of Indians owns and operates the Table Mountain Casino.