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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Lawyer sues Virgin Island resort and casino for failing to pay $5.15 million jackpot

Alvin Paulson is suing a Virgin Islands resort and casino in St. Clair County Circuit Court for failing to pay a $5.15 million jackpot he won from a slot machine.

Alvin Paulson is the city attorney for Fairview Heights.

According to a lawsuit filed Feb. 1, Paulson claims that while vacationing at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and gambling at The Ocean Club Gaming Center in St. Thomas on March 1, 2007, he inserted a $20 bill, won a jackpot and still had a $16.50 credit remaining on the machine.

"In plain view of numerous witnesses, an employee of defendants proceeded to turn the machine off while it was still adding up credits," the complaint states. "The manager of defendants' facility took the position that there must have been some mysterious 'malfunction' or 'technical problem.'

"Defendants have refused to pay the amount of the jackpot, and $16.50 in remaining credits on the slot machine."

Paulson is represented by Kevin T. Hoerner of Becker, Paulson, Hoerner & Thompson in Belleville.

He is seeking a judgment of not more than $74,000, including interest, attorney fees and court costs.

Paulson, who resides in Belleville, claims he purchased the vacation from the resort's website on Feb. 12, 2007.

Among other things, Paulson claims the defendants breached an implied promise to pay jackpots as advertised on the slot machines.

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