In the distant year 2012, an Italian player thought he changed his life. A betting machine in Rome has issued a bead with the astronomical value of over 9.5 million euros, accompanied by lights, sounds and everything expected when a lottery jackpot is earned. But what seemed to be a moment of luck became a long battle in the courts. The company refused to pay, claiming that it was all a technical error.
A victory that no one wanted to validate
The episode took place on April 16, 2012, in an Italian bookmakers managed by Snai. The player, seeing the printed bead with the exact sum of 9,597,304,64 euros, believed he was the happy contemplated with a bullshit prize that would change his life. However, the space officials told him, at the moment, that he could not complain about the value, says the work.
The official explanation was disconcerting: the prize was due to a computer error, caused by an electric blackout that affected the entire national video of Videolothery managed by Snai.
An “optical effect” with real numbers
The justification that gave most to talk was that what the player saw was an “optical illusion.” According to Snai, the central system, controlled by a British company called Barcrest, never validated that jackpot. Thus, despite the bead and the simulation of victory, everything would have been just appearance.
During the disruption caused by the blackout, false jackpots were issued in 174 terminals across the country. On 241 occasions, machines presented millionaire awards that, according to the company, were technically invalid.
The maximum limit was half a million
Even if the prize had been legitimate, Snai argued that the amount would be impossible to pay, as the rules of the game imposed a maximum limit of 500,000 euros. The bead with almost 10 million euros greatly exceeded this amount.
Faced with the refusal of the bookmaker, the player decided to move forward with a lawsuit. But the first courts he went through (Lucca and Florence) considered that the company had no obligation to pay, since it was an “apparent victory” caused by technical failure, according to the same source.
A decade later, the supreme changes everything
The turnaround arrived more than ten years later, with the decision of the Italian Supreme Court. Judges considered that, even with a computer error, the company has to take responsibility when a system generates and issues a valid bead. The decision stresses that if the combination has been printed and delivered to the player, the prize cannot be discarded only based on internal checks between computer systems.
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The Supreme was clear in stating that the center of the discussion should not be technical communication between platforms, but the fact that a legal proof has been generated, with date, time and value.
It also criticized the fact that Snai did not include the Barcrest company in the case, which, according to the court, impaired the transparency and balance of the lawsuit.
After all, how much will you receive?
According to the same source mentioned above, although justice has recognized the player’s right, not everything is good news. The Supreme has confirmed that the company will have to pay, but only within the legal limits defined at the date of the incident. And in 2012, the maximum award allowed by each machine was 500,000 euros.
That is, even though having a bead of more than nine million, the maximum you can receive will be half a million euros.
The case now returns to Florence
The next step will be a new trial in the Florence Court, which will only serve to determine the exact amount to be paid to the player. Everything points out that this value is even 500,000 euros. The decision was applauded by legal experts, who in this case see an important precedent for the responsibility of the companies that operate electronic game systems.
A reduced but still valuable prize
Although it does not receive the total amount you have seen printed on the bead, the player can finally close a chapter that has been going on for over a decade, says the. Half a million euros may not be the dream jackpot, but it will certainly help relieve debts or achieve postponement plans.
The case also raises questions about the reliability of automatic systems and consumer rights in technological failure situations in any betting home.
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