Casinos are a favourite pastime for people who enjoy gambling and taking their chances on casino games, hoping for a win or socialising with like-minded people. Sometimes, the hopes are actualised, and you win some. Sometimes you lose some.
But what happens if you win but the casino overpays you? Can they take your winning back? Let us take a look at what happens if a casino overpays and what steps you should take if any.
What Happens If A Casino Overpays You?
Being overpaid by a casino, whether online or land-based, is not uncommon. Many casino gamers have one or two stories of being overpaid. Maybe a dealer made a mistake in interpreting your cards or gave you a dirty stack when one was not warranted.
Or if you are playing online, the casino may give you your payout twice or pay you more than your bet entailed. Either way, if these mistakes happen, it's good etiquette and ethical to alert the casino and return the excess funds.
In a land-based casino, if the dealer has no supervisor or another dealer on standby, the mistake may go unnoticed, and you can get away with keeping the excess money. However, this is unlikely and would be immoral. Also, the casino may request the money back or reverse the win if they notice the overpayment.
However, in an online casino, it rarely happens that the casino will not pick up on the mistake, especially if the amount is substantial. They may then give you a time as to when you should return the money or take it from your account.
Can A Casino Take Your Winnings?
Casinos are required to payout winnings to the punters who won them fair and square. However, if you receive a payout that was not yours to receive, either through overpayment, getting paid for a losing bet or being paid twice your win, the casino has the right to take your winnings.
Remember that the money was not yours. It was only paid to you by mistake. So if the casino takes it back, they wouldn't be technically taking your money. Another situation where a casino can take your winnings is if they have previously made an incorrect payment to your account and you used it.
In that case, they can take your winnings to settle the debt owed to them unless you have reached an agreement about how you are going to pay back the money given to you in error.
Conclusion
In conclusion, casinos can make mistakes and pay you more than you won or pay you when you actually had a losing bet. The best and ethical thing to do in these situations is to report the error to the casino and give them back the excess cash.
Always strive to play within the rules so that you avoid any disputes or legal issues in the future. Who knows? The casino might even let you keep some of the money they mistakenly paid out, especially if it is not substantial.