$3 Million Roulette Case Heads Back to Court in Michigan

A legal fight over millions in online roulette winnings is headed back to court in Michigan after the state’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of the player. Jacqueline Davis, who won $3 million on BetMGM’s platform, will now get her chance to sue the company after being denied her payout.

Good to know

• Jacqueline Davis won $3 million on BetMGM’s Michigan online casino in 2021.
• BetMGM refused to pay, claiming a game error.
• The Michigan Supreme Court unanimously ruled Davis can sue.

The back-and-forth started in 2021 when Davis, a Detroit resident, played BetMGM’s “Luck O’ The Roulette” game during a St. Patrick’s Day promo. She began with small bets, then upped her wagers as she continued winning—eventually placing the $5,000 maximum per spin. Over five days, her balance shot up to $3.3 million.

She requested a $100,000 withdrawal and received an email confirming it. But the next day, BetMGM froze her account and claimed there had been a malfunction in the game. The company later removed the game altogether.

BetMGM’s legal team told her lawyer that under company policy, winnings from a game glitch are void and players are simply returned to where they were before the issue occurred.

Davis didn’t accept that explanation. She alleged fraud and filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court. Initially, the judge ruled the court didn’t have jurisdiction and sided with BetMGM, which argued the Michigan Gaming Control Board was the only authority for such disputes.

But now, Michigan’s top court sees things differently. In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court said Davis has the right to take her case to court, even with the state’s Lawful Internet Gaming Act in place. Justice Brian Zahra wrote:

“The Legislature enacted the [Lawful Internet Gaming Act] to legalize online gambling. We would be remiss not to acknowledge that this shift in public policy may give rise to new rights under the law. Because our existing common-law rules may be ‘adapted to current needs in light of changing times and circumstances,’ the common law is particularly well-suited to address ongoing developments arising from the LIGA.”

Adding more fuel to Davis’s case, the Michigan Gaming Control Board later found that BetMGM violated gaming law by not reviewing the game within 24 hours of the disputed win. That violation wasn’t disclosed in earlier court proceedings.

Now, the case is heading back to Wayne County Circuit Court. BetMGM has not made a public comment, but during the hearing, the company’s attorney Norman Ankers told the justices that Davis’s user agreement with BetMGM clearly states any malfunction voids winnings.

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