DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A man who won over $9,000 at an Iowa
casino can't collect his winnings because he had been banned from
the casino 10 years earlier.
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that Prairie Meadows
Racetrack and Casino in Altoona can withhold winnings from a person
who has been "involuntary excluded."
The case involves Troy Blackford, who won $9,300 in 2006. Due to
the big jackpot, Prairie Meadows had to issue a W-2 for tax
purposes. The casino then learned Blackford had been banned from
the casino in 1996 for damaging a slot machine and it refused to
pay his jackpot.
Blackford's attorney, Ryan Beattie, says they're disappointed
with the decision.
Dennis Ogden, who represents the casino, says the ruling makes
clear that banned customers should stay away.
