Sorting out the slots after blackout
Slot machine players who were on a hot streak around 2 a.m. Saturday at Talking Stick Resort and Casino may be wondering what to do now.
The Scottsdale-area venue was evacuated after a monsoon storm caused a major power outage. And casino officials say the power was still out days later.
The resort and casino is expected to remain closed until Sunday.
An estimated 200 people were playing on the casino’s 844 slot machines at the time of the outage, according to casino officials.
Players with gaming chips or slot tickets in hand could exchange them for cash at Casino Arizona, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s other casino, beginning Monday.
Players who hadn’t pulled their tickets from slot machines before the lights went out will need to be more patient.
Slot machines like those at Talking Stick typically retain all gaming data when powered back up after an outage, the Arizona Department of Gaming said in a statement.
“These are very sophisticated gaming machines, and we fully anticipate that they will retain the information that was in the machine prior to the power loss,” said Caroline Oppelman, an Arizona Department of Gaming spokeswoman. “That’s pretty standard, but until the power’s restored we just don’t know.”
Casinos frequently encourage guests to sign up for player’s cards with incentives such as food discounts or free play. Such cards should also help the casino sort through who was on what machines.
Regardless, all play is documented as part of Talking Stick’s player tracking system, which the casino will rely on to verify the money that was in the machines, according to Ramon Martinez, a Talking Stick spokesman.
He said slot attendants took down the names and machine numbers of as many players as possible on the night of the outage.
The casino will need to verify all vouchers for funds and will work quickly to verify claims once power is restored and the system is verified by the regulatory agency, Martinez said.
“If we were unable to reach players impacted, we are encouraging them to contact us directly at 480-850-7708,” Martinez said.
The Arizona Department of Gaming monitors tribal gaming operations, but each casino is also regulated by a Tribal Gaming Office.
The Tribal Gaming Office is the primary on-site regulator of all gaming activities, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming.
Patrons who are unable to resolve disputes over wins and losses with the casino can contact the Tribal Gaming Office. The office must investigate all disputes involving at least $500, but may investigate disputes involving less than $500 at the request of patrons, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming website.