After winning a $3 million jackpot, a gambler tragically suffered a heart attack and died while celebrating
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This past weekend, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore was the site of an unfortunate event. Marina Bay Sands is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Sands. An unidentified man hit a US $2.95 million jackpot. Soon after his big win, the man tragically went into cardiac arrest, According to reports, the man suffered a major heart attack and died on the scene.
Even with the man tragically dying after his big win, a payout is still due
Since the passing of the unidentified man at the Marina Bay Sands, there have been questions about a payout still happening. The man never received his winnings because he died just moments after hitting the jackpot. In a 2019 Reddit thread about a similar issue, an attorney said that the next of kin would be paid the winnings. They also had this to say.
“A casino game is a contract, and believe it or not, death does not change a contract. You made an agreement with the casino that you will pay for the chance to play a game, and if the game comes out a certain way, the casino will owe you a certain amount of money,” – said the attorney
While dying after a big win is quite rare, it’s happened in the past. In 2002, a player at Harrah’s Atlantic City won $10,000 on a slot jackpot. Moments after receiving $5,000 cash and a $5,000 check, the 61-year-old suffered a heart attack and died.
Gamblers dying after losing big is much more common in the casino industry
One of the most famous cases of someone dying after a big loss is “The Suitcase Man”. On September 30, 1980, William Lee Bergstrom took out several loans. He then went into Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Bergstrom wagered $777,00, roughly $2.9 million in today’s money. He placed it on the Don’t Pass line craps table. Later on, Bergstrom said he planned to commit suicide if the bet lost. However, he won the bet and traveled the world for the next four years.
In March of 1984, Bergstrom returned to Las Vegas with another suitcase full of cash. Bergstrom placed $538,000 on the same craps game and won his bet. That November, Bergstrom returned to Binion’s to a $1 million wager that lost. Bergstrom never recoeverd and he committed suicude on Feburary 4, 1985 at 33.
