Age Disqualifies Teen-Ager From Cashing In $509,984 Casino Jackpot

A customer at Las Vegas’ Lady Luck casino hit a half-million dollar slot-machine jackpot Friday but could not collect because he is 19.

The gambler, who was not identified, hit a $509,984.65 jackpot before dawn. The agents of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, summoned by the casino, gave the young man the bad news.

“Absolutely, this is true. You cannot claim a jackpot if you’re under 21,” said Sue Burton, the casino’s publicist.

In 1987 a 19-year-old Arkansas man hit a $1 million jackpot at Caesars Palace and went to court after Caesars refused to pay. The court ruled against him.

Jack Witty, a spokesman for International Game Technology, said that in fairness to other gamblers, the company re-set the jackpot at slightly over $510,000, the amount it would have reached had the juvenile not won the jackpot.