A Hong Kong girl teen turned HK$100 (US$12) into just under US$95,000 when the slot machine she was playing came up aces. But her ecstasy quickly turned to disbelief when staff at the Sands Macao refused to pay when they discovered the girl was under age.
Gaming legislation in Macau says that persons under the age of 18 are barred from casinos. It is however unclear on how gaming venues should respond if minors in fact gain entry and subsequently win.
After examining the case and meeting with the 16 year old girl’s mother, Macau's gaming bureau has overturned the decision.
"We have decided that the money must be paid, not to the child, but to her mother," the South China Morning Post quoted Manuel Joaquim das Neves, the gaming bureau director, as saying.
The gaming bureau has seen fit to temporarily bar the mother from Macau's casinos as punishment for bringing a minor inside.
