A woman is suing the MGM Grand Detroit for refusing to pay a $127,000 progressive blackjack jackpot

On October 30, 2023, Mrs. Denise Ezell visited with her friend at the MGM Grand Detroit to play at the progressive blackjack tables. These are games where players can place a side bet in hopes that their two cards will combine with the dealer’s to trigger a jackpot. Ezell had the jack and king of spades while the dealer had the ace and queen of spades. That was a four-card straight flush that qualified for a big payout. In total, Ezell won $127,000 from the bet and she was ecstatic. 

When she went to collect her winnings, the casino refused to give Ezell her money and claimed she was “trespassing.” Denise Ezell claimed that she had been to the casino hundreds of times in 20+ years. After she was refused a payout, Ezell was asked to leave the property and she has since sued MGM Grand Detroit for not giving her the money she rightfully deserves.

The casino claims “panhandling” against Denise Ezell

Denise Ezell handed her ID to collect her $127,000 in winnings on October 30, 2023. However, casino management reduced to pay Ezell and she was asked to leave the property. Mrs. Ezell had been thrown out of the casino back in 2015 after being accused of “panhandling.” According to Ezell, this entire situation is a misunderstanding. In 2015, Ezell was at the casino with her cousin. When Ezell started losing, her cousin refused to loan her money to continue betting. When casino workers saw this happening, they thought Ezell was harassing a stranger for money according to the lawsuit. Denize Ezell said that she and her cousin had a pre-arrangement when they gambled, so asking to borrow money was not out of the ordinary. 

Ezell was told that her being asked to leave the casino would last for 24 to 48 hours. However, she did not receive any notification from the casino via email, phone call, letter, or text to say that she was not welcome on the property. Denise Ezell said that she went back to the casino hundreds of times after the “panhandling” incident in 2015. Days after her big win, Ezell spoke with an employee from the casino who assured her she would get her winnings. Not too long after, the employee called Ezell back and said the situation had escalated “beyond his pay grade.”