In a previous article here we talked about how it’s not advisable to use someone else’s card, and shared that casinos can decline to pay out a jackpot or even ban a player for using someone else’s card, and especially someone else’s free play.
Since then we’ve been fielding questions such as the following:
My next door neighbor and I often combine our free play to play Buffalo Link. Could we be causing ourselves a problem? We leave the player card of the second person to put their free play in and that person plays until they hit a bonus and then we switch places until we hit another bonus, etc. We never change the player card during any session. The next time we visit the casino the other player gets to leave his card in during the session. It works well for us but we have not hit a Major jackpot yet. It seems harmless to me, but what do I know! Ha! Ha!
C.B.
We wouldn’t worry too much in your situation. The basic issue that has been raised in other examples is the player whose card or free play was being used wasn’t present. You’re both at the slot, playing together, so it’s not being done by someone else, and it’s certainly being done with the person who’s card and offer is active being present.
You might get into a little bit of a challenge if you actually do hit a jackpot, but not for being denied payment. They might require whoever hit the button to accept the jackpot and the tax burden, regardless of whose card was in the machine. Or they may require whose card was in the machine to accept the jackpot and the tax burden.
These rules will vary by jurisdiction, and sometimes even by casino, so there’s not a one size fits all answer to it. But because in either case the person who’s liable is present, there’s no problem from that perspective and it will ultimately get paid out (presuming you have anything else they may require, such as a valid ID).
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