Yesterday we shared a question regarding Brian’s recent video poker win, seen in this reel. Today we have another question related to what transpired in the video:
So what are the laws on this? Does Raymond win the money and pay the taxes? I thought you didn’t let people push the button during group pulls because of this.
Vincent B.
Vincent’s referring to the fact that for a number of reasons, Brian presses the spin button on behalf of the player. This decision is in response to a number of reasons:
- Brian covers the taxes on behalf of the players in a group pull, and he has to claim the jackpots to do so.
- Many casinos and/or jurisdictions have rules that whoever pushes the button to make the wager is the one who is awarded the jackpot.
- If someone other than Brian pushes the button and is awarded the jackpot, a player could choose to walk away with the money, depriving the group of their win.
So specifically regarding your question, we look at the second bullet – whoever pushes the button to make the wager is awarded the jackpot.
This is an important topic for a percentage of you, as nearly three fourths of those polled on Brian Christopher’s YouTube page play slots with others at least occasionally.
There’s two rounds on Video Poker – the deal and the draw. To deal, you make a wager, and the first five cards are dealt. You select which cards you wish to hold, and then you press the button again to draw the replacement cards for the ones you didn’t hold.
Raymond pushed the button on the draw. But by the time this stage had been reached, the wager had already been made, which was how the hand was in progress. Brian pushed the button to make the wager.
So, ultimately, it’s still Brian’s wager, regardless of Raymond had a hand in the final outcome. Brian made the wager, claims the jackpot, and is liable for any taxes that comes out of it.
It’s important to know that this can be a casino by casino basis – not all casinos require it to be this way. Many do, however, to avoid complications if two people lay claim to a jackpot, and therefore there’s some overarching rule set they can refer to in case of a dispute.
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