Hard Rock Bet accidentally handed out $5,000 to hundreds of customers taking part in a free online trivia game, and the operator says it will pay for its own mistake.
Hard Rock Bet Casino was running its weekly free-to-play online Live Trivia game on Wednesday for New Jersey players. Each week, players answer 10 timed questions on a single theme, with the topics changing every week. All players who answer at least seven of 10 questions correctly win a share of a $5,000 prize pool. The amount they each win varies depending on how many players answer correctly.
Or it should, at least.
However, this week, instead of the typical prize of a few bucks, every single winner’s account was credited with the entire $5,000 amount.
Hard Rock Bet told SBC Americas in an additional statement that 353 players each erroneously received $5,000, equating to a total payout of $1.765 million.
Hard Rock Bet’s president and executive managing director said in a statement that the company decided the best course of action was to let the players have the money.
“When made aware of the incorrect Live Trivia payouts, our response was quick and deliberate: the awards stand,” Matt Primeaux said in a statement on Friday. “While others may have tried to claw back the $5,000 awards – Hard Rock Bet wants to put our customers first wherever possible, not just when it’s convenient.
“Hard Rock Bet Casino is determined to provide our players with a simple, fair, and transparent entertainment experience – not one filled with terms and conditions, asterisks, and promotions that can never fully be won.
Hard Rock Bet only operates online casino in New Jersey. It launched the Live Trivia offering just a few weeks ago, in partnership with Playtech.
