Judge Orders Gamblers To Return $1.5 Million Winnings Back To Casino

Imagine hitting it big at a Casino only to be ordered to return the money later on. A New Jersey Judge has ordered the return of $1.5 million to a casino from gamblers who won at a table game after realizing the cards had not been shuffled.

The State Judge ruled in favor of the Golden Nugget casino in its dispute with 14 gamblers who say it was not their fault the cards were not shuffled and should be allowed to keep their winnings.

A mini-baccarat game is where the trouble started back in April 2012. The casino was using decks of cards that paid a manufacturer to pre-shuffle, but the deck at hand was not shuffled. Once the gamblers realized the cards were not shuffled, they increased their bets from $10 to $5,000 and proceeded to win 41 straight hands.

The Judge said the games were illegal under state law because they did not conform to the state's gambling regulations.

"The dealer did not pre-shuffle the cards immediately prior to the commencement of play, and the cards were not pre-shuffled in accordance with any regulation," the judge wrote. "Thus, a literal reading of the regulations ... entails that the game violated the (Casino Control) Act, and consequently was not authorized."

The Golden Nugget casino bought what were supposed to be pre-shuffled cards from a Kansas City Manufacturer. The manufacturer did acknowledge it failed to shuffle the cards.