Push the Button, Own the Prize: Who Really Wins the Slot Jackpot

Who Really Wins the Slot Jackpot

Online casinos have become digital counterparts of traditional gambling venues: some rules have remained, others have adapted to remote gameplay. On all platforms featured on our website, a unified rule applies: any winnings are automatically credited to the account from which the spin was initiated. It doesn’t matter who physically pressed the button – what matters is the account where the action took place. So if someone else uses your login and hits a jackpot, the prize will technically be awarded to your account. However, giving your login to others may violate the casino’s terms and could be grounds for voiding the win.

This logic also holds true in land-based casinos, especially in Las Vegas. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), the defining action is pressing the button or pulling the lever, because that’s the exact moment the RNG locks in the outcome.

What determines who owns the jackpot

Technically, slot machines operate on an RNG – a random number generator – that runs millions of combinations every second.

When a player presses the “Spin” button, the RNG freezes, locking in the current combination. That decision alone determines whether the spin results in a win or not. The animations you see on the screen are just visual effects representing a result that has already been decided.

Important: It’s not the start of the session or inserting money that matters – it’s the spin itself that legally and technically determines entitlement to the winnings.

Real-life example: a public conflict

A well-known incident occurred in 2017 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Florida. A patron named Jan Flato inserted $400 into a slot machine and asked his friend Marina Navarro to “press the button for luck.”

Navarro obliged – and to their shock, the machine hit a $100,000 jackpot.

Flato expected to get at least part of the winnings, but the casino awarded the full amount to Navarro as the sole person who performed the action. Appeals were unsuccessful – the story made it to the Miami Herald, and the friendship didn’t survive.

Table: who gets the winnings based on the action taken

*In online slots, winnings are always tied to the account, not the physical person pressing the button. Still, the key rule applies: only actions performed from within the account matter – not who funded the account or was asked to spin.

What regulators say

The NGCB – one of the most respected gaming regulators in the U.S. – consistently rules in favor of the person who initiated the spin. Even if someone else inserted the money, the decision is made in favor of the “active player.” The only exceptions are underage players or those who violate casino policies.

This practice is not codified in state law but functions as a de facto industry standard. Such cases rarely go to court – in fact, most lawyers won’t take them, as was the case with Jan Flato.

How to avoid a conflict

If you’re playing with a friend or family member, it’s wise to set clear rules upfront:

• Don’t ask others to “press the button for luck.”
• Don’t let others use your machine if you expect to claim any winnings.
• If playing together, make at least a verbal agreement beforehand.
• Never share your online casino account – it violates terms of service.

Expert quote:

“A slot doesn’t know whose money is inside. It only knows who told the RNG to stop. That person becomes the legal owner of any resulting win,” explains an independent gaming consultant from Nevada.

Final thought

Here’s the one thing you need to remember: in slots, the winner isn’t the one who funded the game – it’s the one who played it. This holds true for traditional machines and all online casinos listed on our site.

To avoid misunderstandings, follow one simple rule: if you want the jackpot, press the button yourself. That way, you just might walk away richer – and still keep your friendships intact.