Monday, September 11, 2006

As reported by the Miami Herald: "For about three hours, Freddy Howard was
showered with all the glamour and glory he had ever dreamed of. "The
struggling actor was told he had just won a $260,000 jackpot at the Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood in the early hours of Aug. 29.
".Then, Howard said managers at the hotel told him it was all a mistake.
".After parading Howard around as the winner of the jackpot for hours, hotel
gaming officials called him into an empty room later in the day to tell him
the kiosk that declared him the winner had malfunctioned, Howard said. ".In
a short press release, Hard Rock officials said they were investigating.
".The Hard Rock, as part of the Seminole Indian reservation, is considered a
sovereign nation -- so it isn't governed by state or local law. So Howard
may have no place to turn. ".Howard was playing the Swipe and Win
Progressive jackpot, a free promotion run at the Hard Rock that's aimed at
regular customers. Players swipe their Players Club cards as they enter the
casino. The cards accumulate bonus points every time a patron plays a slot
machine or game, according to the Hard Rock website."