Grand Princess Casino Antigua - Beware!

[hans2468]

Visitors to Antigua should exercise some caution when venturing into the casinos there. Certain casinos, including the Grand Princess in Jolly Harbour are host to a game known as Rainbow Jackpot. DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME!

Unsuspecting punters are enticed with the offer of a free turn to get them started. The game is played with a set of numbered ping pong balls. The object is to accumulate 100 points by scooping out balls and adding the numbers. A substantial cash prize is used as bait if you can get to 100 points.

Starting at $10, each successive turn requires you to double your bet. The game operator will actively encourage you to continue playing and may say that you are bound to win. When you run out of cash he will offer to take your credit card. Invariably the points scored become smaller and smaller as you fall just short of the 100 points required.

In a short time the player's credit card is maxed out. Since you cannot continue the operator will sadly inform you that have lost. Some persons have been taken for many thousands of dollars in a very short time. Clearly this is not a casino game in the generally accepted sense.

Several victims have posted their experiences on the web. Just Google on "antigua rainbow jackpot" to get their details.

If you conclude that Grand Princess is being less than forthright with its Rainbow game then perhaps you should feel a certain skepticism regarding the more conventional games being played under the same roof.

You can expect to enjoy your vacation in Antigua just as long you steer well clear of this casino minefield. By all means do others a big favor by sharing this warning with your travel agent and fellow travelers.

You should also know that the Grand Bay casino near Sandals on Dickenson Bay is owned and operated by the same people as the Grand Princess

[vinylweatherman]

Is there any evidence that the game is actually rigged, rather than playing on the need to double the bet every time.

If not rigged, a "whale" would be able to take this game to the cleaners, so I would suspect the casino is cheating in some way, and this would not look good for Antigua who are trying to look like a legitimate host nation for online casinos.

Such scams here in the UK turn up at travelling fairgrounds, and some booths in seaside resorts. We would NOT expect to see such a scam operating in a "proper" gaming establishment such as a casino, as it would be presumed that the authorities would shut it down very quickly indeed. If the authorities are turning a blind eye to this operator in Antigua, then why should we trust them to properly regulate any online operation based there?

[hans2468]

Hello vinylweatherman,

I encourage subscribers to research the available postings online for themselves using the search arguments "antigua rainbow jackpot". This avoids any notions of foul play or suggestions of personal rantings by one individual. Some posters have already observed that this game is based on an established carnival scam and does not belong in any bona fide casino.

To answer your questions which are all entirely valid here is an example of what is out there. I do know for a fact that several persons have complained directly to the Antigua chief of police, the attorney general, and the prime minister without result. There is a government appointed gaming inspector constantly on duty at each casino in Antigua. If they are turning a blind eye to this blatant abuse of the gaming concept in full view of the public how confident can one be that online gaming based in Antigua is being properly regulated? I notice that a high percentage of complaints against Antiguan based hosts are already named in the rogues gallery on this site.


PittPanthers
Pittsburgh, PA
5 Jul 2006
10/11 found this review helpful
We encourage you to visit Antigua and the fine resorts, includng the neighboring Jolly Beach Resort. It is an absolutely beautiful vacation destination. However, we HIGHLY recommend that you avoid the Grand Princess Casino completely during your visit. In our opinion, the Rainbow Jackpot game at this casino is virtually criminal and was our only lasting negative impression of the wonderful island of Antigua.

This game involves players randomly scooping numbered ping pong balls from a bin with a long pole. The game will appear very easy initially and then turns absolutely impossible as players approach the jackpot. The apparant reason for this is because numbers on the balls are often not as they appear to the player.

The numbers on the balls are so small and widely spaced that the very quick glimpse of the ball that that the dealer gives to the players can make the ball's number appear to be much different. The way the ball is rotated as it is displayed to the player can make the number appear far different than it is. For example, if a '12' ball is a beneficial number for the player to draw, the dealer will show 12 as the player begins working toward the jackpot. However, this doesn't mean the player is actually drawing a 12 ball. They may be drawing a 12 ball or any 'losing number ball' from 120 to 129' or a losing '112' ball. These 'losing' balls are rotated to appear as a '12' ball in the early stages, as they are quickly flashed by the dealer. Few players are going to question the dealer at this point, when they appear to be doing well'. This keeps the interest of the player and encourages them to invest more bets since the jackpot seems easily obtainable. No winnings are paid until the jackpot is reached, but the sunk cost of bets as the player works toward the jackpot are lost. As the player nears the jackpot, the jackpot grows, but the amount required for each bet also grows. The increasingly attractive jackpot prize distracts players from the actual size of new bets and sunk costs of prior bets. As the player closes in on the jackpot, if a 'losing 120' ball is drawn, it will be shown as the losing '120'. If you review the odds posted far above the player's head, you will see how very few 'winning' balls are really in the bin. If by chance, the 'winning' 12 ball is drawn at this point, it will be rotated to appear as a 'losing 2' or even claimed to be a 'losing 112' and displayed so quickly that it is not humanly possible for the players to clearly see that it was, in reality, the winning '12 and not '112'. The ball is VERY quickly tossed back into the ball bin and lost in the mix. This scam cycle continues so that the player NEVER reaches the jackpot. The player eventually quits or runs out of funds, at which point all costs of mounting bets to reach that point are lost.

When I plainly caught the dealer in this scam, he obviously denied it, refunded a few prior bets and give us a few free plays to try to keep us at the table. Fortunately, we caught the scam far earlier than many other unfortunate guests and were robbed of 'only' $60 versus thousands that could be very quickly be lost. We did not attempt any other table games at the resort, but the slots did not pay out to anyone in our group of 15.

It's a shame that such an unfortuanate situation is allowed to exist and sour this otherwise wonderful vacation experience in Antigua.
“Scams at Antigua Casino”

[GrandMaster]

Originally Posted by hans2468

Several victims have posted their experiences on the web. Just Google on "antigua rainbow jackpot" to get their details.

Well, the hits for "antigua rainbow jackpot" are copies of this message.

[winbig]

The most relevant hit I saw was from Tripadvisor:


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...d_Barbuda.html

Besides one comment regarding poker and another complaining about there not being any ATM's in the joint , there were 5 reports of this game dating back to 2006; all the same - with a warning to stay away.

[SlotsWizard]

In order to truly determine if this is a scam, more information is needed, such as:

1. Are the balls physical or virtual?
2. What is the largest number available on any given ball?
3. What is the distribution of the numbers that are available?
4. How many balls are chosen per turn?
5. Are the balls selected by the player or a machine?

Seven consecutive losses will cost $1270. Ten in a row will set you back $10,230. But one cannot conclude that cheating is involved without knowing the specifics of the game. You seem to have the demeanor of someone who lost a lot of money playing it. I'm not saying you are right or wrong, but more details are needed in order to accurately size up the game.

It seems that this game could teach a valuable lesson to people who think that the Martingale system is a good idea.

[winbig]

Whether or not it's rigged is irrelevant IMO. It's the operator(s) that should be drug out in the street for merely suggesting (let alone "persuading") people keep playing - even if it means taking out a cash advance on their credit card and/or maxing it out.

[SlotsWizard]

Originally Posted by winbig

Whether or not it's rigged is irrelevant IMO. It's the operator(s) that should be drug out in the street for merely suggesting (let alone "persuading") people keep playing - even if it means taking out a cash advance on their credit card and/or maxing it out.

I agree that it's a horrible tactic by itself, one which would never be allowed here in the states. But at the same time, it takes two to tango. The players voluntarily handed their credit cards over to the casino.

[hans2468]

Thanks to all for taking time to respond. I'll try to answer as best I can.

tripadvisor.com certainly has several posts on Rainbow Jackpot, none of them good. There are some others out there but they may not show at the top of the search hit list. Here's one -

http://www.wheretostay.com/caribbean...t.html?start=1

June 2006
Posted by golf47cart

"Also, Grand Princess Casino was a beautiful casino on the outside, with an empty atmosphere on the inside. There was also a corrupt game called "Super Rainbow Jackpot". If you are looking to give your money away, then play it. If you want to win, stay away. They took cash and credit at the table, which we thought was very odd to take credit at the casino table."


here's another (It also references tripadvisor but I don't remember seeing this one before now. This is really interesting because it appears that there are also several locations in Dominican Republic running similar operations. I had no idea!) -

http://www.superkenoscam.com/utiliti...PagePosition=5

Comments by From Trip advisor page on Thursday, March 10, 2005 at 21:09 IP Logged

RIPOFF!! Beware of the Grand Princess Casino in Antigua located at Jolly Harbor. This place is a ripoff. As you walk in you will be greeted and directed over to a "progressive" game. Where after a one sentence explanation of the way the game is played, you find yourself in the middle of the game. I lost over US$6,000 in a space of one half hour. With this game you use a four foot pole with a scoop at the end to get a ping pong ball. The balls have a number which correspond to the other numbers on the table. The dealer is very good about directing your eyes and attention to the table, so you almost never get to see the numbers on the balls. The dealer also lies to you by telling you that certain numbers are good for you, but in reality they are the ones that put you in a hole really fast. In essence those numbers required you to continue to double your bet, until you run out of money. Stay away from this place, and tell all your friends.

United States


1. Are the balls physical or virtual?

A. Real live ping pong type balls

2. What is the largest number available on any given ball?

A. Not entirely certain but apparently the set includes the numbers 112 and 120 thru 129 which all cause you to lose.

3. What is the distribution of the numbers that are available?

A. I don't specifically know that. What I can say is that players invariably draw a number between 50 and 80 on their first turn and then get progressively smaller numbers on each successive turn. This doesn't seem like random chance when every player reports getting consistently diminishing numbers.

4. How many balls are chosen per turn?

A. Exactly one ball.

5. Are the balls selected by the player or a machine?

A. The player uses a pole to scoop out one ball as they are all blown around in a jet of air. HOWEVER - it is grabbed and read off by the dealer/operator before being quickly tossed back into the machine.

Imagine a ping pong ball. Now put the number 120 onto the ball in black ink but space out the numbers - 1 2 0

What one player is suggesting is that the operator is using sleight of hand to conceal either the 1 or the 0 in order to manipulate the score. Its not too hard to imagine how this could be done by a skilled operator. He actually claims to have caught him doing it.

I don't know how I can "prove beyond any reasonable doubt" that the game is a cheat. I do know that I have been hearing horror stories for years and years about visitors to Antigua leaving in tears after a visit to the Grand Princess. It is true that their own greed got them into a mess.

There is a newsgroup site at http://www.geographia.com/cgi-bin/an...s.pl?pg=topics

Some years ago there were dozens of posts on the site about Rainbow Jackpot and for a time these could be searched and located from the archives. They appear to be no longer available which is really unfortunate. However, the game and its history are quite well known to the regular subscribers. If anyone here wants to get an independent opinion then by all means post a query to the group asking for any information on the Rainbow Jackpot at Grand Princess Casino.

Hans

[SlotsWizard]

Definitely sounds like a good game to avoid. Especially with all the 3-digit numbers, that adds a whole new twist.

Fair or not, it seems like a good candidate for "World's Worst Casino Game".