Class action targets Interblock’s electronic craps commission

Gaming device maker Interblock is being sued in Florida by players convinced that the company’s electronic craps machines are taking too big a commission.

On January 20, a class action lawsuit was filed in a South Florida federal court against Interblock and the Isle Casino and Racing in Pompano Beach, the Isle of Capri Casinos venue at which the three plaintiffs played the Interblock craps game in question.

At the heart of the matter is the house commission charged by the Interblock machines. The machine advertises that it takes a 5% cut of player stakes on winning wagers, whereas it actually takes a 5% cut of player winnings on certain ‘buy’ bets, which means the machine’s commission can be as high as 10% of the stake. Some other types of bets carry an actual commission of 7.5%.

The plaintiffs’ attorney, Cristina Pierson, told the Miami Herald the only reason the glitch was noticed was because “someone did the math.” Pierson said her research on similar Interblock machines in other casinos detected the same flawed payout structure.