Opinion ID: 2636967
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Alignment anywhere on pay line

Text: Finally, Sengel argues that the language on the machine, On payline with two quarters in wins progressive, only requires that the symbols need be anywhere on the pay line, not perfectly aligned with the other symbols and not necessarily bisected by the pay line. The only evidence in support of this proposition is the testimony of Sengel's expert witness, a former slot manager who retired twenty years ago. The expert opined that the malfunction alignment was a winning alignment because all the symbols were cut somewhere by the pay line. He stated that a jackpot symbol is a winning symbol if it stops anywhere on the pay line, regardless of whether it is aligned with the other symbols. The Board, however, was free to discount the expert's testimony because he had been out of the gaming industry for twenty years. The Board was free to give more weight to an express term on the face of the slot machine, the picture on the pay table showing an even alignment of jackpot symbols, than to the opinion of a retired casino manager. There was evidence on the pay table located on the face of the machine that the symbols had to be evenly aligned and there was evidence that the symbols were in fact not in the even alignment shown on the pay table. Accordingly, the Board's conclusion that Sengel did not have a valid win was not arbitrary or capricious or contrary to law. In closing, we note that both parties have advanced public policy arguments in support of their positions. While we appreciate the tension between these and other competing public policies, it is not this court's role to dictate public policy in gaming. The State Legislature, in enacting the legislative scheme of which NRS 463.3666 is a part, has empowered the Nevada Gaming Control Board, not this court, to make these policy decisions.