Hundreds of people playing a live trivia game with Hard Rock Bet must have thought Christmas came early on Wednesday night, when, instead of a share of a $5,000 prize pool, each of them had $5,000 deposited into their accounts.
The company quickly discovered its mistake. But rather than trying to claw back the money and create hundreds of disgruntled customers, it decided to allow them to keep the money.
Hard Rock Bet said 353 people were mistakenly awarded $5,000 apiece. That totals $1,765,000 in payouts.
The state Attorney General’s Office, which oversees the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the state’s main gambling regulator, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
