He won €958,000 on the slot machines at the Giochi del Titano gaming hall in Rovereta, San Marino, but managed to collect only €250,000. To obtain the remaining €708,000, he took the company to court, lost the case at first instance, and now risks having to mortgage his home to cover the legal costs.
At the centre of the story is a 44-year-old man from Mantua, who has spent years fighting a legal battle over a win dating back to 6 August 2018. The case was reported by the Italian newspaper Leggo, in an article published on 26 October.
That evening, the man was at the San Marino gaming hall with four friends. According to his account, he told his acquaintances which numbers to play on the MultiKeno machines, placing bets of €25 each.
Three of the machines are said to have registered wins of €250,000 each, and a fourth of €208,000, for a total of €958,000.
A sum that should have changed his life instead dragged him into a lengthy legal dispute.
The trouble began when it came time to collect the winnings. Giochi del Titano recognised and paid out only €250,000, disputing the way the other bets had been placed. According to the company, the rules did not allow winnings obtained through other people to be claimed, and prohibited certain transfers of money within the gaming hall.
The 44-year-old has always maintained that the money used by his friends was his own and not a loan. This account differs from the company’s version, which also cited CCTV footage and staff statements to support its position.
The dispute reached the San Marino courts on 5 August 2020, when the man filed suit to obtain the missing €708,000. On 16 September 2024, the Law Commissioner (Commissario della Legge) rejected his claims, ruling in favour of Giochi del Titano.
The judge found the way the bets had been placed through other people to be irregular, thereby excluding the man’s right to collect the additional, disputed winnings.
The man from Mantua, however, has not given up and has appealed the ruling, determined to assert his version of events, including through new witness testimony. Meanwhile, the legal battle has had serious financial consequences. Having lost at first instance, he now faces legal costs whose amount has yet to be determined.
“I’ll have to mortgage my house,” the man said, explaining that he does not know how he will cover the costs of the proceedings.
What began as a near-million-euro jackpot has turned into a long legal battle before the courts of San Marino. Still at stake is €708,000, which the 44-year-old believes he rightfully won, but which the company has refused to pay out on the grounds of how the bets were placed.
