The Seminole Tribe of Florida has settled up with a Daytona Beach man who thought he had won a $166 million jackpot Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa.

Bill Seebeck had been playing the Bally Ultimate Party Spin slot machine for about a half-hour spending close to $80. The machine's bells began ringing and the numbers flashed the amount he'd won, according to wire reports.

"$166,666,666.65. So I was screaming. I was up and around screaming...and I have high blood pressure but it went up really fast," he said.

Seebeck spent an hour deciding how he'd spend the money. Then the bad news came.

Casino workers told him the machine had spun out of control, malfunctioned and he wouldn't be paid any money. The casino has since reached an agreement with Seebeck.

In a statement, the casino says:

"The Seminole Hard Rock Casino has made an offer to William Seebeck, and he has accepted, recognizing that the slot machine he was playing on Sunday malfunctioned, in what can be best described to the layman as a "computer glitch." The maximum payout on the Ultimate Party Spin machine played by Seebeck is $99,000, although his bet of $1.50 at the time of the malfunction could have generated a maximum payout of only $2,500, with the right combination. Determination of a malfunction was made by representatives of the machine’s manufacturer and software provider, according to established gaming industry standards, with confirmation from an independent third-party laboratory analysis. The casino has opted to settle this matter for an undisclosed amount as a good faith gesture, and we look forward to welcoming Mr. Seebeck on future visits."

The Seminole Gaming Commission and officials from Bally, the software maker for the slot machine, are heading to Tampa to investigate the malfunction.

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Four days don't make a casino, but it certainly could predict a bright future.

Flagler Dog Track, now also known as the Magic City Casino, averaged $472 win per machine in its opening four days, Oct. 15-18, according to Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering records.

In English: They made $472 each day off of each of its 700 slot machines. By comparison, the Isle made $168 per machine Oct. 12-18, Gulfstream took in $145 that week and Mardi Gras $100.

Now, admittedly the comparisons are unfair because a.) Flagler had an unexpected opening-day curiousity rush of people, a newness factor working for them and b.) they have only 700 machines, so "win-per-machine" is kind of bogus. The Isle has 1,459 slots, Mardi Gras 1,354 and Gulfstream 849. Flagler's average would dip if they had more machines.

Still, as I wrote when the casino opened, they must be doing some things right.

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After not having a $1 million slot winner in its more than five years of being open, the Hard Rock hit its second $1 million plus jackpot in less than a month -- on the same machine.

It came Saturday night, paying off $1,028,215 to a person who wished to remain anonymous. (Can't blame 'em.) The game was the Megabucks Video MegaJackpot and the woman played 75 cents per spin (the max bet).

If you're searching: the winning machine is in the southeast quadrant of the main casino, near the Council Oak restaurant.

The jackpot costs the Hard Rock almost nothing: That's because the casino is part of a Native American progressive gaming network that includes over 300 casinos nationwide. So each time a coin is played in a linked machine, anywhere in the network, the jackpot accumulates until it is won. The Hard Rock -- and every other casino -- root for the progressives to hit at their casino. It's the best marketing you could want.

The jackpot starts at $1 million, then increases as people play the machines. On Sept. 29 the casino paid the first-ever Florida Megabucks MegaJackpot of $1,110,779. They're catching up: In July 2008, the >Seminole Coconut Creek Casino paid a $2 million on a Wheel of Fortune Special Edition machine, and last November the Tampa Hard Rock hit for $2.5 million.

The Seminole Immokalee Casino got the state record on Aug. 30, with $3.5 million on a Wheel of Fortune $5 progressive game.

Megabucks was developed by IGT. A press release said she came to the casino for an “evening out” and chose the winning machine at random. She has no immediate plans for her winnings beyond “collecting them.” (You know, I was at a wedding early Saturday and gave a woman who liked gambling my card. I told her if she hit a jackpot to call me and give me the exclusive. Hmmm...)

Florida parimutuels have progressive slots approved, as part of new gambling laws, but it's being held up while the state and the Seminoles negotiate a compact -- it's all rolled together.

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A woman hit a $1.1 million jackpot at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tuesday.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, played the Megabucks Video MegaJackpot game.

The win came on a progressive machine, meaning a portion of each spin at Native American casinos nationwide are lumped into one large jackpot.

It’s the largest jackpot ever at the Hard Rock. The state record is $3.5 million hit by a man on Aug. 30 at Seminole Casino Immokalee.

According to a press release, a player’s club coupon brought her to the casino. When asked what drew her to the winning machine, the winner said she had never played the winning machine before, but "liked the way it looked" with the "spinning wheel on top," the release said.

Combined, Seminole casinos have now awarded ten MegaJackpot prizes totaling over $9.7 million. The Seminole Casino Hollywood is part of a Native American progressive gaming network which includes over 300 casinos nationwide.

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Mardi Gras Gaming Center and Racetrack is offering double and triple slot jackpots through Nov. 30.

If you hit a jackpot on the first floor they will double it; if you hit a jackpot on the third floor they will triple it. (I think part of the idea is to increase action on the third floor, which has a nice view of the dog racing but is a little bit of work getting to.)

The minimum jackpot they'll double is $1,200; the maximum is $5,000.

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A full-page ad in our Showtime section today served as likely the most information the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek has ever given out, and it shows what we suspected.

THEY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY!

Twice as much as even the hottest state-supervised casino.

"No Other Casino Stacks Up," it read, with a graphic of gold coins.

Then it showed slot payouts for four casinos:

Coconut Creek: $221,452,536
Pompano Isle: $88,548,255
Mardi Gras: $51,499,299
Gulfstream: $36,562,236.

Now, the bottom three numbers are public. The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering web site lists them each month, if for no other reason than to document how much tax money the state is getting (50 percent).

But the Seminoles never tell how much they make. Until this ad. They frame it as "slot payouts," meaning how much you and I win when we go there to play (I like video poker).

"We had conversations whether or not we wanted to do it, but it’s such a good story to tell that we’re having that kind of volume and paying out that much money," GM Steve Bonner said. "It’s a number we’re proud of."

He said the ad is a "positioning statement" for Coconut Creek, and that's why it didn't include the Hard Rock or the Hollywood Classic casinos (and everyone knows the Hard Rock will cream them -- and he has a point, that the Hard Rock is a whole 'nother game). Coconut Creek decided to do it now because it technically lost the "jackpot capital" claim this month when the Seminole Casino Immokalee had a $3.5 million payout, largest in the state, besting a $2.1 million payout at Coconut Creek last year.

The ad will run on billboards soon, too, Bonner said. Isle GM Michael Bloom, Coconut Creek's closest competitor, declined comment.

From their number, presuming it's true (and I do), we can glean:

If they pay out 92 percent (same as the Isle), they had almost a $240 million handle (amount of money put into their machines) in August. I get that number because the $221 million is about 92 percent of $240 million.

And they'd have a win of more than $19 million for the month (if they were a racino that'd mean $9.5 million to the state).

For their 1,500-plus slots, that'd be a "win per machine per day" of $400, almost double the Isle's and more than triple Gulfstream's and Mardi Gras'. Each Isle machine made $161 in August; Gulfstream's took in $122 and Mardi Gras' $101.

It also shows how far the other casinos are behind -- and that's Bonner's point, of course.

I need some comments here. I love numbers, but would like some thoughts as to what this means. Did you think they made more, or they made less?

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Dawn Olitsky of Naples won $1 million as champion of the “Seminole $1 Million Slot Tournament” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood over the weekend.

Olitsky earned entry into the tournament through the Seminole Casino – Immokalee where she plays regularly.

Participating Seminole Casinos include Seminole Casino Big Cypress, Seminole Casino Brighton, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Seminole Casino Hollywood, Seminole Casino Immokalee, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.

Her sister has cancer and the money will give her time to take off of work to be with her, Orlisky said.

Players from each of the Seminole Casinos earned entries to the tournament through a promotion that began eight months ago. Each "Seminole $1,000,000 Slot Tournament" entry included a four-day, three-night stay for two, two tickets to the Ice Breaker cocktail reception, two tickets to the awards banquet and a tournament shirt.

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A Bonita Springs man hit the largest jackpot in Florida's history Sunday, good for $3.5 million at the Seminole Casino Immokalee.

Christopher Detzler, 59, who said recent jobs including driving a truck and reupholstering patio furniture, hit for $3,577.517.97 on a $5 Wheel of Fortune wide area progressive. He bet $10 a spin.

Detlzer, who regularly play at Immokalee and at the Hard Rock Tampa, attributed his multi-million dollar win to a recent lucky streak.

“I was on a roll for the last two months," he said, noting he had his eye on the winning machine, but had to wait until the game was open to play. He had cashed $22,000 and $8,000 wins recently.

Said Immokalee GM Tony Sanchez: "I'm glad to see it happen to a regular customer."

The Seminole Immokalee Casino is part of a Native American progressive gaming network that includes over 300 casinos nationwide. Each time a coin is played in a linked machine, anywhere in the network, the jackpot accumulates until it is won.

(I wrote a 1A story a few weeks ago about linked progressives coming to South Florida's parimutuels once this whole compact thing gets worked out. In other words, there will be a similar jackpot available at the Isle, Gulfstream, Mardi Gras and Miami-Dade, eventually.)

Sunday’s MegaJackpot is largest to be paid in the state to date. It's also part of a hot run that includes three prizes of over $1 million each, including a $2 million prize July 19, 2008, at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

More coverage at the Naples Daily News site, reported by Steven Beardsley.

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You can say what you want about a parent company going bankrupt and poor publicity from a 2-year-old state investigation of out-of-control employees, but you also gotta say this: Of the three Broward County parimutuels with slot machines, only Gulfstream Casino and Racing can report gains from last year.

The state's July slot figures are out, and they support Gulfstream's argument that they're gaining ground:

Gulfstream had net slot revenues of $3.3 million this July, compared to $2.8 million in 2008;

Mardi Gras took in $4.6 million this year, down from $5.7 million in 2008;

Isle Casino and Racing reported $7.5 million this July; last year, it was $8.5 million.

Overall, Florida gambling is down about 9 percent, according to the state's web site.

Gulfstream issued a press release to this effect, documenting the percentage losses the two others have had, and quoting Michael Pollock’s Gaming Industry Observer: “The percentage gulf between these racinos is attributable, in part, to a commitment to keeping the slot floor fresh.”

In the Gulfstream release, Gulfstream VP Steve Calabro said, “We’ve achieved these results by offering our customers ‘the latest and greatest’ slot machines; fun and exciting marketing promotions on a daily basis; a safe and clean environment in which to play, great guest service and great jackpot payouts."

Meanwhile, the Village at Gulfstream Park project keeps rolling along, with a Feb. 11 planned opening date. The Gulfstream poker room reports solid tournament play, as its season-long "leaderboard" concept creates player loyalty. And there's momentum from last year's horse racing season, which industry observers (I'm not real good with horse racing) described as "excellent."

And so, you gotta wonder: Could this whole mall-casino-horse track idea actually work?

Why do you think Gulfstream's slot business is up, while the two others are down?

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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is introducing Boomerang Bucks Friday, a promotion that helps ease the pain for new slots players who happen to lose.

The promotion is available only to new Player’s Club members. As is the case at most casinos, Player’s Club membership is free for those 21 and older who present a valid driver’s license.

The Hard Rock promotion gives gamblers a rebate of 50 percent on losses in their first 24 hours, up to $100. The casino will mail coupons, rounded to the nearest $5 increment, to players within a week after their initial visit. Patrons then bring the coupons back to the casino for a free-play voucher.

The casino previously offered $25 in free play to new members, and sometimes a free lunch. The other Seminole casinos in Broward County offer similar incentives for first-time slot and video poker players.

Most casinos continually have new-player incentives going. Gulfstream Casino and Racing in Hallandale Beach is offering $20 in free play for new players. Mardi Gras Gaming in Hallandale Beach offers $10 in free play and $5 off a meal. And beginning Monday, the Isle Casino Pompano Park will rebate the first $25 a new player loses.

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Jaws slot machines are surfacing in Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood and Tampa.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is giving away four tickets to the Miami Seaquarium from 1-7 p.m. Saturday. Additionally, at 8 p.m. a prize drawing of four certificates for Miami Seaquarium’s Swim with the Dolphins experience, the Dolphin Odyssey, will be given away to slot players.

According to the casino's press release, the prize is designed to build excitement for the launch of Jaws Slot Machines and raise awareness about sharks and other fascinating sea creatures.

With a flick of a finger on the "shark tooth" spin button, the game begins with that trademark ominous John Williams Jaws theme, the casino says. Players can vie for one of four progressive jackpots and bonus games to keep them in the "water" and in the game, longer.

When Miami Seaquarium first opened in 1955, one of the main attractions was the Shark Channel, the casino says. At the Shark Presentation, animal care specialists feed 200-pound sharks while explaining the various species of shark that exist worldwide.

The grand prize winner will not only get to see the sharks at the Miami Seaquarium, but win the opportunity to experience the Dolphin Odyssey at Miami Seaquarium’s Dolphin Harbor. Guests kiss, hug, dance, rub and get up-close to the dolphins, plus swim into deeper water for more interactions including a dolphin ride across the pool. Participants in this program must be 52 inches or taller.

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The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has joined the multiplayer community slot gaming trend, adding Slingo Bonus Deluxe and Super Bankroll Bonus. The Isle, Seminole Coconut Creek and others have also tapped into the community gaming trend (I wrote about it awhile back).

Slingo Bonus Deluxe features a vivid 21-inch LCD screen and uses International Game Technology’s (IGT) highly competitive Double Diamond 20-line program. Three bonus symbols on any activated pay line ignite the “Deluxe” bonus round in which the player “flips” a blinking award card to reveal the bonus spins won, from eight to 16. Each spin sends the five video reels into motion. If a reel matches a number on the column above on the player’s grid or comes up as a Joker, the player wins a “spot hit,” earning him or her anywhere from one to 100 credits. Earning “Slingo,” which is all the numbers covered in a column, row or diagonal, or a full card (all numbers in the grid covered) awards additional credits, from 20 to 100.

Super Bankroll Bonus is a six-station community bonusing game with a five-reel, 20-line video slot that capitalizes on the popularity of AC Coin’s Bankroll. Like its forerunner, it promises to enhance the group experience on the casino floor with the excitement of a shared bonusing event. Over the last three years the original Bankroll has been placed in more than 400 casinos throughout North America.

Super Bankroll, at 7 feet by 6 feet 9 inches, entices players with jumbo-sized signage that features a scrolling display of a printing press printing oversized dollar bills while it broadcasts the song “Money (That’s What I Want).”

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The Isle Casino & Racing has created a bank of machines promising a 98 percent payback -- believed to be the highest advertised return in the history of Florida slots.

The payback rate is the rate that the machines, over time, pay back to customers. In this case, if you'd put in $100 time and time again, you'd get $98 back. Most Broward slots are at 90 to 92 percent. Casinos are required to post their overall payback rate near their entrance.

The bank of 10 games is in the $1 area, and is "very popular," said the Isle's Evan Lucash. They include "Double Diamond" and games from the "Triple 7" family.

“What we are trying to offer patrons is an excellent value for their gaming dollar,” he said. “If we continue to see a good response, we’d consider expanding it.”

But, again, regarding payback rates: There is no guarantee you're getting $98 back. There's no guarantee you're getting even $1 back. But over a long period of time...

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I wrote in the business section last week about a course teaching people how to repair slot machines.

Now if they can show me how to get one to hit a jackpot.

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OK, so Miami-Dade passed slots Tuesday.

My thinking: Gulfstream and Mardi Gras won't be affected much by the Aventura crowd, which still sees itself as more Broward than Dade, those places are closer to them than anywhere in Dade.

What I'm wondering about is west Pines and Miramar, with Calder Race Course just a few miles away. And whether other people will go to the fronton or the dog track in Dade from Broward.

So, southwest Broward folks, let me hear it. Does the Dade vote help you?

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Here’s my hunch bet of the week: Slots are going to be rejected once again in Miami-Dade.

Maybe I’m wrong, but the vibes don’t seem good for the three pari-mutuels that want to bring taxed slot machines to our south.

To read my full analysis, click here to the Mayo on the Side blog.

And then post your thoughts here, there or both.

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