One of the promotions that was running on social media about the bingo event.
~ Organiser: Court case filed, solution being worked on ~
PHILIPSBURG--What was supposed to have been a happy time for four lucky persons who won a US $100,000 jackpot to be split equally four ways in the “SXM Super Bingo” event held at Jocelyn Arndell Festival Village on September 28 turned out to be an unhappy one, as they have not yet received their winnings.
Reportedly, only a third-place winner received their prize and a second-place winner received half of their prize on the night of the event, but the jackpot winners are still empty-handed.
When asked about the non-payment, Bingo official Elwaldo Arrindell told “The Daily Herald” on Sunday evening that the payout is indeed postponed for a while because of incidents and circumstances that he will not discuss yet in the open. “That’s because of an upcoming court case that is filed already. You may understand that I do not wish to interfere with that procedure now,” Arrindell said, assuring that he is “working for a just solution for all involved.”
One of the distraught winners told this newspaper that she had been so happy to have been one of the winners of the $25,000 prize at the end of the September 28 event, after she had invested $300 in bingo and raffle tickets just to participate. One bingo ticket was sold for $150 and raffle tickets cost $50 each. However, her happiness was short-lived after she was told that she would not get her winnings on the night of the event.
The winners were asked to give their banking information and told that the winnings would be transferred to their account. This never happened. After following up with the coordinators of the event several times, winners were told that coordinators were working on it. The winners were also sent a message via WhatsApp in early October, in which they were told that key investors had pulled out, but they were assured that their winnings were guaranteed.
“The severity of this case has escalated, and is in the hands of our legal team. The lawyer handling this matter is not on St. Maarten, but out of Curaçao. We are diligently working on securing the necessary funding to pay all winners and stakeholders involved. The delay is largely due to unforeseen circumstances, including the withdrawal of key investors after misinformation was spread via social media – announcements such as the cancellation of the bingo event, reports of the promoter’s arrest, and confusion among attendees upon their arrival,” the WhatsApp message to winners read.
“Despite these challenges, we want to assure you that your winnings are guaranteed. We truly appreciate your continued patience while we work to resolve this situation for all parties involved. Rest assured, your concerns have been communicated to the lawyers, and we will keep you updated as advised. Thank you for your understanding, and please do note that the matter has the utmost urgent attention. Next update received from our lawyers will be communicated to you soonest received.”
In the meantime, the winners just want to receive their winnings.
