You go into a New Mexico Indian casino in 2006 and play a progressive slot machine; one with a very big prize, say $1.6 million dollars. Amazingly, you win.
But the casino says, oh sorry, the slot machine malfunctioned. You only won $400.
You appeal to the tribe’s gaming commission. They deny your claim; the slot machine malfunctioned.
You want “your” $1.6 million, so you file suit in state court. But Indian tribes have sovereign immunity. You can’t sue an Indian tribe. Case dismissed; the court has no jurisdiction.
You appeal to a higher court. In January 2010 the appeals court affirms the lower court’s dismissal. You can’t sue an Indian tribe.
Moral of the story: The house always wins.
The above is a very brief version of a true incident. Meanwhile last July another individual “won” $2.5 million on a slot machine at another New Mexico casino. Guess what? Her slot machine malfunctioned, too.