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A 39-year-old Rock Rapids, Iowa man is in deep trouble after attempting to claim a $1,500 slot machine jackpot payout at Grand Falls Casino near Larchwood using his brother's identification.
Blaz Medal played the slot machine and won the jackpot, but when he went to collect the winnings, he presented his brother's ID instead of his own.
Medal was arrested on a felony gambling charge.
From National Today:
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation alleges that when casino staff discovered the discrepancy between Medal's identity and the ID he provided, he claimed he had left his own ID and passport at home. However, authorities say Medal's brother was not present at the casino. The DCI agent also stated that Medal owes over $10,000 in 'offsets', though the nature of these offsets is unclear.
While the incident occurred last month, Medal was only arrested on a warrant on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Why Use a Fake ID or Someone Else's ID When Claiming Winnings at a Casino
There are plenty of reasons why Medal would have used someone else's ID after winning the jackpot. The incident highlights how seriously casinos take fraud these days, though fraud usually occurs when it is someone else who actually won. In this case, Medal did win the jackpot in question.
Main reasons include the avoidance of having to pay taxes (any winnings over $1200 in most cases), outstanding IRS liens, judgements, child support, and if someone is banned from a casino.
His brother was apparently not at the casino, according to the agent who filed the report. It also came to light that Medal allegedly owes over $10,000 in “offsets.”
This brings us back to the outstanding IRS liens, judgements, child support considerations.
If a casino flags a gambler for offsets, it is typically tied to things like:
IRS tax debt → federal taxes owed
Child support arrears → very common trigger
State tax debt
Court judgments or liens
Casino-related debt → unpaid markers (casino credit)
On the surface, this may not seem all too serious.
If convicted, however, Medal could face up to five years in prison.
No court dates have yet been set in the case.
Medal remained in the Lyon County Jail in Rock Rapids in lieu of a $5000 cash or surety bond.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
