We encourage you to visit Antigua and the fine resorts, includng the neighboring Jolly Beach Resort. It is an absolutely beautiful vacation destination. However, we HIGHLY recommend that you avoid the Grand Princess Casino completely during your visit. In our opinion, the Rainbow Jackpot game at this casino is virtually criminal and was our only lasting negative impression of the wonderful island of Antigua.

This game involves players randomly scooping numbered ping pong balls from a bin with a long pole. The game will appear very easy initially and then turns absolutely impossible as players approach the jackpot. The apparant reason for this is because numbers on the balls are often not as they appear to the player.

The numbers on the balls are so small and widely spaced that the very quick glimpse of the ball that that the dealer gives to the players can make the ball's number appear to be much different. The way the ball is rotated as it is displayed to the player can make the number appear far different than it is. For example, if a '12' ball is a beneficial number for the player to draw, the dealer will show 12 as the player begins working toward the jackpot. However, this doesn't mean the player is actually drawing a 12 ball. They may be drawing a 12 ball or any 'losing number ball' from 120 to 129' or a losing '112' ball. These 'losing' balls are rotated to appear as a '12' ball in the early stages, as they are quickly flashed by the dealer. Few players are going to question the dealer at this point, when they appear to be doing well'. This keeps the interest of the player and encourages them to invest more bets since the jackpot seems easily obtainable. No winnings are paid until the jackpot is reached, but the sunk cost of bets as the player works toward the jackpot are lost. As the player nears the jackpot, the jackpot grows, but the amount required for each bet also grows. The increasingly attractive jackpot prize distracts players from the actual size of new bets and sunk costs of prior bets. As the player closes in on the jackpot, if a 'losing 120' ball is drawn, it will be shown as the losing '120'. If you review the odds posted far above the player's head, you will see how very few 'winning' balls are really in the bin. If by chance, the 'winning' 12 ball is drawn at this point, it will be rotated to appear as a 'losing 2' or even claimed to be a 'losing 112' and displayed so quickly that it is not humanly possible for the players to clearly see that it was, in reality, the winning '12 and not '112'. The ball is VERY quickly tossed back into the ball bin and lost in the mix. This scam cycle continues so that the player NEVER reaches the jackpot. The player eventually quits or runs out of funds, at which point all costs of mounting bets to reach that point are lost.

When I plainly caught the dealer in this scam, he obviously denied it, refunded a few prior bets and give us a few free plays to try to keep us at the table. Fortunately, we caught the scam far earlier than many other unfortunate guests and were robbed of 'only' $60 versus thousands that could be very quickly be lost. We did not attempt any other table games at the resort, but the slots did not pay out to anyone in our group of 15.

It's a shame that such an unfortuanate situation is allowed to exist and sour this otherwise wonderful vacation experience in Antigua.