New York
native Katrina Bookman was playing at the Sphinx slot machine at Resorts World Casino in Queens when something flashed on the screen, which appeared to be life changing. The machine showed her that she had won $42,949,672.76, as
BBC
reported.
Being overjoyed with the amount she has won, Bookman clicked a selfie with the machine, which displayed, “printing cash ticket $42,949,672.76.” However, problems started when she went to claim the prize.
According to her, after the machine flashed what she had won, she was taken out of the casino and then called back again the next day. Upon asking the casino staff about the prize she had won, she was told that she had apparently not won anything.
All she was offered was $2.25 and a steak dinner. This naturally angered her and she decided to sue the casino and filed a lawsuit at the Queens County Supreme Court. Her lawsuit is against Resorts World Casino and two gaming companies responsible for the machine’s manufacturing and operation, as reported by
Vt.
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The complaint has charges of common law negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract. Talking to
CNN Money
, Alan Ripka, Bookman’s lawyer, said, “You can’t claim a machine is broken because you want it to be broken.” Ripka further added, “Does that mean it wasn’t inspected? Does it mean it wasn’t maintained? And if so, does that mean that people that played there before [Bookman] had zero chance of winning?.”
He further argued, “The machine takes your money when you lose. It ought to pay it when you win.” Despite the lawsuit, the casino remains firm on their statement that Bookman’s winning message was an “obvious malfunction.”
Woman sues casino that offered her steak dinner instead of a $43 million jackpot
https://t.co/9bX6mRqFMd
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— CNN (@CNN)
June 17, 2017
A spokesperson for the casino also mentioned that Sphinx slot machine is not supposed to pay more than $6,500. Moreover, the casino has also been supported by the New York State Gaming Commission, who has pointed out that the machine clearly shows the disclaimer that says, “Malfunctions void all pays and plays.”
However, Ripka has mentioned that “the excuses given by the casino were ridiculous” and they never offered any proper explanation regarding how the machine failed or showed the wrong message.
He also added that the whole incident has taken a deep emotional toll on Bookman, who already has a difficult life. She was raised in foster care, spent homeless days as a teen and is now a single mother of four. The money that she thought she had won would have changed her life but the fact that the casino is refusing to pay her is breaking her down.
As the alleged faulty device was reported and returned on the floor, Ripka said that they should at least pay the $6,500 to Bookman, as that is apparently the highest amount that can be won on that machine. However, as reported by
Casino.org
, the case ultimately went in favor of the defendants as the machine had truly malfunctioned and the disclaimer of all prizes being null and void in case of the machine’s breakdown was shown.
