A WOMAN who had won a whopping $43 million prize was left disappointed when the casino offered her a steak dinner instead.
Katrina Bookman hit the jackpot at the Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York City – but her victory turned sour soon after.
.A woman had won an eye-watering sum in a casino slot machine[/caption]
GettyBut the casino had claimed a ‘malfunction’ and offered her a steak dinner instead[/caption]
.Furious winner then filed a lawsuit against them and demanded to be given her full prize[/caption]
Bookman decided to have a go on the slot machines and after pulling the lever, the woman was left in shock and her whole body went “numb”
The number on the display showed what would have been the biggest slot machine jackpot in US history.
The happy winner documented the ecstatic moment with a selfie – believing her whole life was about to change.
But the new-found millionaire didn’t get to bask in her victory for long.
After returning the next day to claim her prize, the employee delivered the sad news to Bookman, saying “she didn’t win nothing”.
Bewildered by the statement, the winner soon found out that the machine had malfunctioned and her actual prize was a mere $2.25.
The New York State Gaming Commision later said they were only required by law to pay out what she had actually won.
The machine had reportedly had a disclaimer stating that “malfunctions void all pays and plays”.
As a way to salvage the situation, the casino had offered Bookman a complimentary steak dinner in a goodwill gesture.
But the steak dinner is hardly a consolation to the woman who had almost become a multi-millionaire and had her dream ripped away from her in seconds.
A spokesperson for Resorts World, Dan Bank, told CNN: “Upon being notified of the situation, casino personnel were able to determine that the figure displayed on the penny slot was the result of an obvious malfunction – a fact later confirmed by the New York State Gaming Commission.
“After explaining the circumstances to Ms. Bookman, we offered to pay her the correct amount that was shown on the printed ticket.
“Machine malfunctions are rare, and we would like to extend our apologies to Ms. Bookman for any inconvenience this may have caused.”
The year after the shocking event, Bookman had hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit in which they described the casino’s claims as “ridiculous”.
According to a lawsuit, The Sphinx Slot Machine had “bells, noises and lights” and a message flashed up telling her she won.
“You can’t claim a machine is broken because you want it to be broken.
“Does that mean it wasn’t inspected? Does it mean it wasn’t maintained?” Ripka told CNN at the time.
“And if so, does that mean that people that played there before [Bookman] had zero chance of winning?”
Her lawyer Alan Ripka argued that his client was entitled to the amount displayed on the machine.
The lawsuit filed at the Queens County Supreme Court sought damages against the casino and two game machine companies for failing to keep the machine in running order.
Bookman who was raised in foster care, homeless as a teenager, and a single mom to four children, saw her life change overnight when she believed she won the money.
She told WABC: “I kept thinking about my family. The struggle I’ve been through, it’s hard to cope.”
According to Bookman, the incident left her depressed, anxious, and embarrassed.
The machine was only supposed to pay out a maximum of $6,500, and so a spokesman for the casino argued that it was an “obvious malfunction.”
According to Ripka, the casino offered no explanation as to how the slot machine malfunctioned.
But the case was ultimately settled outside of court.
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