Winning the lottery is a dream come true for many, but after one woman hit the jackpot, her dream became a bit of a nightmare.
Resorts World Casino, which operates in New York, has refused to honor the $42,949,672.76 mega jackpot that Katrina Bookman, a New York resident, managed to hit on one of their slot machines. The casino has denied any monetary payout and, instead, offered a steak dinner to Bookman. Needless to say, the woman has refused the compensation and plans to sue the casino.
Interestingly, Bookman had all the legitimate proof, including a selfie she took with the notification flashing on the screen that confirmed she had won the biggest slot machine jackpot in the history of the country. However, Bookman was asked to report to the casino management the next day, only to be informed that the casino won’t be paying her the winning amount.
The casino offered her $2.25 and a steak dinner—the balance left on the machine and the prize the casino says it was supposed to have awarded her. On Wednesday, Bookman sued the casino.
A Resorts World spokesperson says the slot machine was having an “obvious malfunction,” and the New York State Gambling Commission says the machine bore a disclaimer reading, “Malfunctions void all pays and plays,” the BBC reports.
Bookman’s lawyer, Alan Ripka, calls those explanations “ridiculous.” The lawsuit claims the “bells, noises, and lights” on the machine all indicated Bookman had won the jackpot, and she even took a selfie with the machine bearing the message “printing cash ticket $42,949,672.76.” “You can’t claim a machine is broken because you want it to be broken,” Ripka tells CNN.
Bookman, who is claiming “mental anguish,” may need help from Lady Luck: An 87-year-old woman was denied a $42 million payout by the Iowa Supreme Court in 2011 in a similar case of an allegedly malfunctioning slot machine.
Source: Fox25Boston
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