Katrina Bookman's joy was short-lived after the slot machine said she had won $42,949,642.76 Casino Claims $43 Million Jackpot Was Malfunction, Offers Winner Free Steak Dinner Instead Inside Edition. A Queens gambler thought she hit it big until managers at the Resorts World Casino said her $43 million slot machine win was a technical glitch — and tried to pay her off with a steak dinner.
A slot machine told her she hit a massive jackpot, but the casino claimed it was a machine error and offered her a meal on the house. Now, she's taking this to court.
Katrina Bookman captured national attention last year when she played a 'Sphinx Slot Machine' at Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York, and it appeared as though she'd won $43 million -- which would have been the largest jackpot ever won on the slots in U.S. history. She excitedly snapped a selfie with the screen, believing her life was forever changed.
But when Bookman came to collect her prize, a casino worker told her she hadn't actually won anything and offered her nothing but a complimentary steak dinner and $2.25.
Bookman's lawyer said she did not accept either the dinner or the $2.25.
At the time, Resorts World spokesman Dan Bank apologized and told CNN that '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.'
The New York State Gaming Commission also said in August that the machine displayed a disclaimer stating, 'Malfunctions void all pays and plays.'
Bookman's attorney Alan Ripka says he has been fighting for months to get the casino to pony up more cash for Bookman, but to no avail. So, on June 14, he filed a lawsuit.
Ripka also says the casino's excuses are 'ridiculous.'
'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 CNNMoney. 'And if so, does that mean that people that played there before [Bookman] had zero chance of winning?'
Ripka also said he's asked Resorts World Casino to explain how the machine malfunctioned, but the company did not offer him anything.
The complaint alleges that Resorts World Casino was 'negligent' and did not adequately maintain their lottery equipment. It also posits that Bookman suffered 'mental anguish' as a result of the incident and she sustained a 'significant' monetary setback because she 'lost the chance and/or opportunity to win' on the machine.
The complaint also names video lottery operator Genting New York LLC -- which is Resorts World Casino's parent company -- and slot machine maker International Game Technology as defendants.
Ripka says he plans to seek at least $43 million in damages.
The casino did not immediately respond to CNNMoney's request for comment regarding the lawsuit.
The suit is similar to an earlier case against an Iowa casino.
The Chicago Tribune reported that a court ruled in favor of an Iowa casino when a penny slot machine indicated that a 90-year-old woman won $41 million. The court ruled that 'the game's rules capped jackpots at $10,000 and didn't allow bonuses,' according to the newspaper.
The New York woman who won nearly $43 million at a casino slot machine only to be denied the fortune says she felt 'insulted' and 'robbed.'
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Katrina Bookman, a mother of four, might sue Resorts World Casino in Queens after an August incident in which a slot machine she was playing indicated she had won a jackpot of $42,949,642.76.
But the casino informed that the machine had malfunctioned and her actual winnings were merely $2.25 and they invited her back to Resorts World for a steak dinner. She declined.
'I felt robbed,' she told Inside Edition. 'I felt insulted.' She added that hearing the news was 'very hard.'
The state gaming commission examined the machine and says: “The log proved that no prize had been won. The display of $42.9 million was clearly a display malfunction.'
The commission cited this sign on the machine reading: 'Malfunction voids all pays and plays.'
A casino spokesman said: 'Machine malfunctions are rare and we would like to extend our apologies to Ms. Bookman for any inconvenience this may have caused.'
Her lawyer Alan Ripka told Inside Edition: 'If the machine malfunctioned in any way, shape or form, it is not the fault of the patron. They have to make good on what they displayed was the winnings.'
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