Can you imagine yourself seeing a reward of $42.
9 million display on the screen of your slot machine? Winning large sums of money by gambling may sound too good to be true. Sadly, for one woman that was precisely the case.
In August 2016, Katrina Bookman was spending her time at the Resorts World Casino playing the Sphinx slot machine. After a while, Katrina was shocked to see a huge amount of money appear on the screen. The text said: “Printing cash ticket for $42,949,672.76.”
Bookman believed that this was the amount that she won, and if that were true, the sum would’ve been the country’s biggest slot machine jackpot. Unfortunately, she wasn’t anywhere close to making history.
Katrina took a selfie with the device and believed that this would finally be the end of her struggles. She had a tough childhood involving homelessness. Nowadays, she is raising four kids on her own, so she was positive that the win would change her life for good.
After ‘winning’ the jackpot, the security personnel quickly approached Bookman and pulled her aside. Then, she was told that she should come back the next day, and when she did, she received devastating news.
The staff told Bookman that the device malfunctioned and that she is in fact only entitled to $2.25. According to them, she didn’t actually win. As a show of ‘courtesy,’ the casino also offered Katrina a free steak dinner. “Really, like, are you serious? I felt insulted,” she said while explaining how she felt towards their offer.
While the casino sticks to the disclaimer stating that “malfunction voids all pays and plays,” Katrina and her attorney, Alan Ripka, remain convinced that the casino should be held accountable. They filled a lawsuit in which Ripka might pursue a $43 million payout in damages or at least the maximum possible win of the Sphinx slot machine which is $6,500.
“You can’t claim a machine is broken because you want it to be broken. Does that mean it wasn’t inspected,” Alan stated. “If the machine malfunctioned in any way, shape, or form, it’s not the fault of the patron,” he continued.
While Bookman’s winnings aren’t real, her disappointment is. It looks like the news of her lawsuit spread like wildfire, so we can only guess what its outcome will be.
Do you believe that the casino should be held responsible for the malfunctioning of their machine? What would be the proper amount for compensating Katrina? Let us know and don’t forget to share this story!