A woman is suing a casino after she was offered a steak dinner instead of receiving the $43 million in lottery she thought she’d won.
A woman from New York was left devastated after a casino offered her a steak dinner instead of the $43 million jackpot she thought she had won.
The incident happened in 2016 at Resorts World Casino in Queens.
Katrina Bookman was playing a slot machine when it showed she had won a huge $43 million prize.
The woman believed she won $43M in lottery at a resort
Katrina Bookman thought she had just won the jackpot of a lifetime at the Resorts World Casino in Jamaica, Queens.
On that fateful day, she was playing a penny slot machine when the reels aligned perfectly, displaying a huge jackpot of $42,949,672.
This amount would have been the largest slot machine win in U.S. history, and Bookman’s excitement was palpable.
She was convinced her life was about to change forever.
After the big win, Bookman eagerly took a selfie with the machine, feeling ecstatic and hopeful about her newfound wealth.
She hurried to find a casino employee to share the good news. However, her excitement turned to confusion when they told her to return the next day.
Upon her return, she faced an unexpected and disappointing revelation.
The casino affirmed her lottery winning was actually a machine error
Casino staff informed her that the machine had malfunctioned, and she had not actually won the jackpot.
Instead, she was told that her actual winnings amounted to a mere $2.25.
The New York State Gaming Commission later confirmed that the jackpot displayed on the machine was the result of a malfunction.
The machine had a disclaimer stating that any malfunctions would void all payouts and plays.
This meant Bookman was only entitled to the small amount she had initially won.
The casino offers her a steak dinner instead of a $43M lottery winning.
In an attempt to soften the blow, the casino offered Bookman a complimentary steak dinner.
For someone who had just thought they won millions, a steak dinner felt like an inadequate consolation prize.
A spokesperson for Resorts World, Dan Bank, stated: “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.”
Bookman felt frustrated and disheartened by the situation, especially after dreaming of a better life for her family.
Katrina Bookman has faced many challenges in her life.
Growing up in foster care and raising four children as a single mother, she had always worked hard to provide for her family.
The thought of winning such an enormous amount of money was a beacon of hope for her and her loved ones.
When she learned the truth about her “win,” her dreams were dashed, leaving her feeling defeated.
After the incident, Bookman decided to take legal action against the casino.
Her lawyer described the casino’s response as “ridiculous” and argued that the casino should be held accountable for the malfunctioning machine.
The lawyer questioned whether the machine had been properly maintained and inspected.
If it had not, they argued, it could mean that other players had been misled as well.
“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 said.
“And if so, does that mean that people that played there before [Bookman] had zero chance of winning?”
Ultimately, the case was settled out of court, but the outcome remains unclear.
For Bookman, the ordeal was more than just about the money; it was about fairness and accountability.
She wanted to ensure that no one else would have to experience such disappointment and confusion in the future.