Woman sues casino after officials offer steak dinner instead of $43 million winnings

Her story made headlines last year.

Katrina Bookman thought she hit the jackpot on a slot machine at a Queens, New York, casino. The screen said she was a $43 million winner, but the casino said no dice. Workers claimed that the machine malfunctioned, but offered her a steak dinner and $2.25, CNN Money reported.

She declined and threatened that if the casino didn’t pay her the jackpot, then she would file suit.

The New York State Gaming Commission investigated and confirmed that the payout alert was a malfunction on the penny slot machine.

This week, Bookman filed a suit against Resorts World Casino, not only to get the money that she believes is owed to her, but to also have Resorts explain how the machine malfunctioned.

Her attorney told CNN Money that, "Does it mean it wasn't inspected? Does it mean it wasn't maintained? And if so, does that mean that people that played there before had zero chance of winning?"

Bookman said that Resorts was negligent and did not maintain the machines. She is also claiming “mental anguish” saying she had a “significant” financial setback because she “lost the chance and/or opportunity to win” on the machine in question.

She’s asking $43 million in damages.

Resorts World Casino did not respond to CNN Money’s request for a comment.

This isn’t the first time a casino’s machines have said someone had won a jackpot when in reality they didn’t.

In 2015, Pauline McKee lost a lawsuit after a penny slot machine declared she won a more than $41 million bonus in 2011, The Chicago Tribune reported.

The casino said the machine malfunctioned and the courts agreed, saying that the game’s rules set a $10,000 cap and no bonuses.

The court ruled that McKee was only entitled to $1.85 in winnings, The Chicago Tribune reported.

About the Author