Katrina Bookman thought that her life was changed forever after she played a “Sphinx Slot Machine” at Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York, last August. It appeared that she had won nearly $43 million. This would have been the largest jackpot ever won on a slot machine in United States history.
She even took a selfie with the screen which displayed her winnings. “I can’t even describe the feeling,” Bookman told WABC, “It’s like my whole body just got numb.”
But when the time came for Bookman to collect her winnings, an employee at the Queens casino told her that she hadn’t actually won anything. Instead of the $43 million, the employee offered her $2.25 and a complimentary steak dinner. “All I could think about was my family,” said Bookman.
Maintaining her beliefs, Bookman’s lawyer stated that she did not accept the dinner or the generous $2.25.
Similar to all the other machines in the casino, the slot machine that Bookman played on had a disclaimer which stated that “Malfunctions void all pays and plays.” When the news became public, Dan Bank, the spokesman for Resorts World, 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.”
Alan Ripka, Bookman’s attorney, believes that Resort World’s excuses are “ridiculous”. As a result, he has dedicated months of his life to get the casino to compensate Bookman for her troubles, but no such luck. So, on June 14, he had no choice but to file a lawsuit.
Ripka told CNNMoney, “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?” He added, “if so, does that mean people that played there before [Bookman] had zero chance of winning?”
He makes a valid point. There should be routine checks on all of the slot machines in order to avoid these types of situations. Plus, when Ripka asked the casino to explain in detail how the machine malfunctioned, Resorts World refused to give him an answer.
Claiming that the casino was “negligent”, the complaint also alleged that Resorts World Casino did not maintain their lottery equipment sufficiently. It also postulates that Bookman suffered from “mental anguish” due to the incident, which, as many would in this situation, is not surprising in the slightest. Bookman, who was brought up in foster care and raised 4 children all on her own, said that she went through a “significant” financial setback as she “lost the chance and/or opportunity to win” on the sphinx slot machine.
Along with Resorts World Casino, Genting New York LLC, the parent company of Resorts World and International Game Technology, the maker of the slot machine was named as defendants.
Ripkin’s plan is to seek, at the very least, $43 million in damages.
This lawsuit is quite similar to the case against an Iowa casino which suggested that a 90-year old woman had won $41 million. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the court ruled in favor of the Iowa casino and stated that “the game’s rules capped jackpots at $10,000 and didn’t allow bonuses.”
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