When Faulty Slot Machine Winners Sue for Denied Jackpot

2016-12-20 18

[US Politics – Justice]

Bookman’s joy over huge win was short-lived After making news headlines just a few months ago, the woman who was denied a $41 million jackpot won from a malfunctioning penny slot announced that she will be suing the casino. While this seems like an extreme situation, upon further investigation it appears that this is not an isolated incident.

Albeit the distress of learning that a life-changing win was nothing but a computational error, in the case of Katrina Bookman and others like her, what are these faulty winners entitled to and where does the casino legally stand when it comes to their demands for a payout? Playing a classic Sphinx machine at the Resorts World Casino in Queens, Bookman was thrilled when she saw the game screen announce that a spin won her a $42.9 million jackpot. Unfortunately, it is an impossible prize as the machine is set with a maximum jackpot, not a progressive one, of $6,500. When informed that she would receive neither the faulty amount, or the actual maximum, Bookman was understandably distraught.

The casino offered free steak dinners and a refund on the original $2.25 she put in. Bookman announced that she will sue for the $6,500, and considering one case that was taken to the Iowa Supreme Court back in 2011, her efforts may go unrewarded. The conclusion for Pauline McKee, a grandmother who won a whopping $41 million according to the screen of yet another malfunctioning slot machine at Isle Casino Hotel, was that she was only entitled to the $1.85 she paid for the flawed spin. In this case the machine was also set to a fixed jackpot of $10,000.

Yet another case like these popped up back in 2014, where Jennifer Carmin thought she won a $29 million jackpot at Indiana based Blue Chip Casino. Once again, this patron was offered steak dinners, which seems to be a popular form of compensation across American casinos, but was not even refunded the value of her bet. One takeaway from these stories is that before you decide to play any game for money, you should take the time to carefully understand what you can gain or lose to avoid similar soul crushing experiences.

You can find extensive information on established and legitimate games as well as online slot game strategies on CasinoSmash. This information is valuable whether you play seriously or for a bit of fun, since making blind when hitting any casino is a recipe for disappointment. Objectively speaking, the truth is that all slot machines, at least in the state of New York, have a sticker on them that clearly states “malfunctions void all pays and plays” per the New York State Gaming Commission. Before blasting the establishments, it is wise to keep in mind that casinos are not the only establishments that are entitled to denying wins incurred by technical malfunctions.

From time to time banks also make the mistake of depositing money into wrong accounts, resulting in the incorrect recipient often spending the money and then facing prosecution for doing so. The conclusion is that if you come into a fortune because of a system or even human error, then legally you are not entitled to the money.

In much the same way that a grocer that accidentally scans in a wrong price does not entitle you to a bargain, winning a sum of money that exceeds the maximum amount stated on a slot machine does not entitle you to millions. Whether steak dinners are the best way to console distraught winners of faulty fortunes, however, is something casinos should reconsider.

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