Katrina Bookman Sues Non-Paying Casino for $43 Million

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(Newswire.net — June 28, 2017) — We’ve all felt wronged by gambling sites on occasion. I personally have had a number of grievances, from issues with nonpaying withdrawals to incompetent customer support staff and to footballers whose ineptness cost me as small fortune in potential winnings and a noise complaint from my neighbors. 

But minor shouting, scuffles and criminal records aside, nothing comes close to what happened to Katrina Bookman. 

Last year, Katrina struck lucky when she scored a $43 million jackpot on a casino slot machine. She snapped a picture in front of the machine, she prepared to tell her friends (and no doubt to prepare for a host of new friends) and to quit her job, and then she was told that the money wouldn’t be paid. According to the casino, the machine had malfunctioned and the jackpot wasn’t valid. 

But don’t worry, they told her, we have compensation for you. 

It’s almost enough to restore your faith in casinos, except the compensation was a steak dinner and $2.25, also known as “Screw you” money. Luckily, she didn’t take it and instead she set about trying to sue them. A year later, she has managed to do that and the courts will soon hear her case.

The Case

Katrina was quoted as saying that the whole incident “made [her] feel dirty”, and no wonder, because she was clearly fobbed off. It would have been the largest win on a slot machine and the fact that it came on a penny slot machine made it all the more amazing. But rather than getting her money, she was given a joke of an offer and then escorted out of the casino.

According to the casino, the mistake was “obvious” and the jackpot was never genuine. The machine also bore a label that warned “Malfunctions void all pays and plays” and this on top of the fact that the machine didn’t seem to have a jackpot of this amount, gave them a case and means that she can’t claim the money.

But Katrina is not claiming $43 million because that’s what she won. She is claiming that amount, but only as damages because of the trauma and the distress she has suffered. In many ways, it’s similar to a personal injury claim. It is a roundabout way of her getting the money she believes she is owed and I personally wish her the best of luck. I would have done exactly the same in her position and I would be fighting until the bitter end.

However, it’s unlikely that she will get anywhere near this amount. The publicity generated by this story and the sheer determination of Katrina and her lawyer means that she will probably get something more than a steak dinner, but it’s unlikely to be in the tens of millions.

Still, any amount in the hundreds of thousands or millions would be a victory for her and for all of us.