Woman Who Won $43 Million At Casino Offered Steak Dinner Instead Of Her Winnings

Imagine having to choose between a delicious steak dinner or $43 million. Sounds absurd, right?

But for one woman, Katrina Bookman, this bizarre choice somewhat became a reality after hitting what appeared to be the biggest jackpot win on a slot machine in US history—$42,949,672 (about £35.4 million).

She was playing the slots at the Resorts World Casino in Jamaica, Queens, dreaming of the life-changing sum she believed she had just won.

In the heat of the moment, Bookman used her phone to take a selfie with the slot machine's screen displaying the massive figure, a moment she wanted to remember forever.

Credit: ABC7

She later described feeling "numb" at the sight of the transforming digits on the screen, a reaction anyone might have when faced with such a staggering sum.

The next day, Bookman returned to the casino, eager to find out about collecting her prize.

But her excitement quickly turned to disbelief when, upon asking what she would be taking home, an employee flatly told her, "You didn't win nothing."

The New York State Gaming Commission later clarified that Bookman's real winnings amounted to just $2.25 (£1.86).

The slot machine she had been playing on had malfunctioned, and according to the commission, the machine's notice that "malfunctions void all pays and plays" meant they were legally obliged to award Bookman only the amount she had actually won, despite the displayed figure.

As a gesture of goodwill—or perhaps an attempt to soften the blow—the casino offered Bookman a complimentary steak dinner.

However, a free meal pales in comparison to the millions she thought she had won, making it a rather hollow consolation.

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Dan Bank, a spokesperson for Resorts World, addressed the incident in a statement to CNN, explaining:

"Upon being notified of the situation, casino personnel was 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."

Feeling wronged, Bookman, through her lawyer, filed a lawsuit the following year, challenging the casino's stance.

Her lawyer, Ripka, criticized the casino's defense as "ridiculous," questioning the integrity of the slot machine's maintenance and inspection process.

"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 told CNN at the time.

"And if so, does that mean that people that played there before [Bookman] had zero chance of winning?"

Credit: ABC7

Eventually, the dispute was settled outside of court, though the terms were not disclosed.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Bookman, a single mother of four who grew up in foster care, shared that her immediate thoughts were of her family. 

"All I could think about was my family," she said, underscoring the depth of her disappointment not just for herself but for the dreams she had for her loved ones with the winnings that never were.