Katrina Bookman and the Resorts World Casino Malfunction Incident

In November 2016, Katrina Bookman found herself at the center of an extraordinary, yet tragic, situation when she believed she had won nearly $43 million at the Resorts World Casino in New York. This incident, however, became a legal and public controversy due to a casino malfunction that nullified her massive win. Here’s a breakdown of what happened and what followed.

The Big Win and the Disappointment

Katrina Bookman, a regular visitor to the casino, was playing a Sphinx Wild slot machine. Betting only $0.40 per spin, something unexpected occurred: the machine displayed a whopping $42,949,672. Overwhelmed with joy and excitement, Bookman started to imagine how her life would change. She had big plans, like helping her son open his own barber shop with a portion of the winnings.

However, when she tried to claim her prize, she was told by casino staff that the machine had malfunctioned, and thus, the win was invalid. According to the casino, the “Malfunction voids all pays and plays” disclaimer on the slot machine justified this. Bookman was offered only a steak dinner and $2.25 (the amount shown on her printed ticket), which she promptly rejected, feeling it was grossly unfair.