Katrina Bookman’s settlement — Whatever happened to the $43 million lawsuit?

Katrina Bookman

Katrina Bookman thought she hit a $43 million jackpot on a slot machine at the Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York. But it later turned out that the machine malfunctioned and she only actually won $2.25. Not to mention, the machine’s maximum payout amount was $6,500. In what would become an infamous gesture, the casino offered her a complimentary steak dinner in commiseration.

Bookman proceeded to reject the offer and launched a lawsuit against the casino, seeking the entirety of $43 million in damages. Although the incident took place in August 2016, the case resurfaced after it became viral on Twitter with many wondering what became of the lawsuit.

Katrina Bookman initially felt that she should at least win the maximum amount ($6,500) allowed by the slot machine

Shortly after the supposed win, Bookman, a single mother of four, learned that the casino would not be awarding her the money at all. She was escorted out of the casino floor while the employees figured out what happened.

The next day, they asserted that the machine malfunctioned and hence “all pays and plays” would be voided as disclaimed.

The New York State Gaming Commission also confirmed the malfunction. The machine was immediately withdrawn from the casino floor and was stationed after it was repaired to reflect accurate numbers.

“I said, ‘So what did I win? [The casino employee] said, ‘You didn’t win nothing’. I can’t even describe the feeling. It’s like my whole body just got numb. All I could think about was my family,” said Bookman.

Her attorney, Alan Ripka, argued that she should at least be entitled to the maximum amount allowed by the slot machine, which was $6,500. However, the casino refused the claims and apologized to Bookman for the inconvenience caused.

“They win, and now the house doesn’t want to pay out. To me that’s unfair. The machine takes the money when you lose. It ought to pay it when you win,” said Ripka.

With no updates available about Bookman’s $43 million lawsuit against the casino, the case was likely dismissed

After failing to convince the casino to pay the maximum payout amount to Bookman, attorney Ripka filed a lawsuit against the entity on June 14, 2017.

He accused the casino of being “ridiculous” with their reasons and further claimed that the company refused to explain how the malfunction occurred, saying:

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

Ripka planned to seek $43 million in damages from the casino for causing “mental anguish” to Katrina Bookman and setting her back “significantly” in terms of monetary gains.

While it is unknown what became of the lawsuit, it is not farfetched to assume that the court either dismissed the claims or that the legal proceedings are still pending.

There is also the fact that in similar previous cases of machine malfunctions leading to jackpot wins, the court ruled in favor of the casinos.