A woman from New Jersey says she intends to file a lawsuit against casino operator Bally’s and slots developer International Game Technology over a $1.2 million jackpot she says the Bally’s Atlantic City is refusing to pay out.
Roney Beal, 72, claims she won the jackpot in February while playing a Wheel of Fortune machine at the Atlantic City casino.
Beal claims that multiple people around her looked at the machine’s results and confirmed her big win. But when a Bally’s employee arrived, they pointed out an error message that the casino said invalidated the win.
Beal says she wants the $1.2 million, plus the 2x multiplier she said was on screen, for a total of $2.4 million. And she plans to file for up to $1 million in damages from distress.
“Bally’s has no comment on this incident, as we’re only the casino who houses the machine. IGT handles the payouts and would be best to get a comment from at this time,” the Rhode Island-based operator said in a statement issued to media outlets over the weekend.
The Alleged Win
Beal was visiting Bally’s Atlantic City in February. After losing $1,000 throughout the day, her last session before calling it quits resulted in a big $1.2 million hit, with a multiplier.
She says she recalled specifically the words “Wild, Wildx2” appearing on the reels. Then a jackpot hit on the big wheel that sits atop Wheel of Fortune machines like the one she was playing.
Beal says other guests then came over and confirmed they saw the same big win.
“And then the people behind me got up and they’re like, ‘Oh, my god, oh, my god.’ This guy says, ‘Lady, you’re a millionaire. A millionaire,’” Beal said.
However, a Bally’s attendant then arrived, looked at the machine and opened it up to examine it. They told Beal that the machine had experienced a tilt reel malfunction and any winnings were void.
Beal says casino staff offered her $300 after she became frustrated at not getting the jackpot payout, but she declined.
Similar Cases
Unsurprisingly, this is not the first time casinos and gamblers have been at odds over claimed jackpot wins.
In 2000, a man said he had won a $1.3 million jackpot at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans, but that the casino operator, Caesars, said it had experienced a similar reel tilt malfunction.
In 2017, a woman in New York was told she won a $43 million jackpot on a Sphinx Slot machine at Resorts World New York. However, the casino claimed malfunction, pointing out that the maximum cash payout listed on the machine was $6,500.
The Genting-run casino offered Katrina Bookman the $2.25 it says she should have won with the spin, and offered to cover a steak dinner to make up for the mix-up.
Bookman did not take up the offer of either of those. Instead, she took the casino to court, and ended up with nothing when the judge decided against her claim. That’s even after she downgraded to asking for $10,000 in damages and the $6,500 max prize of the game.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
