N.J. woman to sue Atlantic City casino that refuses to pay $2.55M slot machine win
A New Jersey woman plans to sue Bally’s Atlantic City after the casino refused to pay when she said she won more than $2.55 million at a slot machine earlier this year.
Rony Beal, 72, says the Wheel of Fortune machine displayed the word “jackpot,” after a spin, leading her and other around her to believe she won $2,555,910.32, her attorney Mike Di Croce said in a phone interview on Wednesday. The top prize was $1,277,955.16 and a multiplier also lit up, doubling the prize.
Not so fast, though.
Bally’s employees told her the machine malfunctioned and offered her $350, which the Shamong resident declined.
“She’s devastated,” Di Croce, said. “She’s a 72-year-old lady who has a heart condition and had a heart attack last year. Imagine your mom or my mom sitting there playing this thing, thinking that she won — and I believe she did win with all these people coming up and celebrating behind her. And it said she won.”
The casino workers tried to get her to re-spin, citing a “tilt” message that showed up when they opened the machine. Beal told them she would not.
The slot machine manufacturer — International Game Technology declined to answer questions, issuing a one-sentence statement that said, “regarding your inquiry to IGT about the jackpot-related claim in Atlantic City, IGT is cooperating with the investigation of this matter.”
Bally’s had little to say, too.
“Bally’s has no comment on this incident as we’re only the casino who houses the machine,” Bally’s said in a statement. “IGT handles the payouts and would be best to get a comment from at this time.”
The state Casino Control Commission referred questions to the Department of Gaming Enforcement, which declined to comment.
To make matters worse, when Beal returned to Bally’s with her husband the following day in February to speak to management, she was all but banned from returning, according to her lawyer.
“She wanted to try to get an explanation and essentially they escorted her out,” Di Croce said. “They told her to leave the casino and not come back, which is a very rude business practice for someone who had been going there for a very long time.”
The lawsuit will be filed in about two weeks, Di Croce said.
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