Woman sues New Jersey casino for refusing to pay $2.5M jackpot

A 72-year-old American woman in New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against a local casino, claiming it used the excuse of a malfunctioned machine to cancel her winnings.

Roney Beal visited the Bally's Atlantic City Hotel & Casino and played the Wheel of Fortune slot machine game in late February.

As a result, she hit the jackpot of more than US$1.2 million, and because she doubled her bet, her official prize amounted to more than $2.5 million, USA Today reported.

Immediately afterward, Bally Casino's security staff rushed to the crowd surrounding her to share the joy. But after a quick look at the winning machine, they informed her that the machine that operated the Wheel of Fortune had a "tilt problem", which voided her prize.

Beal told 6ABC Action News that a casino attendant then came over and opened the machine and allegedly asked her to "spin it off," which she refused to do.

Many casinos have traditionally asked players to spin off big wins. The idea is to avoid discouraging other players by leaving a jackpot result on the screen. Many players believe a machine that has just paid big is not ready to pay again, hence the request to spin one more time.

The attendant was allegedly hitting different buttons inside the machine, and it was announced later that the machine had malfunctioned.

Therefore, instead of paying $2.5 million, the casino offered her a consolation prize of $350, which she did not take.