In August, when Katrina Bookman hit the jackpot on a slot machine at Resorts World Casino in Jamaica, Queens, she thought she had just won herself almost $43 million dollars (around £35 million). And it's understandable, considering photo evidence (i.e. a selfie) showed the machine displaying her winnings ($42,949,672, to be exact—which would have been the largest jackpot from a slot machine in the history of the United States).

She spent the whole evening thinking her life was changed forever. "I can't even describe the feeling," Bookman, a single mother of four, told WABC. "It's like my whole body just got numb...I kept thinking about my family. The struggle I've been through, it's hard to cope."

But the next day, when she went to the casino to claim her prize, she found out it was much, much less than expected. Specifically, a casino employee said she "didn't win nothing."

According to the New York State Gaming Commission, Bookman's machine had malfunctioned—and since it had a disclaimer stating that malfunctions "void all pays and plays," the casino was technically not at fault. Instead, Bookman was offered a complimentary steak dinner.

Resorts World spokesman Dan Bank told CNN:

"Upon being notified of the situation, casino personnel were able to determine that the figure displayed on the penny slot was the result of an obvious malfunction -- a fact later confirmed by the New York State Gaming Commission...Machine malfunctions are rare, and we would like to extend our apologies to Ms. Bookman for any inconvenience this may have caused."

Better be a damn good steak.

(H/T CNN)

From: Esquire US