Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

New Jersey woman says she won $2m on the slots at Atlantic City casino. But they won’t pay her a dime

The attorney for 72-year-old Roney Beal says he will file a legal complaint

Amelia Neath
Monday 20 May 2024 11:43 EDT
Comments
New Jersey woman won $2m on the slots at Atlantic City casino but they won't pay her a dime

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A New Jersey woman who said he has won around $2m on the slots in Atlantic City has hit out at the casio for refusing to pay out.

Roney Beal, 72, of New Jersey, made a trip to Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City at the end of February and played a Wheel of Fortune machine.

While Ms Beal was spinning the slot machine, operated by the gaming company International Game Technology, the wheel ended up on the word ‘Jackpot’with a dollar sign. Then, Ms Beal said she heard the words ‘You’ve won,’ with 3D coins appearing and a blue light going off.

"And it went off, says, ‘you’re a winner,’ and gold coins popped out," she claimed to 6ABC Action News. "This very nice guy says, ‘Oh my God, you hit, you hit!’ He said, ‘Lady, you’re a millionaire.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my God!’ "

The jackpot on the machine was more than $1.2m, but Ms Beal also said she hit the multiplier, increasing the win.

Ms Beal’s attorney is preparing a lawsuit against the two companies over the incident
Ms Beal’s attorney is preparing a lawsuit against the two companies over the incident (6ABC)

"That’s when the sentences came up ‘tilted’," she told 6ABC. "When the man came over to talk to me, he said, ‘Lady, get it in your head; you won nothing’," she claimed.

Ms Beal was told the machine was experiencing a malfunction called a ‘reel tilt,’ which she was told voids the win.

She told The New York Post that when she had hit the call button to summon help, that is when the tilt message appeared.

A casino attendant then came over to Ms Beal and opened up the machine and allegedly asked her to ‘spin it off,’ which she refused to do, 6ABC reports.

"He had it rolling real slow. He had it opened, and then he is pushing it," she added.

The attendant was allegedly hitting different buttons inside the machine, then offered Ms Beal, who thought she had just become a millionaire, a mere £350.

"They fooled with the machine before anybody else had the opportunity to take a look at this," Ms Beal’s attorney, Mike Di Croce, told the New York Post.

Her attorney wants a review of security footage and the machine to handle the dispute
Her attorney wants a review of security footage and the machine to handle the dispute (Google Maps)

The attorney alleges that the casino attendant may possibly have tampered with evidence of the win and is asking for the casino – and the machine company who is responsible for the payout – to preserve the machine and casino floor videos for an independent forensic review.

"You invite somebody to your business. They pay the money, they win, and you’re supposed to pay. That didn’t happen," Mr Di Croce said.

The attorney also told The New York Post that he is preparing a legal complaint against Bally’s casino and the gaming company, International Game Technology for $2.56m –because Ms Beal hit a $1.28m jackpot with a multiplier.

He also plans to file for an additional $1m plus emotional distress claim.

A spokesperson for the casino told the New York Post that “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,” they added.

An International Game Technology spokesperson told the outlet that it “is cooperating with the casino operator’s investigation of this matter.”

The Independent has contacted Bally’s Casino and International Game Technology for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in