Some wins last a lifetime… others barely survive a selfie. Katrina Bookman thought she had just pulled off the biggest stroke of luck ever seen on a slot machine in the United States. Nearly $43 million flashed before her eyes on a screen at a New York casino. Smiling wasn’t optional.
Yet in the world of chance, happiness is fragile. Sometimes it lasts no longer than a spin of the reels. What looked like a modern fairy tale quickly turned into a story as absurd as it was cruel, shifting from a multimillion-dollar jackpot to a simple steak dinner.
The Selfie Worth $43 Million… Or So It Seemed
It all happened at Resorts World Casino in Jamaica, Queens. Katrina Bookman was playing casually when the machine decided to give her the moment of her life. On the screen, the magic number appeared: $42,949,672. Not exactly pocket change. Faced with that figure, Katrina did what any human being would do in her place: she pulled out her phone and took a once-in-a-lifetime selfie.
“It felt like my whole body went numb,” she later admitted. Fair enough. It’s not every day you go from worrying about your grocery bill to imagining mansions, paid-off college tuition, and early retirement. Who wouldn’t? Wouldn’t you have started mentally dividing the money among family and friends?
The image was clear, and so was the number. For Katrina, there was no doubt about it. She believed she had just won the biggest slot machine jackpot in U.S. history.
“So What Did I Win?” — “Nothing”
The following morning, Katrina returned to the casino to officially claim her winnings, calm, hopeful, and convinced that her life was about to change. Then came the sentence no gambler ever wants to hear.
— So what did I win?
— You didn’t win anything.
Just like that, no sugarcoating. The casino claimed the machine had suffered a technical malfunction. The New York State Gaming Commission backed that explanation, stating that “malfunctions void all pays and plays.” A sentence written in fine print, yet carrying enormous consequences.
According to the system, the actual result was $2.25. Yes, you read that right. From $43 million to spare change for coffee. A plot twist so wild that even the most controversial VAR call in soccer wouldn’t dare make it.
The Star Offer: Steak Dinner Included
This is where the story officially crosses into legend. To make up for the “inconvenience,” the casino presented Katrina with a special offer: a free steak dinner. No millions, no oversized checks, no confetti. Just grilled meat.
It’s hard not to wonder what cut it was. House sirloin? Served with potatoes? Did dessert come with it? Because, let’s be honest, going from $43 million to a set menu is like winning the Champions League and being handed a used jersey.
Katrina herself summed it up with a mix of irony and frustration. “I feel like I should invite the casino employee out for a steak dinner,” she said. Dark humor at its finest, the kind that shows up when there’s nothing left to do but laugh.
The Legal Battle and the Maximum Possible Win
Rather than giving up, Katrina chose to fight back. Her attorney, Alan Ripka, made the argument crystal clear. If the machine accepts money when you lose, it should pay out when you win. Simple, old-school gambler’s justice.
By that point, the goal was no longer the $43 million, a dream already shattered. Instead, they aimed for the maximum payout allowed by the machine, around $6,500. It’s not a historic jackpot, but it sounds far more respectable than a tip.
Meanwhile, the casino stood its ground, arguing that paying out unrealistic prizes would jeopardize the millions of dollars they contribute to the state’s education fund. A legally sound argument, perhaps, though much harder to swallow when you’re the person who watched your life change for a few fleeting seconds.
