Although not a big gambler, Castillo went with her mother to Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington, on Nov. While playing a video game called Jurassic Riches, Castillo’s winnings added up to more than $8.5 million, KHOU reports. The excitement faded after about five minutes. “I was very excited, happy,” Castillo told KOIN.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — A Fort Lauderdale woman walked into the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino earlier this week to celebrate her 60th birthday. She walked out a millionaire.
The woman, who asked not to be identified, won a $3.8 million jackpot Thursday morning playing a $1 slot machine.
It was the largest payout ever at a Seminole Tribe of Florida-owned gaming property.
The woman, who was staying the night at the new guitar-shaped hotel, had wagered a $5 bet before the jackpot was won.
'I am in absolute shock,' she said. 'You like to dream big but that's really big. That's not even in the ballpark of what you think you can win. That's a lottery. It still feels like a dream.'
Slot Machine Winner Denied 8.5 Million-dollar Payout Amounts
Although the earnings put her in a new tax bracket, the lucky winner said she'll be modest in her spending.
'We're talking about hurricane windows,' she said. 'We talked about resurfacing the pool or maybe getting a nicer condo after retirement.'
Casino claims woman's $8M jackpot was machine malfunction
Slot Machine Winner Denied 8.5 Million-dollar Payout Amount
Bob Massi discusses your rights when playing a slot machine
An Oregon gambler said her excitement quickly turned to anger after a slot machine revealed that she won $8 million, but casino staffers said it was broken, and refused to give her the prize.
Veronica Castillo said employees at the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington turned off the machine and gave her just $80. She had inserted $100, Q13 Fox reports.
'Somebody's going to have to account for why this happened,' Fox News Legal Analyst Bob Massi told Fox & Friends. He said an attorney could likely challenge the casino's claim.
Slot Machine Winner Denied 8.5 Million-dollar Payout Date
In a news release, casino officials said the malfunction was evident. For example, they say the machine's maximum jackpot is just $20,000, which gamblers can see before they insert money.
Many casinos reportedly display notices that claim no cash is awarded during equipment malfunctions. Castillo says that's unfair.
'To me, that's deceiving, it's cheating, it might even be fraudulent,' she added.