Veronica Castillo from Portland, Oregon, thought she hit an over $8 million jackpot at a Washington state casino, until the bosses told her that the machine had malfunctioned and there would be no prize.
Although not a big gambler, Castillo went with her mother to Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington, on Nov. 5.
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. “Then I couldn’t believe it.”
Casino bosses told Castillo the machine had malfunctioned, and she did not win the jackpot.
“They shut off the machine, took it away, printed out a ticket and gave me $80,” Castillo said.
According to the casino bosses, Castillo only won $80.
A sticker on the machine says a malfunction of the machine voids all pays and plays.
“I felt insulted I felt cheated, I was very disappointed very upset and then I started to think about all the people there. And then I got angry,” Castillo told KHOU.
Castillo plans to hire an attorney and seek the prize money, but she also wants to make sure nothing like this happens to someone else.
“To me, it’s cheating, may even be fraudulent,” Castillo told KOIN. “My first thought was, how many people has this happened to? They think they won, then going away empty-handed.”
John Setterstrom, CEO of Lucky Eagle Casino, told KOIN that an incident like this has never happened before and that he is working with the manufacturer to find answers.
He hopes to keep Castillo as a customer.