Woman sues Bally's Atlantic City over $2.5M slot machine jackpot denial
A legal battle over a disputed $2.5 million jackpot is heading to trial after a federal judge refused to dismiss the case. Roney Beal, a player at Bally's Atlantic City, claims the casino wrongly denied her winnings from a Wheel of Fortune slot machine. The lawsuit now centres on whether the casino breached its contract by withholding the payout.
The dispute began when Beal triggered a $2.5 million win on a Wide Area Progressive slot machine in June 2023. Casino staff reportedly intervened, declaring the result invalid due to a 'tilt' errorโa technical malfunction. Beal's legal team argues that employees tampered with the machine after the win, violating the terms of the aleatory contract formed when she placed her bet.
Bally's maintains that the malfunction voided the payout, citing industry standards and past rulings. In similar cases, courts have held that casinos are not required to honour winnings from faulty machines unless fraud is proven. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is separately investigating the incident. The case was initially filed in state court but moved to federal jurisdiction. Earlier, a negligence claim was dismissed, leaving only the breach-of-contract argument. Judge Christine O'Hearn recently rejected Bally's motion to dismiss, allowing Beal's lawsuit to proceed in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey. Legal precedent, including *Nevada v. Tate*, supports casinos in such disputes. Players typically bear the burden of proving intentional deception rather than a mechanical failure. Beal's team will now need to demonstrate that Bally's acted improperly in denying the jackpot.
The trial will determine whether Bally's must pay the disputed $2.5 million. A ruling in Beal's favour could set a new standard for how casinos handle technical malfunctions. The outcome may also influence future cases involving slot machine payouts and player protections.
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