Woman claims she won nearly $8.5 million at casino; casino won't pay
NEWCASTLE, Okla. (KOKH) -- An Oklahoma woman gambling at the Newcastle Casino Friday morning claims she hit the jackpot for nearly $8.5 million, but she said the casino won’t pay her.
Maribel Sanchez told FOX 25 she woke up and left for the casino around 7 a.m.
She said she sat down at a Liberty 7s slot machine, betting $1.25 when she hit the jackpot.
“As soon as the machine said she won the prize, the machine shut off. It went black. She didn’t know how much she had won at that point,” said Linda Sanchez, Maribel's daughter.
That’s when they say things took a very big turn.
“It says clearly the amount that she won, but now they’re saying it was a malfunction and not give her the amount,” Linda Sanchez said.
Maribel Sanchez took a picture of the machine after she won and shared it with FOX 25. The picture shows she won $8,469,498.95.
“They told her we’re not going to pay you. It was an error,” said Bill Zuhdi, a lawyer representing Maribel Sanchez.
“It’s crazy how they want to rely on ‘it’s a malfunction’ when somebody can easily go up there and lose all their money and ‘it’s a malfunction, give me my money back.’ It doesn’t work that way. So, why would it work that way for them? It’s pointless,” Linda Sanchez said.
“We’re going to go through the process that is provided by the casino at this time. We’re going to look at all her legal options and aggressively pursue her rights. She should be paid what she won,” Zuhdi said.
We reached out to Newcastle Casino which released this statement:
"The claim is currently under review. We are following our protocols and working with the claimant through this process and as such, we cannot comment on this review."
FOX 25 asked the casino if it was a malfunction in the machine. They could not comment. FOX 25 also reached out to the machine manufacturer and no response has been given at this time.
FOX 25 went inside the casino Friday afternoon, looking at the Liberty 7 machines. Every machine is marked saying “malfunction voids all pays and plays.”
If Sanchez wins the money, she said it’s her dream to buy a house.
