Maribel was frozen in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing with her own two eyes. Not once did she think that this was possible, yet here she was. She turned to her mother and muttered, “I’ve won.” It took her a little while before she could process what had just happened. To say the least, she did not expect this when she went to the casino. Once she got her legs to stop shaking, she decided to claim the prize. It was going to turn things around for her but in the way that she expected! She had already been dreaming of everything that she could buy with her newfound fortune, but an attendant put a stop to all of her plans.
She Was Just A Normal Woman
Maribel Sanchez was not a gambling fan at all. She did not make enough money to squander her pay on such frivolous things. On top of that, she did not think that she was a fortunate person. When her mom suggested that they go to the Newcastle Casino, this all changed. She had no idea that she would get fortunate… only for her luck to disappear in the blink of an eye.
She Was Just A Normal Woman
Spending Time With Her Mom
A shiver went down her spine as she entered the casino. She did not pay much attention to this ominous feeling, but this turned out to be a mistake. Maribel and her mom went to the casino floor and headed for the slot machines. All of a sudden, she heard an unexpected noise that made her freeze in her spot.
Spending Time With Her Mom
They Heard A Woman Screaming
The scream pierced the air across the entire room. Maribel heard a person shouting, but she could only make out a couple of words: “They’re all liars!” This intrigued her. Upon taking a better look at what was going on, she saw the angry middle-aged woman escorted out by security. Her fury was palpable as she tried to warn everyone in there, “They’re all hiding something!”
They Heard A Woman Screaming
Asking Them To Listen To Her
This woman did not plan to leave without causing a scene. “Everybody listen up, they’re lying to all of you and they’re hiding something!” she yelled at all the other guests, who could only watch her as she was dragged out of the casino. Maribel found it strange, as did her mother. However, this was only the beginning for the two of them. They did not know what the casino had in store for them…
Asking Them To Listen To Her
Sitting Down By The Slot Machine
Once security escorted the woman out of the room, it felt like everyone forgot about her immediately. Maribel and her mother turned their attention to the slot machines. They just wanted to have a good time. This was their best option because Maribel did not feel comfortable going to the tables. She took a seat in front of one of the machines while her mom sat beside her. Was luck going to be on their side?
Sitting Down By The Slot Machine
Not In It To Win It
Maribel worked as a loan officer and worked hard hours to make ends meet. She slid a coin into the machine, thinking that she would not really lose anything. After all, she did not go there to play hard. It was only an opportunity to spend some time with her mom. She turned the lever slowly and did not pay a ton of attention to the spinning pictures. All of a sudden, her jaw hit the floor when they stopped.
Not In It To Win It
Adrenaline Took Over Her Body
Maribel would have been happy with a few bucks in winnings, but the slot machine showed that she had won $8.5 million. It was not at all something that she expected. She could feel the adrenaline rush as the reality sunk in. Her stomach twisted as she turned to her mom, who had been sitting one machine away.
Adrenaline Took Over Her Body
What The Screen Said
Her head would not stop spinning. At first, Maribel wondered if her mind was trying to trick her. But the image in front of her did not change no matter how long she stared at it. Still in shock, she shook her mom’s hands. The older woman could not believe it either. This meant that they had just won millions!
What The Screen Said
Dreaming Of A New Life
Even then, Maribel already knew what to do with the money. The first thing on her mind was to go on a luxurious vacation. It would be nice to visit the Bahamas since everyone always called it a great holiday destination. She wanted to buy a new house and car as well. As you can see, she was more than thrilled with this windfall. She snapped a photo of the screen, but the machine turned off as soon as she did.
Dreaming Of A New Life
The Screen Went Black All Of A Sudden
She stared at the dark screen but did not think much of it. After all, she already had proof that she won. The machine had already declared that she won $8.5 million. She had a photo of it on her phone to prove it. The next thing to do was to claim it. This was the moment that things started to go wrong.
The Screen Went Black All Of A Sudden
Feeling Like The Luckiest Person Alive
Maribel was still in shock over the fact that she won this much money. It felt like she was the luckiest person on the planet. Sadly, this feeling did not last long. She was bursting with happiness as she went up to a casino employee in the hopes of claiming the winnings. Sadly, they had bad news for her.
Feeling Like The Luckiest Person Alive
They Unplugged The Slot Machine
When she spoke to the worker, the employee went to the machine and unplugged it. Not only that, but they also said that Maribel could not claim that much money. They took the machine away and only gave her $100. It was a good thing that she had a photo of the winnings before the screen went black.
They Unplugged The Slot Machine
The Unfairness Of It All
Maribel felt a wave of disappointment over the way things turned out. She had been the happiest she had ever been, but the attendant ripped this away from her. How could they do this to her? It was so unfair. There was no way that this was right. She was furious. What right did they have to do this?
The Unfairness Of It All
She Was Not Happy At All
She brought this up with the manager right away. They had already given her $100, which was only a fraction of her supposed winnings. Aside from that, they tried to make the deal sweeter by offering the pair a guest suite for that weekend with free dining to boot. This was their way to apologize, but Maribel was still unhappy. She would not be pleased until they gave her the money that was rightfully hers.
She Was Not Happy At All
Just Another Form Of Cheating
“To me, it’s cheating, maybe even fraudulent,” Maribel explained. “My first thought was, ‘how many people has this happened to?’ They think they’ve won, then go away empty-handed.” She did not want their “apology” or complimentary services. No, the only thing she wanted was to claim her winnings. An explanation would be nice as well. There was no way she would let them get away with cheating!
Just Another Form Of Cheating
Escalating The Matter To The CEO
Maribel decided to bring the matter all the way to the highest rung on the ladder. John Setterstrom, the CEO of the Newcastle Casino, told her that it was the first time that he had heard of a guest being denied of their jackpot. It was clear that things went very wrong. The reason she would not receive the prize money was not what she expected. Needless to say, it was still hard for her to swallow it.
Escalating The Matter To The CEO
It Was A Broken Machine
The employee at the casino said that the machine had just been malfunctioning. This was why Maribel was shown the sticker on it. The sign said that payouts do not count if the slot machine breaks. She could not believe it. This was the most unfair thing that has ever happened to her. While she was neither a confrontational nor vengeful person, she wanted to make the casino pay for this.
It Was A Broken Machine
Taking The Matter To Social Media
She must have been very relieved that she snapped a photo of the screen before the machine died. Maribel took to social media to share the picture of her winnings and said that the casino refused to give her the money. The post went viral several hours after she posted it. Despite this, she was not content with simply naming and shaming them online. She knew that she had to go even deeper than this.
Taking The Matter To Social Media
She Had No Other Choice
Maribel wanted to raise awareness about the way casinos work when people win big. She wanted to share her story to show just how unfair the whole system can be. By doing this, she hoped that no one would have to go through the same thing that she did. After the post went viral, the casino decided to take matters into its own hands by releasing its very own official statement. What did they have to say?
She Had No Other Choice
The Official Statement Of The Casino
“Rocket Gaming Systems, the machine manufacturer, is in the process of conducting a forensic investigation to determine the cause of the display malfunction that occurred on the machine Ms. Castillo was playing,” said the casino. “This machine offers a maximum jackpot of $20,000 if a maximum bet is placed on all lines,” its official statement went on to say, “The maximum jackpot that could have been won based on the number of lines and credits she was betting is $6,000.”
The Official Statement Of The Casino
They Did Not Run Out Of Excuses
“We deeply regret that she temporarily experienced an incorrect credit display while the machine began its process of metering down after the display malfunction,” said a representative of the casino. The spokesperson also added that an agent at the casino reported how the slot machine had been acting “odd” before it started “spinning backwards.” Does this kind of thing happen often?
They Did Not Run Out Of Excuses
It Was An “Extremely Rare” Incident
The truth is that the gambling industry, as a whole, is regulated in the United States. This means that gaming machines such as slots are inspected regularly. “Nationwide, it’s extremely rare to see a major machine malfunction, so consumers should feel confident that when they are sitting down at a gaming machine, it’s going to function properly,” Heather Songer shared with Inside Edition. She is an employee of the Washington State Gambling Commission.
It Was An “Extremely Rare” Incident
She Wanted To Fight For Justice
It is an understatement to say that the whole brouhaha left Maribel upset. Can you imagine what it must be like to hit the jackpot, only to be told that you can’t claim the money on the screen? She did not plan to take this lying down either. Good for her! “I’m going to fight,” she said. “This is not over. If it needs to go to trial, then we’ll go to trial.” We are impressed by her determination to fight for what is rightfully hers.
She Wanted To Fight For Justice
With A Lawyer On Her Side
Since then, she has hired a lawyer by the name of Bill Zuhdi to help her fight the case. “Together, we are going to look at her legal options, and aggressively pursue her rights,” he said. “She should be paid for what she won.” At the moment, the investigation remains underway. It is still possible that Maribel will get to cruise around in a luxury car and spend some time in the Bahamas. Let us keep our fingers crossed that she gets what she deserves. If you ask us, there is no doubt that the money is rightfully hers.
With A Lawyer On Her Side