Published on: August 22, 2025, at 11:38 AM.
Updated on: August 22, 2025, at 11:38 AM.
- A New Jersey woman asserts she struck a $1.2 million jackpot at Bally’s Atlantic City
- Bally’s and IGT claim the slot machine experienced a malfunction
- A legal battle concerning this incident is currently in progress
Bally’s Atlantic City and IGT, the slot machine producer, have been granted 30 days by a federal judge to present evidence explaining why a purported jackpot of $1,277,954.35, claimed in February 2024, wasn’t awarded.
The plaintiff, Roney Beal, aged 73, from Shamong Township, NJ, states that she and her husband, Richard Beal, have been frequent visitors to Bally’s Atlantic City. She claims she was an invited guest at the casino during the weekend of February 25, 2024.
On that day, Beal asserts she played a Wheel of Fortune wide-area progressive slot machine and hit the jackpot. However, upon the arrival of a slot attendant, she was informed that the slot machine had malfunctioned and that the jackpot was not won.
Following this incident, the Beals filed a lawsuit against Bally’s and IGT, the gaming producer responsible for the slot machine that manages the progressive payouts.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Initially lodged in state court, Beal’s lawsuit was transferred to the federal district court in New Jersey in July 2024. The litigation has extended for over a year, culminating in this week’s order from Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Pascal.
Judge Pascal approved Bally’s request to “administratively terminate” the plaintiff’s case. However, this ruling does not equate to a dismissal under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, allowing Bally’s and IGT 30 days to respond with developments from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement’s investigation.
Bally’s has stated that the Division of Gaming Enforcement’s inquiry into the incident “is still ongoing.”
Both Bally’s and IGT maintain that the Wheel of Fortune machine in question registered a “Reel Tilt” during the winning spin. A reel tilt indicates a malfunction where the physical reel fails to present the outcome intended by the machine’s internal random number generator (RNG).
Such malfunctions render all plays and pays invalid. Beal contends that the machine was functioning properly, showing no error messages or “Reel Tilt” alerts until after she purportedly won the jackpot.
Before the contested spin, the machine performed correctly without any malfunctions, glitches, or tilts, and it processed the Plaintiff’s funds without issue,” Beal’s legal representatives stated in her lawsuit. “Only after the jackpot was hit did a ‘REEL TILT’ message appear at the bottom of the screen when the Plaintiff pressed the service button for assistance from Bally’s staff.”
Beal and her legal team claim that neither Bally’s nor the Division of Gaming Enforcement have “provided any information” regarding the malfunction.
Casino’s Odds May Prevail
This incident isn’t an isolated case of a casino denying payment for a slot machine win due to alleged malfunctions. Historically, lawsuits challenging such malfunctions often favor the casinos.
The New Jersey Casino Control Act mandates that all slot machines in Atlantic City must display clear warnings about technical errors that could invalidate plays and payouts.
“All slot machines must include conspicuous language indicating that a malfunction voids all pays,” reads the state gaming regulations.
One notorious instance of a slot malfunction leading to a voided win transpired in August 2016 at Resorts World New York City. A New York woman believed she had won nearly $43 million while playing at the Queens racino.
However, the video lottery terminal, which had a cap of $6,500 for payouts, had malfunctioned. Instead, she received a complimentary steak dinner. That video lottery terminal was also manufactured by IGT.