The Case of the Broken Lottery Machine
You might say that Pauline McKee is a slot machine veteran. At 87, she had been working the slots for more than six decades. But the “Miss Kitty” machine at the Isle Casino Hotel in Waterloo, Iowa, was new to her. That’s where McKee was playing on July 2, 2011, when, at around 10 p.m., she wagered 25 cents on a spin and won $1.85. But that wasn’t all. A special message also popped up on the game’s screen: “The reels have rolled your way! Bonus Award—$41,797,550.16.” McKee and her daughter, who was playing nearby, excitedly called over a casino attendant. The supervisor on duty took a photo of the screen, told McKee she needed to make a few phone calls, and gave McKee $10 to continue to play while they waited for more information. The supervisor even paid for McKee’s hotel room for the night.
The next day, McKee received a note from the general manager of the casino, who described the situation as “unusual.” She comped all the rooms McKee’s family had stayed in— McKee, a widow and grandmother of 13, had come to Waterloo from her home in Antioch, Illinois, for a family reunion—and explained that she’d contacted the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) to inspect the machine.
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