Watch CBS News

Gaming Officials Say Couple Shouldn't Get $31,000 Jackpot

WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - A Westminster couple who thought they had won $31,000 playing penny slots in Black Hawk are being told they will get no prize money.

Officials with the Colorado Division of Gaming have decided that Chuck and Tisha Barry only deserve to be refunded on the 80 cents they put in the Cash Spin game at the Lady Luck casino late this summer.

The state determined that although the Barrys thought they won a "super jackpot" worth exactly $31,202.41, the machine had actually locked up due to a problem with the touch screen and therefore the prize money announcement was invalid.

The Barrys have hired an attorney to help them with their next steps in their bid to collect the jackpot money.

"They are a big corporation and they get away with getting people to come up there and spend their money but when it comes time to pay out they don't want to," said Tisha Barry.

Chuck Barry says his elation of winning the Super Jackpot quickly turned to frustration. He says he got three bars with sevens on them and then landed on the "Super Jackpot."

"The red light on top was going off and there was like little bubbles coming up," Barry said.

After that the machine suddenly went dark.

The Division of Gaming investigation found that the machine had not completed its cycle.

"The most likely explanation for this incident is that the touch screen hardware malfunctioned on the game in question," wrote Ron Kammerzell, the Colorado's Division of Gaming director.

Todd Stoneman, the Barrys' attorney, said he feels they have a case if they take the matter to court instead of appealing to the full gaming commission.

"They are essentially trying to weasle out of not paying someone their rightful winnings and we fight it to get them paid," Stoneman said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.