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Super Jackpot Winner Waits For Payout

BLACK HAWK, Colo. (CBS4) - A Colorado gambler thought he was a winner, but he may end up with nothing at all.

A jackpot of $31,202.41 was the amount that thrilled Chuck Barry and his wife, believing they had won the "super jackpot." The couple was playing at a penny-slot game called Cash Spin at the Lady Luck casino in Black Hawk.

"I turned right to my wife, and I said, 'We just hit the super jackpot,' " Chuck said. "I'm getting chills right now talking about it."

That excitement was short-lived, after the casino disputed the payout when a floor manager said there appeared to be a malfunction with the machine.

"I'm an honest person. I have a beautiful family, and I'm blessed, and I deserve that jackpot," Chuck said.

The Colorado Division of Gaming is conducting a forensic investigation to determine whether or not the machine was truthful on the jackpot, and if Barry is entitled to any of the winnings. If a valid jackpot occurred, the casino is obligated to pay the winner the advertised jackpot amount for that particular game outcome.

"If there's an award that needs to be paid, it will be paid," said Cameron Lewis, a spokesperson for the Division of Gaming. "And if there is something else, we need to be able to explain it fully."

The results of the investigation could take up to a month, and the Barrys have already been waiting for a week. If the patron disagrees with the results, the decision can be appealed to the Gaming Commission.

"This is not fun at all. If this is what a jackpot is all about, I don't want to win one," said Tisha Barry, Chuck's wife.

A spokesperson for Lady Luck told CBS4 that there are disclaimers on all their slot machines, saying that all the machines have electric pieces and are subject to malfunctions.

"We didn't go there to become millionaires," said Tisha. "But we certainly didn't go there to get cheated either."

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