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Disputed Jackpot Awarded to Another Gambler15 August 2001RENO, Nevada –– As reported by the Reno Gazette-Journal: "A $3 million jackpot that a Sacramento woman believes she won from a Reno casino last week has been awarded to a Missouri woman. But the Nevada Gaming Control Board could find both jackpots to be legitimate, forcing the slot machine manufacturer to pay winnings twice. "Jill Steuber, 60, from the Saint Louis area, hit the progressive jackpot Sunday on the $1 Wheel of Fortune slot machine at Harrah's Laughlin Casino & Hotel, taking home the same winnings Francesca Galea claimed she won just five days before at the Eldorado Resort Casino. "International Game Technology, which owns the game and the progressive jackpot, didn't pay Galea, 29, a marketing agent, because gaming technicians believed the play happened during a machine malfunction, voiding the play and the payout. "IGT spokeswoman Connie Fox said if the Nevada Gaming Control Board finds Galea's play to be legitimate, the company would honor the jackpot. "…Galea said sirens screeched and lights flashed as soon as the wheels stopped on the pay line. A few seconds later, the wheels started spinning out of control and that's when gaming technicians told her the machine had tilted, with a piece of paper jamming the wheels. "…Galea insisted that the winning symbols rolled perfectly on the line before the tilt, although there was no video surveillance tape in that area of the casino to prove what happened that night. "…San Francisco attorney Bill Scherer has been hired to represent Galea if the board finds that the play was illegitimate. She said she's prepared for a long fight…" |