Shawnee casino patron charged after destroying slot machine over alleged jackpot malfunction

A Shawnee casino patron caught on camera destroying a slot machine earlier this year has been criminally charged. The video of George Smith at Grand Casino Hotel & Resort went viral in January. Smith said he went into a rage when the machine malfunctioned while he was allegedly winning a jackpot.

Smith was arrested in Oklahoma City last week on a warrant and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Two days later, Smith was transferred to the Pottawatomie County jail.

A Grand Casino patron recorded Smith body slamming the slot machine. Smith claimed the machine went black as he was winning a big jackpot.

“I was just thinking like me, my kids, my family we gonna be straight,” said George Smith, charged for destroying slot machine.

Smith spoke to News 9 by phone from a hospital bed as he recovered from injuries from throwing his body into the machine.

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Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the casino owner and operator, offered a statement at the time saying there was a criminal investigation underway. The tribe later filed an arrest warrant in Pottawatomie County.

According to the affidavit, Smith viciously and maliciously destroyed a gambling machine as he screamed that the machine would not pay out to other patrons. The affidavit said Smith was taken to the floor by CPN police and had to be sedated by paramedics to be taken to the hospital. A toxicology report showed traces of Phencyclidine or PCP in Smith's blood, possibly causing the violent behavior and hallucinations.

Tribal police said after reviewing security video and body camera footage, Smith was seen foaming at the mouth and unaware of why he was talking to law enforcement.

As for the machine malfunctioning, tribal police said the machine went black due to Smith pounding on it.

Smith was charged by the Pottawatomie County District Attorney with one count of felony destruction of property. He was released from the Pottawatomie County jail on bond over the weekend.

Tribal police estimated the damage to the slot machine to be $16,959.50.