leaving change in the machine...fair game?

Last time I went to Vegas I noticed that in most casinos, about 5% of unoccupied slot machines had change in them, anywhere from $.02 to $.79.

In one case there was a machine with around $.70 in it (on an empty bank of machines) and I changed the credits played from $.8 to $.4 and had my GF spin. It won $2.00, so she cashed out the $2.70 and we went on our way.

What are the rules on this?
what is the general rule of thumb on unused credits in machines?

In Vegas that money is considered the casinos same as money on the floor. Oddly in NY it is fair game. At the racinos the stoopers (the folks who pick up the old bets from the floor) now are big on the slots. It's funny if you watch long enough you see them.

Quote: Wavy70

(the folks who pick up the old bets from the floor)

I remember that from OTB... all those tickets picked up from the floor, checked against the winner lists and thrown back on the floor over a dozen times an hour. Some of those stoopers if not most of them never found a discarded winner in their lives.

I think I've mentioned the group of casino loiterers that I've somewhat befriended. They hang out at the casino 24/7, and "work" in shifts (I think they split a room in perpetuity...). Their plays are:
1. wait for people to leave collecting games in a high state. example: Golden Monkey with 8 of 10 monkeys collected.
2. wait for people to leave progressives in a high state. example: $25-$50 ranged jackpot, $49.57 current value.
3. wait for people to download free play and leave value on the machine. example: guy downloaded $40 in non-cashable credits, played 6 hands of $.25 JoB, got no paying hands, got pissed, and left $32.50 of non-cashable freeplay on the machine.
4. cashout all $$ left on any machine where they can find it. Apparently, it's pretty common to forget to cash out a remaining balance that is less than a machine's minimum play. Apparently these guys "make" a couple hundred bucks a night by cashing out tickets $.37 at a time.

Quote: rdw4potus

I think I've mentioned the group of casino loiterers that I've somewhat befriended.
...
Apparently these guys "make" a couple hundred bucks a night by cashing out tickets $.37 at a time.

If you're really their friend, advise them to put them all in one machine, then hit the cash out button. This enables them to go to the redemption machine and get it paid from one ticket, as one lump sum, and not a million small change transactions.

Quote: FleaStiff

I remember that from OTB... all those tickets picked up from the floor, checked against the winner lists and thrown back on the floor over a dozen times an hour. Some of those stoopers if not most of them never found a discarded winner in their lives.

Not true. I have been know to stoop at the track, especially on a Saturday or big crowd day. People do not wait till race is official to discard tickets. Just watch the scurrying when that Objection or Inquiry sign goes up. LOL

Actually was not stooping, but on way out of track one day at Pimlico , saw this exacta ticket ,face up on sidewalk, that was worth $126. Number were 1/6. There had been an entry in that race and it ran first and second. Guess who ever bought the ticket thought you needed 1A/1 to win.

Quote: buzzpaff

Not true. I have been know to stoop at the track, especially on a Saturday or big crowd day. People do not wait till race is official to discard tickets. Just watch the scurrying when that Objection or Inquiry sign goes up. LOL

I used to wonder who would throw out tickets like that. That was before I bought my first Pick Six ticket and (you guessed it) dumped it after the first horse lost.

In an article on the storm drain dwellers in Vegas,
they mentioned a lot of them roam the Strip casinos
all day looking for tickets and money left in the
machines. They apparently make enough money
to stay alive on. They can't look like hobo's though,
or they'll get tossed out.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

If you're really their friend, advise them to put them all in one machine, then hit the cash out button. This enables them to go to the redemption machine and get it paid from one ticket, as one lump sum, and not a million small change transactions.

A lot of times, the $0.37 tickets go into the machines with "due" progressives that I mentioned. But there also appears to be a settling procedure that they use when it's cashout time. The redemption machines take up to 10 tickets, so they go through and arrange all of the day's remaining tickets in a negotiated fashion. I'm not sure, but I think they each then keep their cashout amount instead re-pooling the money. There are some very animated exchanges.

The guys are friendly, and seem to appreciate the fact that i don't avoid them like some folks do. But English isn't a language that is used a lot in that circle, my Spanish is bad and my Portuguese is worse, so it's hard for me to figure out what exactly is going on. Mostly we smile, gesture, and watch each other play. It turns out that high-fives play in any language.

Quote: ThatDonGuy

I used to wonder who would throw out tickets like that. That was before I bought my first Pick Six ticket and (you guessed it) dumped it after the first horse lost.

My first venture to the track I did a pick 4 and went up after the first horse won. Guy tells me the bet isn't resolved yet. I go back a little while later and he tells me come back after the 4th race. I am clueless but after race 4 I go up to the same guy and he starts counting 20s. Hands me close to 300 and I walk away richer but still clueless.

I've had two experiences with "change in machines." Once put C$20 into a machine and saw like $26 in credits on the thing. Nobody was near it and I didn't even see the remaining credits. My buddy was with me and we were both amused.

Another I was at a local casinio here in Pittsburgh and saw the TITO receipt and thought I had something free. It was for $.05 AT A DIFFERENT PLACE! I left it there so I wouldn't be the only mamaluke to fall for it that day.

But as a kid, no payphone was safe!

Back before all the video poker machines were converted from coins to tickets, I routinely found a few bucks in the reject coin cups every trip to Ameristar Casino here in St. Louis. Those cups were positioned under the bar top near your knees when sitting on the bar stool, so a lot of people probably didn't even know they were there. I checked as many of them as possible every time I went, and nearly always made enough to pay for my first beer.

Quote: Toes14

Back before all the video poker machines were converted from coins to tickets, I routinely found a few bucks in the reject coin cups every trip to Ameristar Casino here in St. Louis. Those cups were positioned under the bar top near your knees when sitting on the bar stool, so a lot of people probably didn't even know they were there. I checked as many of them as possible every time I went, and nearly always made enough to pay for my first beer.

It's a good thing you weren't caught... that was (and might still be) a felony in Missouri.

Back when they had the loss limits in place, you couldn't take one penny in credits that wasn't yours. Even if your spouse bought the credits or chips, you couldn't get them from them without the possibility of being ejected or worse.

When I play video poker I like to sit at and end machine and put some money in the neighboring machine, as if I'm holding it for someone else, to keep the smokers away. It is amazing how often people try to sit down and play at said unoccupied machines with credits, even with me sitting there next to it. They never ask "are you holding this machine?" No, they just sit down and attempt to play a hand and then cash out, without a word.

When we had Michael Gaughan on my radio show I asked him out this off the air, and why they don't set up bait machines to get these thieves. He replied that it wouldn't do any good, because even if you've already trespassed those they catch all you can do is throw them out again. The police won't show up to arrest a credit vulture.

... Besides, it would be bad publicity.

Can you imagine the headlines? "Bag bad casino has homeless person arrested for stealing pennies...."

I worked at a casino in Arizona in a "hard count" position. Basically I rolled and bagged coins in the vault and also brought bags of coins to the floor to refill empty machines. I probably saw anywhere from $3-5 bucks a night left in coin trays. A few times I even saw a $5 coin in a tray. We couldn't keep the money and were supposed to notify security but usually we just whispered quietly to the closest person about change in the tray