ALWAYS VERIFY YOUR WINNING AND LOSING TICKETS
November 17th, 2009 at 4:26:07 PM
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I recently placed a bet with one of the casinos here in Las Vegas on a college basketball game between Arizona and Northern Arizona. The wager was placed on Arizona -16.5. After watching the game and surviving a few late baskets by NAU, Arizona won 87-70, giving me a half-point cover. I watched the game from my home via the internet and then promptly left my house to cash the ticket. I had a couple other tickets to cash at the same as well. When the sports-writer ran my Arizona ticket through the machine he promptly told me the ticket was a loser. I asked why? He checked the computer and informed me the score was 87-71 Arizona.
I promptly checked the internet via my phone and made a few calls to verify the score. There were several places that confirmed my score, but at the same time several places that confirmed the casinos score. I had to rush to work before the matter was resolved. At work, I was able to stop by another book and check the score there, again 87-71. I talked with the manager, he made a call and informed me that the score that was posted was incorrect and would be changed immediately, 87-70, WINNER.
However, the next morning I went back to where I had placed the bet and tried to cash the ticket again. They repeated, "Losing ticket, sir!" I informed them the score was incorrect and that other properties had changed the score as well, giving them the printed verification from the other property of the final score. I was promptly and loudly informed that, "the final score is a matter of interpretation!" I returned on my lunch hour to find out they had changed the score and I received an apology from the staff and a free lunch.
Bottom line, make sure to verify all of your tickets. You never know when there may be a mistake on either parties side.
I promptly checked the internet via my phone and made a few calls to verify the score. There were several places that confirmed my score, but at the same time several places that confirmed the casinos score. I had to rush to work before the matter was resolved. At work, I was able to stop by another book and check the score there, again 87-71. I talked with the manager, he made a call and informed me that the score that was posted was incorrect and would be changed immediately, 87-70, WINNER.
However, the next morning I went back to where I had placed the bet and tried to cash the ticket again. They repeated, "Losing ticket, sir!" I informed them the score was incorrect and that other properties had changed the score as well, giving them the printed verification from the other property of the final score. I was promptly and loudly informed that, "the final score is a matter of interpretation!" I returned on my lunch hour to find out they had changed the score and I received an apology from the staff and a free lunch.
Bottom line, make sure to verify all of your tickets. You never know when there may be a mistake on either parties side.
December 17th, 2009 at 3:02:41 AM
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On the flip side of that, if you have a lot of tickets, I would not hesitate to have the writer run all of them through, including the losers. Here are some reasons:
1. You may be getting the score from an incorrect source, and assume a bet is a loser, when the casino is right in grading it a winner. I've seen the sports page on Yahoo screw up a few times.
2. On prop bets sometimes there isn't enough space on the ticket to fully describe a bet. For examle a bet on "First score is a touchdown in the second half," may get described on the ticket as "First score is a touchdown." If the first score of first half was a field goal, and in the second half was a touchdown, you might incorrectly assume the ticket was a loser.
3. Sometimes a bet, especially a prop, gets the wrong side keyed in as a winner. If this would not bother your morally, it doesn't hurt to try.
1. You may be getting the score from an incorrect source, and assume a bet is a loser, when the casino is right in grading it a winner. I've seen the sports page on Yahoo screw up a few times.
2. On prop bets sometimes there isn't enough space on the ticket to fully describe a bet. For examle a bet on "First score is a touchdown in the second half," may get described on the ticket as "First score is a touchdown." If the first score of first half was a field goal, and in the second half was a touchdown, you might incorrectly assume the ticket was a loser.
3. Sometimes a bet, especially a prop, gets the wrong side keyed in as a winner. If this would not bother your morally, it doesn't hurt to try.
"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplace of existence. These little problems help me to do so." -- Sherlock Holmes
December 17th, 2009 at 10:03:26 AM
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This thread reminds me of this article in the NY Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/sports/08otb.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=betting%20bets&st=cse
Seems like a decent living to me...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/sports/08otb.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=betting%20bets&st=cse
Seems like a decent living to me...
