Should Buffalo-Hunting be Illegal?

The thing about playing on abandoned credits is it could be a HUGE hassle for the "finders keepers" if those last pennies win big and the rightful owner comes back forgetting his last pennies and realizes someone got a 2,000 win with his forgotten pennies. For example, someone won $2,000 just playing one penny(The top progressive symbols all dropped in the 1 line they were playing, they had been max betting and ended up losing on max bet and had to resort to playing pennies, and were happily shocked when the $2,000 win showed up). The original owner of those pennies could claim the $2,000 is actually his because it was won with credits he accidentally abandoned. The thief could end up having the huge win being given to the original owner and being banned for playing with literal pennies that were forgottem

It's simple: if there's money in a machine you wanna play, cash it out and put the TITO on the machine or near you. Put in your own money and play. If it's a lot of money, perhaps ask a slot attendant if someone is playing the machine you wanna play, then cash it out and give the TITO to the attendant. If you're trying to scum up a few extra bucks, ya probably got bigger problems.

Quote: Nathan

The thing about playing on abandoned credits is it could be a HUGE hassle for the "finders keepers" if those last pennies win big and the rightful owner comes back forgetting his last pennies and realizes someone got a 2,000 win with his forgotten pennies. For example, someone won $2,000 just playing one penny(The top progressive symbols all dropped in the 1 line they were playing, they had been max betting and ended up losing on max bet and had to resort to playing pennies, and were happily shocked when the $2,000 win showed up). The original owner of those pennies could claim the $2,000 is actually his because it was won with credits he accidentally abandoned. The thief could end up having the huge win being given to the original owner and being banned for playing with literal pennies that were forgottem

No that's wrong. All the original owner has a right to, would be the pennies he left. He would get his pennies and no law would be broken.

Quote: onenickelmiracle

No that's wrong. All the original owner has a right to, would be the pennies he left. He would get his pennies and no law would be broken.

I don't think most people would want to open up that can of worms if they were the one to win $2,000 on just a forgotten penny only to have the original owner come back for his forgotten pennies and see that huge win. There may be even physical fighting over the $2,000 win. ($2,000 is many people's paycheck for two months, so it is a huge deal)

Absurd statement....
Like saying someone dropped a dollar and you found it and bought a powerball and win 499 million so they have claim to the 499
Where do you
Come up with this logic???

Quote: Wizardofnothing

Absurd statement....
Like saying someone dropped a dollar and you found it and bought a powerball and win 499 million so they have claim to the 499
Where do you
Come up with this logic???

Big difference between someone dropping a dollar in the very public streets and someone leaving money in the private casino slots.

You just don't get it- continue to play us with these thoughts and carry on

As Eric the actor would say


- bye for now

Quote: monet0412

I guard machines next to me everyday.

I had a ticket stolen when I had money in two machines at once. When one short cute Caucasian lady (whom I recognized from Vegas six years ago, stealing stuff back then) cashed my credits from the left machine, and I chased after her. ... I had incompletely cashed out of the right machine (ticket was still hanging in slot), someone grabbed the ticket from the right machine.

It was in high-limit, and the casino did NOT reimburse me for the stolen ticket (Almost $1,000).
NOT happy with the casino at all. Every other casino where I've had a stolen ticket has gotten the thief & returned all my money (extra FP if any money is missing).

Tons of dealers watching. Security was super-slow & lame.
In all other casinos, security has called surveillance & things are resolved within 30 min.

At this casino, I went to security hours later, and they couldn't even find the incident report (guy hadn't even finished filing it).

Quote: mamat

I had a ticket stolen when I had money in two machines at once. When one short cute Caucasian lady (whom I recognized from Vegas six years ago, stealing stuff back then) cashed my credits from the left machine, and I chased after her. ... I had incompletely cashed out of the right machine (ticket was still hanging in slot), someone grabbed the ticket from the right machine.

It was in high-limit, and the casino did NOT reimburse me for the stolen ticket (Almost $1,000).
NOT happy with the casino at all. Every other casino where I've had a stolen ticket has gotten the thief & returned all my money (extra FP if any money is missing).

Tons of dealers watching. Security was super-slow & lame.
In all other casinos, security has called surveillance & things are resolved within 30 min.

At this casino, I went to security hours later, and they couldn't even find the incident report (guy hadn't even finished filing it).

First off... you recognize a known thief and your head isn't on a swivel? Your letting tickets hang when you know the wolves are on the prowl?? Your making the mistake that Dealers, Floor People, and Security actually care about you and your money??? Have you ever had anything stolen outside of a Casino and called the Police. HA HA ... I have... I got the story that you have to file a report and we really can't do anything for you. Not long after that I started to buy things like 45 ACPs, M1A1s, AK47s, Gernades, C4, Pistol Grip Shotguns, Ankel Holsters, Shoulder Rigs, hiding guns all over the house and in the car... etc etc :)

I think that even you have to admit that this sounds like some sort of a set up. If your on my end reading this story... you, like me, would bet the ranch that this could not happen in ones lifetime. It also sounds like you were either tired or being lazy. Yes, your in the high limit room with not much worry but your leaving the ticket just hanging there? I can understand this, I am guilty of it too but not very often. I guess I am a little more paranoid than others and since I am usually on the grift in one way or another I am always looking around, scoping out the place for other wolves in the area. Playing Two Machines at once would be even more difficult for someone to get robbed since your always watching both usually with both hands on the machines.

I know for a fact that many cameras in many casinos aren't even turned on or operational at times. More for show or a deterrent than anything else. Years ago when I worked in Poker Rooms every single time we called for surveillance we got the same story. We would even tell players that we really don't need to check because they are just going to tell us that the camera couldn't see it. These are the days of Evil Corporate Empires and the days of "I just work here buddy"... gone are the days of Private Owners caring if you show up or not.

I had an old lady last night ask me to watch her machine. I said I would, but take the ticket and don't leave money. She was about 100 years old, cigarette smoke coming out of everywhere. She got mad and said forget it and asked another woman to do it. I looked back at my machine and pressed DRAW, and threw away the two pair I had dealt. Now I was pissed. lol

When she came back from the restroom, I wanted to see how much money she had left. She was playing keno. I looked over, and she had SIX CREDITS. $1.50 in quarters. She quickly lost it and left. I'm still thinking about the two pair. Only myself to blame.

Lesson to myself? Don't get so annoyed with unreasonable old ladies who smoke, and pay attention to what I'm doing. And quit cryin. lol

A better AP move that I find more profitable then Buffalo Hunting is to look for money left/stuck in the ticket changer machines. I don't call it buffalo hunting but refer to it as Finding Benjamin.

Quote: DanMahoney

A better AP move that I find more profitable then Buffalo Hunting is to look for money left/stuck in the ticket changer machines. I don't call it buffalo hunting but refer to it as Finding Benjamin.

LOL ... Finding Benjamin so you can Own Mahowny!! They ran that on regular TV last night... seen it in my suite after a long day on a Reel Machine... It took me 25000 spins this time to hit the Jackpot only netting around 800 dollars in cash but 300 in food... mail on the way and invites for other things so not too shabby but exhausting :) !!

Nothing more satisfying than playing all day in a Casino and winning and coming upstairs to find some good movie on TV like ... The Hustler, Let It Ride, Owning Mahowny, Casino or the many other great gambling or con man movies! Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas has to count as well for me!

Quote: monet0412

First off... you recognize a known thief and your head isn't on a swivel?

I only recognized her about 15 min after I grabbed the ticket from her. It had been 6-7 years since I saw her...so it was a while (She never stole anything big from me).

And over the years, I've had many people try to cash out my tickets while I'm talking with friends or a few feet away from the machine.
In all cases except this one, I've always gotten my money back (even if I couldn't grab the person's wrist, surveillance always tracked them down), ...so perhaps I got a bit lazy.

In many casinos where I play (not the lame one I'm talking about), people play 2-5 machines simultaneously and leave money in each one. NO one takes the money. Staff knows who's playing where.

In one casino, a guy leaves his tickets on two machines' counter-tops with his playing card on top of them. ...and no ones touches them. He's a known player who bets $500/spin.

Quote: monet0412

Yes, your in the high limit room with not much worry but your leaving the ticket just hanging there? I can understand this, I am guilty of it too but not very often.

Usually when someone tries to cash out my money, they don't fight for the ticket, they just give up. In this case, the lady started running with my ticket.

I had to tear half the ticket out of her grasp before she let go. But in this unexpected move, I hadn't realized that I hadn't grabbed the second ticket from the right machine in my unexpected lunge towards thief #1. I had hit the cash out button, but I hadn't fully grabbed the ticket.

Casino security/surveillance claims the two thieves showed no evidence of working together.

One of my friends also had a bad experience at this casino with a $500-1,000 ticket, so I am now extra-careful in this casino.

-----
In a more typical theft experience. At one casino I told a guy not to touch my machine, and he still cashed out my money. I chased him, but he rounded some machines and I lost him.

Immediately flagged a staff person, who worked with surveillance to find the guy. He spent part of my money, but the casino gave me everything they recovered, 86'ed the guy, and they gave me FP to cover the missing amount. Total time: about 30 min.

Some people are extremely audacious. Cashing out your ticket after you told him not to touch your machine? No. Just no. Luckily the casino had your back and gave you part of the stolen money back in cash and the rest of the stolen money in free play and threw the guy out.

Idiots always ask me to watch their machine with credits in it

Why

Quote: djatc

Idiots always ask me to watch their machine with credits in it

Why

To quote Nancy Reagan, Just Say No.
Your money, your responsibility.
My money, my responsibility.

Quote: Paigowdan

To quote Nancy Reagan, Just Say No.
Your money, your responsibility.
My money, my responsibility.

I consider it a 100% tax to me *

*just kidding I cash their ticket out and donate the proceeds to wounded warriors

I dunno... 20+ years for myself messing about in Casinos and nobody has every stolen my credits. I can't even imagine someone stealing my credits when I am sitting right at the machine!! Sounds odd to me but WTF do I know? Maybe its different when your high rolling all the time all over town. I have had a few guys try to mess about with my machine after I lock them up from a Jackpot. I tell them hey stupid... the machine is locked up with a jackpot you can't put money in or take the credits out lol! Now that is fun to watch someone try to cash out your money when the machine is locked up or try to put money in it :) !!

However this is because I am away from the machine watching it sitting close by or walking about waiting for my money!

Quote: monet0412

I have had a few guys try to mess about with my machine after I lock them up from a Jackpot. I tell them hey stupid... the machine is locked up with a jackpot you can't put money in or take the credits out lol! Now that is fun to watch someone try to cash out your money when the machine is locked up or try to put money in it :) !!

I've probably seen 50-100 people try this with my jackpots (and numerous other people's jackpots).

Not just buffalo-hunters but very stupid buffalo-hunters. Looking at the credit meter or cash-out light, and not noticing the jackpot screen.

Quote: monet0412

I can't even imagine someone stealing my credits when I am sitting right at the machine!! Sounds odd to me but WTF do I know?

I vaguely recall Bob Dancer has a story about this happening on his website.

Quote: mamat

I've probably seen 50-100 people try this with my jackpots (and numerous other people's jackpots).

Not just buffalo-hunters but very stupid buffalo-hunters. Looking at the credit meter or cash-out light, and not noticing the jackpot screen.

I vaguely recall Bob Dancer has a story about this happening on his website.

Never underestimate the desperate acts of credit hustlers. Some of the guys doing this regularly are very sneaky and especially bold.
Oftentimes they will give you attitude and get angry at you whatever you foil their attempts. It's as if you were taking something from them. They will say stuff like, "Well, FK YOU, don't leave your money in a machine if you are not playing it."

I don't remember anyone getting away with any of my tickets or credits WHILE I WAS PRESENT, however, many attempts have been made including hitting the cash out button, trying to sit on and steal jackpots. I can understand how it can easily happen if you are watching someone's machine. You are not thinking someone is going to actually attempt to do anything. "Watch my machine" doesn't mean sit there like an armed guard, it usually means just don't leave or turn your back.... just be aware.

I was with someone at a casino. He left a thousand in the machine and walked off. Later on I asked him where it was, he thought I had it (wtf?). Then I said we should talk to security or a slot person to help us get the money back. He was like "Nah screw it, not worth it. I'll just pay the $1k out of my pocket into the BR."

It is extremely bold to steal credits from a person's slot machine while they are in front of it. I am assuming that maybe the victim is a 5'5 100 pound frail looking weakling and not a burly 300 pound 6'0 person.