Casino Experiment on Player Ethics

Okay,
We have come across a gray area of player ethics as to what is "right" and what is "kinda wrong."

The idea is this, similar to Bait Car on TruTV - bust a petty thief.

It would work like this - and do chime in what you think would happen:
1. Casino prints "dead" or non-redeemable ticket-out vouchers of varying sums, and places them at strategic locations throughout the casino.
2. Voucher HAS a fictious PLAYER card number attached to it.
3. Alledged Face value of.... oh, let's say $137.50, or $210.00, or $87.75, random amounts that are large enough to get people to debate themselves, "Should I return it - or CASH IT!" :)

If a player picks it up and returns it to a Slot Attendant or to Security, the player gets a comp: Buffet passes for two, a bottle of Champaign, a couple of Movie tickets, and a thank you for being a rare good citizen.

If a player goes to a ticket redemption cashout machine, the player gets prompted something like "Verify your card numbers as 86571428 (Y/N)?" or "Are you D. Miller?"
If the player now lies as to his identity, the machine takes a snapshot, and security talks to him. NO arrest, beat-down, what have, just a short lecture that:
1. If it ain't your money - it shouldn't be in your hand, AND:
2. You DID claim you were someone else WHEN PROMPTED.

Maybe they can have a wall of Shame, like the Wall of Winners kind of thing.....

This is not a good idea for a casino. I mean it's great for the honest people but the quasi-scum (which I would imagine is a lot of people) would be lost as customers forever. Ask yourself, would you ever return to a casino that intentionally tricked you into cashing a fake ticket? Because people like that are always that victims in their own minds and will play the victim card until the cows come home and then insist that they were victimized by the cows.

I see no reason for a casino to do this, particularly when they are the one who has served the alcohol.

As to entrapment, if the tickets were for twenty thousand dollars it might be entrapment but for a paltry sum, its not entrapment. It provided the opportunity but not the motivation.

I think the casino might be better off dealing with actual events rather than creating events.

Casino reality? Focus on the cleavage, not the silicone. Focus on the ecstatic winners, not the dejected losers. Get smiling photographs of people with large checks up on the wall. There is no need to create temptation about a cash-out ticket, just create an interest in the games.

Quote: Paigowdan

2. Voucher HAS a fictious PLAYER card number attached to it.

Do slot tickets even have the player card info on them?

This is all a theoretical scenario, an "imagine if" scenario.
Now "Bait Car" is not, people get arrested for real on tape.

Point is, "How much policing does the average person need when easy money is involved?"

Quote: Nareed

Do slot tickets even have the player card info on them?

Yes - if the player played on his card. That's how he racks up points.

Even if he played uncarded, the voucher's session info has the date/time and machine number stamp, and surveillance footage can be seen for the player in action at that machine at that time.

Quote: Paigowdan

Yes - if the player played on his card. That's how he racks up points.

Even if he played uncarded, the voucher's session info has the date/time and machine number stamp, and surveillance footage can be seen for the player in action at that machine at that time.

Not exactly -- most gaming tickets are anonymous upon inspection. The validation codes, asset IDs, and other info in the ticket system's record can be used to identify the player and/or the player tracking card used for each pull while the machine was being played, but the ticket itself doesn't actually say "Joe Smith, Loyalty Card #123-45-6789" on it anywhere. Presumably that information could be programmed to display on a ticket, but I've never seen a player ticket with that information printed on it.

Quote: s2dbaker

This is not a good idea for a casino. I mean it's great for the honest people but the quasi-scum (which I would imagine is a lot of people) would be lost as customers forever. Ask yourself, would you ever return to a casino that intentionally tricked you into cashing a fake ticket? Because people like that are always that victims in their own minds and will play the victim card until the cows come home and then insist that they were victimized by the cows.

I'll drink milk to that! Again, this is a discussion point. Bait Car is NOT coming to a casino near you!
Do know that some players are great sabateurs for a casino, utter vandals, where their loss is actually no loss, or even a gain for everybody.

Look at it this way: if you owned a restaurant, but one particular customer has a habit of screaming at your other customers and publicly vomiting, you would not be saying, "Oh! What a shame it is to lose his business!" Even if he is saying, "I was victimized by being barred from this restaurant, - and I will never come back!! My feelings were HURT!" Doesn't matter, good riddance is simply that in a lot of these cases.

Quote: MathExtremist

Not exactly -- most gaming tickets are anonymous upon inspection. The validation codes, asset IDs, and other info in the ticket system's record can be used to identify the player and/or the player tracking card used for each pull while the machine was being played, but the ticket itself doesn't actually say "Joe Smith, Loyalty Card #123-45-6789" on it anywhere. Presumably that information could be programmed to display on a ticket, but I've never seen a player ticket with that information printed on it.

Stacy - that info is not printed in Plain English right on the ticket, true. I wasn't implying this. There is a machine number and a time stamp, a bar code.
No directly human readable info is on the ticket - it is anonymous to the reader's eye. It is coded so that all the info is tracked, and that the cash out machine and the slot department knows this info.

How do casinos know what their coin-in and coin-out is?
How do they know how many points a player has earned from his play?
How do they know which machines are getting action, and which are not - and when?

If a Gaming Control Board agent came in to a casino with a slot voucher, and said to the Slot Director: "We need you to tell us which machine this came from, when it was played on, what the average bet was, what the player's buy-in (coin-in) was, what the cash out was, and the surveillance footage of the player playing on this machine..."

They would be able to do so.

I think this is a great idea for MSNBC's "To Catch a Predator"... Oh wait, the host got busted... never mind.

If the info is on the ticket, or accessible by the system, casinos could easily add security to slot tickets. All they'd need would be for the player to insert or swipe her card in the ticket cashing machine. This would increase playing with cards, perhaps, and make it harder for people to steal slot tickets, as they'd need to steal the player card as well. They'd also maybe be rid of ticket scavengers, who couldn't cash much of anything they found lying on the floor.

BTW Dan, you seem to have very strong feelings against players. I'm not criticizing you, after all most people develop a deep dislike of their customers; you meet way too many jerks, I know I do. But it does mean I take your statements on players with a grain of salt.

I need to object to a particular phrase in the original question.

---

But seriously, I like the idea of a reality show. Of course, it would have to be set up so that those who try to cash it learn the truth without getting a set of stainless steel bracelets.

It wouldn't be a bad idea, if I could bet on the outcome.

Quote: ColoradoJ

It wouldn't be a bad idea, if I could bet on the outcome.

I like how you think!

Quote: DJTeddyBear

But seriously, I like the idea of a reality show. Of course, it would have to be set up so that those who try to cash it learn the truth without getting a set of stainless steel bracelets.

The U.S. would be tough...but a Singapore Casino??!! Perfect fit.

Enforcement AND Entertainment - combined into one!

Dan's spot on when it comes to "ticket identity". To the layman, a bunch of numbers. To personnel, those numbers can identify bank, asset number, time of printing, and a simple ACSC check (or whatever your system is) gets you the players card and all info.

I will say, though, that while I'd love to see a all of these scumbags dealt with more harshly than a simple tsk-tsk, it would be quite foolish for a casino to do so. It's kind of funny too. To take Dan's screaming patron a step further, most any other business under the sun you'd want to immediately identify and exclude any scoundrels and scallywags post-haste, yet in our industry, these parasites are just asked to return what they've taken, if caught, and are told to enjoy their day and hope to see you again. I hate it, yet agree it's in the best interest of the casino.

A view on the human condition? Got it already. Here's the Face's perspective from my time on the job. If it's unattended, it's taken. $181.79 or whatever Dan quoted is totally not necessary. Some of the people are what we call "fleas" (jump from machine to machine, never play, just take tickets) and take anything of value, including the $0.03 left on a penny machine. But any regular Joe, save for maybe the $100 a spin guys, take anything worth $1 or more. $1 credit on a machine? Printed and taken. $10 on the floor? Taken. Cell phone? Gonzo. Purse? If it's not found where it's left, 94% chance you find it empty in the bathroom. Envelope full of money? Yoink. The only things returned are things not of immediate value, like jackets, sweaters, cheap wallets with just ID and reciepts inside, you know, just random personal goods. The only demographics I've seen regularly turn in cash or cash equivelent items are 60-70 year old COUPLES, and 21-26 yr old men (chances of 21-26 yr old men taking it increase by 15% for each tatoo visible). By a landslide, the worst pilferers are skinny, chain smoking men in their 40's, and even worse than them, the champions of sticky fingers, 50-60 yr old single women.

If getting caught in one of Dan's stings caused people to not return out of anger or embarassment, the casino would be empty within the year. Of course my examples are stereotypical, and of course I don't see all, but I'd bet only the most cynical of people would be unfazed by the shenanigans I've seen on the job. There are definately more people that just mind their own than there are who regularly perform assholic duties, but I have found there are a lot more asshats out there than I ever would have guessed.

Very interesting discussion...

Quote: Face

If getting caught in one of Dan's stings caused people to not return out of anger or embarassment, the casino would be empty within the year.

Actually, I disagree - if all establishments enforce some standards. Again, this is a thought experiment. BUT....

Keep in mind that people will adapt to higher standards if uniformly enorced, I do believe. Also, most nickel joints would run much better with everyone behaving themselves...

If all we lost were the petty thieves, it would be a gain....

Quote: Paigowdan

If all we lost were the petty thieves, it would be a gain....

The unlucky and impulsive ... which, come to think of it, are probably very easy to find in a casino.

What casino would tolerate this sort of stuff? Sure they might want to teach the fleas a lesson from time to time. Heck, you ever see a cheating dealer NOT get arrested on shift and paraded past all the coworkers on the way to the back room?

What does a casino care about general morality or honesty. Are they going to start reading the faxes sent via the business center to see if businessmen are not screwing their employees?

Quote: Ayecarumba

I think this is a great idea for MSNBC's "To Catch a Predator"... Oh wait, the host got busted... never mind.

Busted? He met a young woman at a party, they hit it off and wound up in his hotel room or something. This is a subject for tabloid TV all of a sudden???

Do I hate that jerk? You bet... he seems to just parot what people say to him on those predator shows. And I sure don't think that organization Dateline partners with is legitimate. There are lots of young girls who include his name in their prayers each night because without him they wouldn't be making as much money. Most of those creeps he trapped were bottom-feeding scum who trekked miles to meet those girls and must surely be desperate. It doesn't take much to look at those idiots and see they need a good endocrinology work up.

But I see no reason why his own personal life should be a matter of public concern. Frankly, these days, I doubt its even of any concern to his wife. She probably knows he met a young newsanchor at a party and wound up in the sack with her a few times. Its no big deal to anyone.

I voted that I like the idea. More for rewarding the honest than shaming the guilty. As was pointed out already, slot tickets appear pretty much like cash to the player. If I found less $100 or less on the floor of a casino, whether cash or a ticket, I would probably just pocket it. The odds of the loser noticing it missing, and reporting it, are so remote that reporting it seems like a waste of time.

Also, I'd like to know what the expiration policy is on slot tickets of said casino? If it is less than forever, or at least a year, I think they are in no position to lecture anybody. I find expiration dates a trick to get players to throw tickets away once they get back home and find a ticket in their wallet. That just happened to me as I left the Reno, I still had a $24 ticket from the Atlantis. I know the probability they will honor it after expiration is high, so it is tacked to my bulletin board until my next Reno visit, but not everybody knows casino policy as well as I do. Most people just toss anything small.

Once I planned to do a survey where I let tickets expire to a bunch of casinos and then tried to cash them. My intent was to shame those who refused them, but everybody accepted them. If anyone can think of a more successful experiment where I can entrap dishonest casinos, let me know.

In closing, I've told this story before, but I'd like to give a good word to the Luxor. Once I hit a royal there, was paid, and then left. However, I still had about $500 in credits on the machine. I know stupid, but that is me, I am always forgetting things. About two months later somebody from the Luxor calls and asks me when I'm going to come in and ask for my ticket. This caught me totally by surprise and he explained what happened, and they ended up mailing me a check.

Quote: Wizard

I'd like to give a good word to the Luxor.

As long as it isn't about the buffet :P

Quote: Wizard

If anyone can think of a more successful experiment where I can entrap dishonest casinos, let me know.

I wouldn't necessarily refer to a casino as dishonest. The lawyers and the accountants insist that there be an expiration date. The casino knows that there is no reason they need abide by it. They honor the ticket, you are more likely to spend the money right there in the casino anyway. I'd have published your study anyway.

The dishonesty is more endemic to the offers and the advertising. "Loose" slot machines is but one example. Rude waitresses or rude security guards are a source of complaints but it rarely reflects any casino dishonesty, usually its more the arrogance of low level employees. Security guards that yell at someone photographing the casino's marquee are stupid. The VP of advertising loves that to happen. One guard came on very strong about a guy photographing cloud formations from the parking structure. Heck just ask the guy to stop doing it ... what does the casino care about some nut who likes to phtograph cloud patterns particularly when he also likes to gamble and eat at that casino?

Now when South Point put new chips in ten percent of their slot machines and milked it for all it was worth is that dishonesty? Are arbitrary and capricious policies on "heat" for card counters dishonesty?

Most casinos stop promoting any "deal" well before it ends and will even continue to give people various special deals if they have recently expired simply because they want to maintain good will and a two for one meal special isn't such a big deal to them.

Its an industry where frankness is not highly rated but as long as they are not shaving the dice it seems okay. I hate that 6:5 in foot tall letters but its all over the place. Its sort of like a strip club with their "and six ugly ones"... it often turns out to be true.

The one thing that I consider to be dishonest is the repetitive "malfunction" on a slot machine payout without any statement as to the manner in which the machine malfunctioned. There is no use in telling what happened at the Gaming Commission hearing. If you didn't tell the player THEN what the nature and type of the malfunction was, don't try to bring in a smiling slot tech at the hearing. You tell the gaming officer who shows up 'malfunction' and he ain't gonna be satisfied with that, he will say "open it up" so why do casinos try to simply tell a disgruntled gambler that it was a "malfunction". Of course the player won't understand what is being said. He is ignorant of slot machines and he is half in the bag anyway, but I think the casino should be honest and come clean right there on the spot.

Quote: FleaStiff

I wouldn't necessarily refer to a casino as dishonest. The lawyers and the accountants insist that there be an expiration date. The casino knows that there is no reason they need abide by it. They honor the ticket, you are more likely to spend the money right there in the casino anyway. I'd have published your study anyway.

Perhaps "dishonest" was putting it too strong. However, I fail to see why they can't be a year, as opposed to the usual 30 or 60 days. Again, I think it is a trick to get the player to throw the ticket away. Much worse are the casinos that refuse to honor expired slot and sports tickets.

Quote:

The dishonesty is more endemic to the offers and the advertising. "Loose" slot machines is but one example.

I'm thinking of adding a section to my site examining the truth, or lack thereof, behind such "loose" claims. Usually the fine print will say they are based against county averages. For example, the El Cortez claims their slots are 32% looser than the Clark County average. I think the way they get that figure is, for example, the Clark County average is 92%, and the El Cortez is at 94.56%. So the house edge is 32% less. Where I have a problem with that is applying the "loose" statistic to the casino's piece of the pie. In my opinion, the word "loose" should be applied to the return, in which case they would be only 2.78% looser in this example.

Still, I find that just a semantic issue, and not worth making a big issue over. I have a much harder time with Hooters' $200 free "promotional" slot play offer for new players, which is probably worth less then $5.

I try to avoid rewarding casinos I think are sleazy, even if one of their games has a special appeal to me. On another thread there was something about an 80 year old woman being arrested for picking up a discard 5 cent ticket. Who was the Barney Fife that decided to arrest that little old lady, instead of pointing out her mistake. Why does that asshole still have a job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND WHO SAYS SHE DID ANYTHING WRONG TO START WITH. I often discard ticked with less than 30 cents on them and I don't want to be bothered. Who says i don't have that right! It was ticket, not the casino's. I have the right to do a random act of kindness without some Dickless Tracy acting on my behalf.

Quote: Paigowdan

Actually, I disagree - if all establishments enforce some standards. Again, this is a thought experiment. BUT....

Keep in mind that people will adapt to higher standards if uniformly enorced, I do believe. Also, most nickel joints would run much better with everyone behaving themselves...

If all we lost were the petty thieves, it would be a gain....

I agree with your point of establishing higher standards, for sure. And losing petty thieves? That works for me, less tedious reviews and irritating investigations for me to do. I was just saying that there was a far greater number of these types of people than I ever would have guessed. My natural estimation of how many of these people existed in the casino in a given time frame would be somewhere around one every week or two. My experience has shown it to be several per day. I don't think the casino would wish to shun several people per day.

I think, you are being too harsh on the "petty thief". If the name of the owner (or card number, or something) was displayed on the ticket, I think a majority of people would take it to the security. But since it isn't ... Generally people are not very smart. Especially, when being smart hurts the bottom line. Sure, some could deduce, like you guys did, that, given the right inputs and databases, the casino can figure out the owner, but ... Well, first, most people are just not that educated and dedicated, and second ... well ... if I was a casino, would I really go through so much trouble to return $37.50 to the rightful owner? Probably not.
I would just pocket the ticket, if I ever found one. And I am not immoral, I am just rational. If it said "Mr. Such-and-such" on it, then, I probably would not. Now, the question - why does not casino print the player's name on the ticket?

Too harsh? Perhaps. I'll just say I've seen it from both sides. The layman and the professional. In my everyday persona, yeah, maybe an accident. Maybe a mild breach of ethics. But after a few years in Game Protection, and seeing day after day, after incident after incident, of people's money being taken, it makes one tired of the behavior. To hear "someones ticket was taken", you concoct a generic picture in your head of what happened. But to actually see...an elderly couple distraught over $40 they lost, and see the dickbag who seen them leave the credits up and take it....or to see the girls-night-out group being upset and having their night ruined by some scraggle headed scoundrel noticing one of them leave something in the tray and snatching it for himself...it wears on a person. Sure, there's those who are just ignorant, and take something they see on the floor, and usually will return it upon asking. No big deal. But the guy who last week nabbed $270+ from a retiree and adimantly denied it over and over again, even though we had video and players card proof of his presence....let's just say I often suggest the implementation of a "tackling policy", whereby I am allowed to run full speed and smash individuals of my choosing. So harsh? For some, maybe most, yes. But there's a number who are in a dire need of a punch in the head.

And yes, $37.50 is more than enough for us to trouble ourselves with. My personal low record was pre-teens, $11 and change maybe? And I'm but 1 of about 25 people who do this, so the company record may be lower still. If it has value enough for you to take it, it probably has value enough for the proper owner to want it. Please procede with your finding to the nearest Security Officer and sleep well in an aura of righteousness =)

Quote: Paigowdan

The U.S. would be tough...but a Singapore Casino??!! Perfect fit.

Enforcement AND Entertainment - combined into one!

Given the cultural "law and order" training in Singapore, it would be interesting to see if there would be any scofflaws there.

Singapore gets a lot of International players who are not acclimated to their ways, and they are not crazy about their own goody-two-shoes citizens hitting the felts.
And they would the ones to try the "decoy cashout voucher" scenario if anyone is. If buy-and-bust isn't entrapment....

Quote: Ayecarumba

Given the cultural "law and order" training in Singapore, it would be interesting to see if there would be any scofflaws there.

Depends. i know vandalizing a car gets you caning. But what would stealing a slot ticket rate? Boiling in oil? Or maybe just life without parole?

I agree that having identification on the ticket would make a difference, as far as the experiment goes (actual id, not just some tracking number). It would be like seeing that twenty fall out of the lady's purse, versus just noticing it stuck on my shoe. I know i'd only give the money back in the former case

.....

Quote: gofaster87

Well this seems to have stemmed from my announcement of a lady getting arrested for a 5 cent voucher. Everyone else is talking of larger amounts that may be significant. The other night I walked through a casino and saw 3 abandoned vouchers, all in the cents , that were set on top of the machine. I see people abandon small vouchers purposely all the time or leave the last cent in the machine because they cant get a full spin. These insignificant amounts are ridiculous and are no gray area for ethics. For this to bother someone on such a level that they call people petty thieves for picking up a few cents is beyond me. Look at how many people pick up lucky pennies, big superstition especially in casinos. These people are not borderline criminals. Get a life people.

AMEN !!!!

I have a small collection of $0.01 slot vouchers that I use as bookmarks. It's always a good conversation starter and the ticket paper is surprisingly durable. I also have a vendor sample from last G2E with a face value of over $15,000. That's an even better conversation starter.

Quote: weaselman

If the name of the owner (or card number, or something) was displayed on the ticket, I think a majority of people would take it to the security.

This seems to me an excellent idea. Personalizing the ticket connects it to a real human being in a way a bar code doesn't: "Hey, Gladys Schwartz dropped her ticket." Fleas and thieves will always be with us, but I agree a name on a ticket may help most people return it to security.

Of course, it requires the use of a player's card.

Requiring a player's card to cash out will create a new set of problems. Many players prefer to remain anonymous, especially if they put together many wins that are just under the IRS reporting threshold.

I also foresee problems when a player forgets their card in a machine. The next person could come along and put money in, before realizing that there was already a card registered. How do they get their money back if they can't rightfully cash the ticket out?

Quote:

Many players prefer to remain anonymous, especially if they put together many wins that are just under the IRS reporting threshold.

Certainly. Anyone is free to play anonymously.

Quote:

The next person could come along and put money in, before realizing that there was already a card registered. How do they get their money back if they can't rightfully cash the ticket out?

Cash the ticket, keep your deposit, return the rest to the cage with the card.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Requiring a player's card to cash out will create a new set of problems. Many players prefer to remain anonymous, especially if they put together many wins that are just under the IRS reporting threshold.

My idea was for security. Look up thread for it. Briefly, if a player has his card in the machine and wins anything, the ticket can only be cashed concurrently with the player card, be it at the cashing machine or the cage. If the player dind't use a card, then noe would be required to cash the ticket, but the ticket wouldn't be protected against theft or loss.

This would help if you lose a ticket or ahve one stolen. the casino could simply void the original one, so no machine would cash it, and issue you a new one. meantime if a thief or a lucky passer by tries to cash it, they won't be able to since they lack the player card.

Quote:

I also foresee problems when a player forgets their card in a machine. The next person could come along and put money in, before realizing that there was already a card registered. How do they get their money back if they can't rightfully cash the ticket out?

Good one. I've nothing to say to that beyond "always check the card slot before buying in." But I'll give it some more thought.

Quote: MathExtremist

I have a small collection of $0.01 slot vouchers that I use as bookmarks. It's always a good conversation starter and the ticket paper is surprisingly durable.

I tried collecting those once, but they kept fading - especially if I left them in direct sunlight accidentally. How do you keep yours in good condition?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Many players prefer to remain anonymous, especially if they put together many wins that are just under the IRS reporting threshold.

Presumably someone putting together many wins just under the IRS threshold is a lot more careful than average with his consistently plump winnings. But, of course, even the best of us . . .

Actually, this sounds like it could be a question on the old All About Faces game show (I think it was a Canadian game show from the late '60s or '70s - they showed some sort of "real life" ethical dilemma, and the contestants had to decide how the person would react). Of course, back then, they didn't have payout slips (they could have done it with casino chips, but (a) then you lose the "lie about your identity" aspect, and (b) you might end up with a repeat of the I Love Lucy Monte Carlo episode (during the "Ricky's band tours Europe" storyline, Lucy, having been told not to go to the casino in Monte Carlo, does so anyway, finds a chip on the floor, and throws it onto a roulette table with "hilarious consequences")).

Quote: ThatDonGuy

I tried collecting those once, but they kept fading - especially if I left them in direct sunlight accidentally. How do you keep yours in good condition?

I live in Oregon. :)

Seriously, any heat source (including sunlight) will cause problems -- it even says on the back of the ticket that they're thermal-printed. I usually have mine tucked away in books. They're not good candidates for true collectibles in that displaying them will make them fade over time.

"Somebody just scored a 20 dollar and 35 cent cash-out voucher from the Golden Nugget, and that somebody is me."

Not revealed is whether the cabbie who had just scored the voucher did so by way of a tip given him by a passenger or whether he merely happened to encounter the ticket while taking a turn through the Golden Nugget's slot machine pit. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a tip.

If I were to come across a $100 bill, or a $100 chip, or $100 voucher, and there was no obvious owner (i.e. I did not see it fall out of someone's pocket), then I would pocket it. Just like I learned in Kindergarten with the old nursery rhyme - "find a penny, pick it up...".

If a ticket had a name on it, then I'd turn it in. But just because a ticket has a serial number, like a piece of US currency, does not mean that an owner could be identified. I'm not going to turn it in so that the casino can stick it in their pocket. It is no more theirs than it is mine. I also learned "finders keepers" in Kindergarten.

Quote: kp

If I were to come across a $100 bill, or a $100 chip, or $100 voucher, and there was no obvious owner (i.e. I did not see it fall out of someone's pocket), then I would pocket it. Just like I learned in Kindergarten with the old nursery rhyme - "find a penny, pick it up...".

If a ticket had a name on it, then I'd turn it in. But just because a ticket has a serial number, like a piece of US currency, does not mean that an owner could be identified. I'm not going to turn it in so that the casino can stick it in their pocket. It is no more theirs than it is mine. I also learned "finders keepers" in Kindergarten.

Sheriff Face and Deputy Dan will be with you shortly !