The most insulted/embarrassed I've ever been

Last time I was at the plaza, I was tossing away my beverage and noticed a voucher sitting smack dab by the trash can...it was...drumroll...for a whole nickle...I picked it up, walked over to the ticket machine and cashed it out(if you can call a nickle a cashout). I dont feel one bit bad about it either! This is a true story.

 

I've heard it called "Silver mining" a thousand times, never heard the term "Seagulling". Did you just make that term up?

 

It sounds like Security was heavy-handed but I agree they should be enforcing this...it makes me super uncomfortable when people swoop down on machines next to me to grab the TITO. They're usually not the upstanding types...

I didn't know this silver mining or seagulling was actually illegal but I can see why casinos wouldn't want the kind of people who do this to be around. I do find it a little strange that someone like the OP who gambles so much money would bother going around gathering pocket change...

 

Hey man I don't mean to judge, but I'm going to judge.
I find it hard to believe that the same person that says "the most insulted/embarrased I've ever been" over the situation you just described was not also overly dramatic to the security guard while they were talking to you.
The security guard was probably a little heavy handed, but I bet you were a bit over the top yourself. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

 

For those that are getting educated about the illegality of this move, you should know that picking a chip off the casino floor is also illegal. If it's unclaimed, and on the floor, the casino technically owns it.

 

And your point is what?

 

I'm guessing that his point is as he states it. By that same law -- supported by the casinos and passed by the state --that says the unused tickets belong to the casino and the state, any chip and maybe even actual cash found on the casino floor belongs to the casino.


So even that quarter that rolled against your foot should not be picked up.

 

What if you found a C Note laying on the floor of the casino? I am just asking

 

A lot of paranoia here, cmon folks, dont live your life in fear. If I find money on the floor I'm picking it up, and if they want to kick me out, that's ok too.

 

And your point is?

 

i would try turning it into $3500 on video keno.

 

My point is, if you find a voucher cash it, if you see an obviously abandoned machine with a few credits, cash it, if you find money, pick it up. Does that seem reasonable?

 

I was at Harrahs a few days ago and the machine next to me had a couple dollars left on it. I didnt touch it because of Karma issues, but a cleaner came up and started polishing the machine and "accidentally" hit the cash out button. Before he had a chance to grab it, a slot attendent swooped in and grabbed it. She went in the back, and security came by a minute later; I assume they picked up the ticket. Either she saved the cleaner from trouble or got him in trouble, not sure which.

 

Jeez..that is the point of the whole thread.....it seems like it would a normal thing to do but it is against the law in LV and the OP wrote about his experience.

And again--- it is against the law because the two entities that are benefitting from that law had the power to pass it.

 

First of all, most slot players complain about people who silver mine. No matter what the socioeconomic status of the people doing it, they tend to watch slot play and linger behind your back. It makes the atmosphere uncomfortable. I appreciate it when the casino steps in and clears them out.

Second of all, I don't think it would be as major issue to the casino if they hadn't changed the unclaimed property law. You aren't taking money from a player or the casino. You are taking money from a very cash strapped state of Nevada. Based on some of the articles I read at the time, it sounds like they are very aggressive about getting all that loose change. I made a vow not to leave a red cent behind when they changed that law.

Finally, I know you think that your players card status should have warranted better treatment but the reality is that the message sent to security is that you were too good to be confronted by them because of your play. It probably raised their hackles the way it would a cop arresting a celebrity screaming "Don't you know who I am?". You should have played it like a traffic stop, listened to what they had to say and given up the vouchers.

 

Totally agree with LEO21. While I have sympathy for the OP for being harassed for something he didn't know was wrong, it has always bothered me when people try to throw their weight around. If he had just said he didn't know and walked out it would have been over much quickly and with much less grief for both parties.

I worked for years as a mgr at a major hotel chain. I had to handle tons of complaints. It would be settled quickly if all parties were calm and reasonable. I would cringe every time some would start spouting about how they owned stock and know some Mr Big in the corporate office yadda, yadda, yadda. That didn't scare me, it just made me think less of the person and honestly less likely to go the extra mile. I'd still have to remove the porn movie they claim they didn't offer or rebate something if they pillow was too soft, but they usually looked like a real tool to everyone who overhead them.

 

I know that's the point of the thread, but there are people here that are implying that if you find some credits on a machine, you better not touch it, cause you "might" get into trouble. All I'm saying is for heavens sakes find something else to worry about. If you are a scavanger going around looking for left behind money, sure security might jump in(the thread starter did it not once but several times), but if you just sit at a machine and play, or dont play, it's pretty unlikely anything's going to happen, and if it does, that's ok too.

The fact there's a law against it means nothing(to the vast majority of us I'm sure). There are laws about everything from jaywalking to serving intoxicated people that are routinely ignored by everyone.

 

Big difference between "finding some credits in a machine", and starting a collection of TITO's. If you find credits in a machine, throw in a $20 on top of it and play away....no one will ever know or care.

Anyway, this horse is beaten and dying. Moving on.

 

Note to self: Always cash out penny tickets and hand them to someone playing a machine.

Thanks for the lesson learned.

 

Is any of this crap posted around the casino floors or are we to wait to find out we might be in trouble? BTW, if I see a voucher I'm going to do as I've been doing from the start of the voucher system, take it if it's sitting around on the floor, inbetween machines or still in a machine I go to use.