What if you find money on a slot machine?
In most jurisdictions, money left on a slot machine is supposed to be turned over to the casino and no one else is allowed to claim it. That said, a decade or so ago I would have had no qualms about playing with or cashing out small amounts of money left on a machine, citing the case of Finders Keepers v.
Can the casino take your money?
Still, casinos are businesses that are interested in earning and making money. Like all businesses, a casino can’t continue to operate if it just hands out money all willy-nilly. That’s why they know the law, will follow the law, and not pay out millions of dollars when they do not have to.
Is finding money and keeping it illegal?
Yes, if you make no effort to find the rightful owner or turn it into the police, it is a crime (in CA, PC 485). This goes for money and anything else of value… In practical use, if it’s a dime and there is nobody around, you won’t be arrested or prosecuted for pocketing it.
Can you get thrown out of a casino for finding money?
Technically, whether it is on the floor, credits in the machine, or a ticket hanging out, it belongs to the casino. I believe the law may even say that. And if you even look like you are searching for money or machine credits, you can even be thrown out for that. That said, I have found money, and kept it.
Is it better to pay back a casino or fight it?
However, the expense of such a fight might make someone decide that it was better to just pay back the money rather than risk being charged. On some issues, like losing money or chips on the casino floor or accidentally leaving credits on a machine when the casino doesn’t choose to pursue criminal charges, you might have a civil legal matter.
Is it legal to cash out a gambling machine in Nevada?
Another lawyer, who specializes in gaming litigation, said that he believes that as long as the machine with credits has been abandoned, the other party can cash out the machine without violating Nevada law. However, he cautioned that the other party cashing out must not have a reasonable belief that the player will return.
Do Nevada casinos care about felony offenses?
Nevada casinos generally seem to think and act as if the law is cut and dried about incidents like ours, but some lawyers feel that people charged with a felony could perhaps persuade a court that what they did was not a crime.