Is winning on faulty slot machine crime?

[oberliner]

ELIZABETH, Ind. - Prosecutors are considering criminal charges against casino gamblers who won big on a slot machine that had been installed with faulty software.

The machine at Caesars Indiana credited gamblers $10 for each dollar they inserted because the software wasn't designed for U.S. currency, state police said. More than two dozen people played the machine before one gambler alerted Caesars employees.

Caesars lost $487,000 on the machine during that time, state police said.

A decision on whether to bring criminal charges could come in a couple of weeks, said John Colin, chief deputy prosecutor for Harrison County. He said "criminal intent" may be involved when people play a machine they know is faulty.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070719/ap_on_fe_st/generous_slot_machine;_ylt=Am3Ri4aG7Z8HDr3y5gZjCPbMWM0F

[baldguy]

1. Who's the idiot who ratted out the machine?

Can he be sued?

[Kingshakabobo]

4. Stool pigeon. n/t

[John Q. Citizen]

2. They can only play if they lose money? My bet is they won't prosecute.

For one thing it would be bad publicity for the casino.

[Newsjock]

3. Just an uninformed opinion here

It wasn't "winning"; it was faulty programming of the bill acceptor. When the player put in a $20 bill, they got $200 worth of credits. It wasn't like the thing kept coughing up five jackpot symbols in a row.

That said, I don't think criminal charges are warranted. The casino screwed up and should eat it.

[B Calm]

5. Ha Ha, blaming the gambler for their screw up!! The public knows

who the real criminal is, and it sure isn't the guy who feeds the slots!

[LoZoccolo]

6. That's why you should never use those bonus club cards they wanna give you.

They probably wouldn't know who the other people were had they not used them in the machines. Those things are there to try to get you to play more than you should and not quit while you're ahead and all that anyways. I was at a dice table once and this guy was telling the dealer how he didn't care that he was losing because he had just played enough to get in the "diamond club".

It was extremely unwise for them to go after anyone at all, actually. Now the casino has a bad reputation! I don't know how many others are in that area though; they might be the only game in town. But around Chicago across the Indiana border there are three. If this were the Caesar's Palace on the Las Vegas Strip it would be exceedingly stupid for them to chase people away to the Bellagio across the street.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Same as if you want 20 bucks from an atm and...

it spews out all its cash at you-- you know it's not yours, so if you take it you are liable for whatever they throw at you.

Now, in this case, did they really know it was a problem machine or did they think it might have been a casino promo?

[AndyTiedye]

8. Do You Think They'd EVER Get a Jury to Convict on That One?

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[elehhhhna]

9. if you know it's a mistake, it's LARCENY.