Slot Machine Winner Loses $1,956 To Thief After Forgetting To Grab Voucher
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A forgetful mistake led to a slot machine player losing their $1,956 jackpot at a Pennsylvania casino.
Lehigh Valley Live reports the 40-year-old man from New York City won the jackpot at the Wind Creek casino in Bethlehem, but forgot to grab his printed voucher needed to cash out from the slot machine last month, Pennsylvania State Police troopers confirmed.
A thief pounced on the opportunity by grabbing the voucher and cashing it out at a kiosk, troopers said.
No additional information was provided by Pennsylvania State Police as of Monday (July 12).
Apparently, this is a common mistake made in casinos.
LasVegasSun.com reports more than $35 million has been left on casino floors in the state of Nevada during the past five years through payers forgetting their vouchers on slot and video machines.
Slot machines have transitioned from coin-based jackpots to tickets that can be easily turned into machines to collect winnings.
Tickets expire at a set date by the casino or 180 days after the win took place, according to Nevada gaming regulations.
Winners have let more than $35 million worth of tickets expire by forgetting to cash-in their tickets on time.
In 2011, Assemblyman William Horne (D-Las Vegas) pushed a bill in which 75% of revenue from lost vouchers will be distributed into the state's general fund, while the remaining 25% will be donated back to casinos.
