someone stole my ticket!

[giraffeluvr]

while playing at the red rock in Vegas, I got up to play a different vp machine and realized I'd left my $198.50 ticket in the previous machine. I ran back and it wasn't there but the machine said that I had cashed out. I saw an old man nearby walking away and after a few seconds of confusion and consternation, realized that he had just cashed out a ticket. I ran up to him and asked if he had taken my ticket and he replied "certainly not!" So I ran back to the ticket redemption machine which said "ticket paid $198.50". I saw the old guy (he must've been 85 ys old) headed for the exit and chased him down yet again. my exact words were "YOU TOOK MY TICKET AND I CAN PROVE IT!!!" To which he replied, oh, ahem, yes, what was it again... $198.50?" I held out my had, he paid every penny, and he exited as quickly as his shuffling old legs would carry him.
two lessons... nice looking old men aren't ALWAYS nice guys, and never forget your ticket.
should I have called security or just let him walk (like I did)?

[Vman96]

You gave him a huge break. Very important not to leave tickets behind. Fortunately the time I did this a lot less money was on the line. Glad you were able to get it back in time.

[Come Back Kid]

Glad you got your money back, I don't think I would've called security in your case...Seems like your situation was resolved...

Years ago my sister was playing a sit down style penny machine, where it has the box on the top right, where you reach down in and get your ticket...There was a guy kinda hanging around, playing by her acting weird...
She got the machine up to 200.00 and cashed it out. Reach down for her ticket and went straight to the cash machine...Waiting for her money, it dropped 2 cents or something...She looked at the screen and that's what it said...She waived down a change girl, went back to the machine, it said 200.00...The casino checked security, and sure enough the weird guy took it...
What he did, was put a phoney ticket in the box, and take the real one after the customer takes that one...
The man had cashed the ticket and left casino already, but our casino honored the ticket and paid her the money...She was lucky. And learned a good lesson..

[Chicagoan]

Years ago in Biloxi I hit a $2000 jackpot. While I was waiting for the attendant to arrive I stood up and stepped maybe 4 steps away, at most, to look at my friend's machine, which was only 2 machines away. A man slid into my seat, right behind my back. I told him I was awaiting the attendant and the machine was locked up. He said, "No, I am waiting for the attendant." This creep tried to steal my jackpot! I got a security guy while my friend watched for the attendant. The security guy called upstairs to the eye in the sky and they confirmed it was my jackpot. The creep was escorted out of the casino and a manager came and sternly told me to never ever ever leave my seat while awaiting an attendant for a jackpot. To say that I learned my lesson is an understatement. When that "Call Attendant" message lights up, I am glued to my seat until I am fully paid. I don't even lean to the right or the left, lol!

[Come Back Kid]

Wow! That is crazy!

[FloridaPhil]

Were you lucky or what?   

[Lionqueen]

My husband and I had just arrived and my favorite machine was taken so I sat down at another. As soon as I did mine became open so I moved over. A little later my husband hit a jackpot and while waiting to get paid he went to the rest room.   A regular at the casino who I was familiar with stopped in front of the machine I had been sitting at and asked if anyone was playing it. I said no and she hit the cash out button. I said "Wait! Was there money on it"? She said there was $1. After she left I looked and saw she had cashed out $100. I felt so stupid because I had obviously put that $100 in there. When the attendants arrived to pay my husband I told them what I had done and asked if I had the right to approach her and ask she return the ticket because I truly blamed myself. They asked me for a description they looked at each other and said "Sherri". The found her, took her upstairs, reviewed the tapes and banned her for life. Seems she was known for this and propositioning customers and they were thrilled to have proof enough to get rid of her for good. They gave me what was left of the ticket and made up the rest in cash. I sort of felt bad for her because it really was just my stupid mistake but was glad to know the casino had my back.

[FloridaPhil]

It's easy to get lulled into the idea that a casino is a fun place to be and ignore what's going on around you.   I've had tickets stolen from my jacket pockets while hanging on the back of my chair.  There's another world out there... 

[ko king]

while playing at the red rock in Vegas, I got up to play a different vp machine and realized I'd left my $198.50 ticket in the previous machine. I ran back and it wasn't there but the machine said that I had cashed out. I saw an old man nearby walking away and after a few seconds of confusion and consternation, realized that he had just cashed out a ticket. I ran up to him and asked if he had taken my ticket and he replied "certainly not!" So I ran back to the ticket redemption machine which said "ticket paid $198.50". I saw the old guy (he must've been 85 ys old) headed for the exit and chased him down yet again. my exact words were "YOU TOOK MY TICKET AND I CAN PROVE IT!!!" To which he replied, oh, ahem, yes, what was it again... $198.50?" I held out my had, he paid every penny, and he exited as quickly as his shuffling old legs would carry him.
two lessons... nice looking old men aren't ALWAYS nice guys, and never forget your ticket.
should I have called security or just let him walk (like I did)?

Glad you caught the guy and got your money back.