Page 6 - May 2007 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
ORedeeming Forgotten Slot Tickets
ne of the fastest changes to casinos over the past few years has been the transition to coinless slot machines. Casinos made sure the new coinless slots would be accepted by players. ey added multiple ticket redemption machines around the casino oor to
make it faster and more convenient to cash slot tickets. Players no longer have to lug buckets of dirty coins across the casino oor and wait in line for a cashier to count them.
Harrah’s is one of the biggest national gaming companies, and I called several of their casinos to check their policy. When I called the casino in Atlantic City I was told that the slot tickets did not expire, but if I wanted to redeem one after 90 days I would have to go to the main cage to cash it. At Harrah’s in Las Vegas the vouchers are good for 90 days and they even have an address printed on the back with instructions for mailing in the voucher.
When I called the Mirage in Las Vegas I was told that their slot tickets were good for 90 days, but there was no way to mail them in. A player must cash it or lose it.
What to Do
Because the policy for redeeming slot tickets varies so much, call the casino if you nd yourself with a ticket you forgot to cash.
If you have a slot ticket from a casino with a “no-mail policy,” call and ask for a casino host if you don’t already have one. Explain the problem. Casino hosts want to do everything possible to retain players and they may be able to help you.
To avoid forgetting to cash out slot tickets, redeem them immediately. If you want to save them to play later then make a habit to redeem your slot tickets at the end of the day.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com, located at http://casinogambling.about.com. He is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. He is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
When coinless slots were rst introduced, the main player complaint was the inconvenience when switching slot machines. If they wanted to switch playing from one machine to another, they had to cash out their ticket. Fortunately, this issue
would send you the money. I learned that I was mistaken. In fact while doing some research, I found that policies for dealing with forgotten slot tickets vary not only from casino to casino, but from state to state, even among
was quickly addressed, and in most slot machines you can insert a ticket from one slot machine directly into another. You can even just put the ticket in your wallet or purse and use it when you play later.
is, however, can cause a problem if you forget to cash the slot ticket out before you leave, especially if you are visiting a casino that is a distance from home.
A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from someone who had forgotten to cash a slot ticket while on vacation in Las Vegas. He told me it expired in 60 days and wanted to know how to cash it since he would not be going back to Las Vegas during that time.
“I had never forgotten to cash a slot ticket, and just assumed that you could mail it to the casino and they would send you the money. I learned that I was mistaken. In fact while doing some research, I found that policies for dealing with forgotten slot tickets vary not only from casino to casino, but from state to state, even among casinos owned by the same
gamingcompanies.”
casinos owned by the same gaming companies.
I called several casinos around the country and asked to be connected to the main casino cage. In each instance I asked for their policy for redeeming forgotten slot tickets. Here is a sample of my ndings.
Casino Policies
I called Barona
Ranch Resort and Casino in San Diego and asked for the cashier’s cage. I told them I had a slot ticket I forgot to cash in and wanted to know if I could mail it. e person was not sure, but took my name and telephone number.
Valley
I had never forgotten to cash a slot ticket, and just assumed that you could mail it to the casino and they
Later that day I received a phone call from a supervisor at Barona giving me all the information needed to mail it in for payment.
Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
May 2007
May 2007 Table Game and Slot Tournaments
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Tournaments About Gambling with Bill Burton