Advantage play / cheating / crime....where is the line?

[tableplay]

Suppose someone is charged but the government can't make the case and ends up dropping the charges such as the Game King double up case. Was the act still illegal?

KewlJ, IMHO, it wasn't illegal (and not cheating). The reason I think this way is because the player has the right to push buttons on a publicly accessible device in any sequence they choose. If the machine is physically altered by the player then I think it is illegal (and cheating).

[kewlJ]

KewlJ, IMHO, it wasn't illegal (and not cheating). The reason I think this way is because the player has the right to push buttons on a publicly accessible device in any sequence they choose. If the machine is physically altered by the player then I think it is illegal (and cheating).

It's not about pushing buttons, IMO, it's about receiving and accepting payment in amounts much greater than the jackpot that you actually played and won. You don't think that is either illegal or cheating?

And if it's not illegal why would there be any concern about statute of limitations?

Funny thing....when you read the article about Kane and Nestor. Nestor was a losing degenerate player. Lost 20k per year for 6 years prior. Was on welfare. Couldn't pay his bills and meet his financial obligations. That sounds eerily similar to someone else we know that had bancrupcies, and legal judgements against them. I get when you reach that level all sense of right and wrong goes out the window, but that doesn't mean that things stop being right or wrong. Receiving and accepting money in an amount much greater than the amount you won and played is wrong under any circumstances.

[redietz]

KewlJ, IMHO, it wasn't illegal (and not cheating). The reason I think this way is because the player has the right to push buttons on a publicly accessible device in any sequence they choose. If the machine is physically altered by the player then I think it is illegal (and cheating).

It's not about pushing buttons, IMO, it's about receiving and accepting payment in amounts much greater than the jackpot that you actually played and won. You don't think that is either illegal or cheating?

And if it's not illegal why would there be any concern about statute of limitations?

Funny thing....when you read the article about Kane and Nestor. Nestor was a losing degenerate player. Lost 20k per year for 6 years prior. Was on welfare. Couldn't pay his bills and meet his financial obligations. That sounds eerily similar to someone else we know that had bancrupcies, and legal judgements against them. I get when you reach that level all sense of right and wrong goes out the window, but that doesn't mean that things stop being right or wrong. Receiving and accepting money in an amount much greater than the amount you won and played is wrong under any circumstances.

I'm anti-casino in every way imaginable. I think, unfortunately, that if payouts are incorrect, the precedents have been set in both the casino and other industries for the casinos to retrieve their money regardless of the motivation or knowledge level of the beneficiary. I don't know if there is a difference between a video poker overpay, for example, and a "jackpot by accident" that the casino retrieves. If, for example, they see the overpay on surveillance, but don't catch you on the premises at the time, they will probably pursue you for the money. I'm also not sure there is a difference between an ATM spitting out too much money or a check from the bank arriving with too much cash and a video poker machine overpaying. In each case, the beneficiary is going to be pursued for a return of the funds, regardless of motivation or knowledge. It doesn't matter if it's Bill Gates, who may not notice a particular 50K overpay. They are coming for their money.