Bill-
Please chill out on this one. I would not call someone a "thief" and "dishonest" for swiping some coupons from a maid's cart. I doubt the Las Vegas district attorney or the Atlantic County prosecutor would go after someone for taking some extra coupons or slipping a couple packets of Sweet N' Low into her purse. Especially with outright cheaters (a couple Nevada regulators were busted in AC a few years back with an elaborate keno scheme) and people grabbing thousands of dollars of chips from the dealer's tray.
There are a lot of gray areas in gambling and casino life. For example, if a blackjack dealer pays you when they shouldn't, most players will keep their mouth shut and take the money. I saw once at Bally's in AC that a newbie blackjack player got paid when she pushed, and pointed out the mistake to the dealer. The dealer took the money back. Then the other players at the table quietly told her, next time be quiet about it. Totally ethical and honest? No, but that's the way a lot of people play it.
Some people take food out of buffets, even if the sign says "no takeout." In his book, "Comp City," Max Rubin describes one man who put Ziploc baggies in his inside jacket pockets and stuffed them with shrimp and a woman who would put 10 pounds of prime rib into a shopping bag to feed her dogs. I think that is WAY over the line. But if someone takes out a banana to eat later, or a slice of turkey for her cats (I've been known to do that), it doesn't exactly make you Kenneth Lay.
Everyone has to draw their own line. Personally, I've never taken anything worth more than about a quarter. My own rule for myself is if it's put there for me to use, and will be thrown away if I use part of it, I have no problem taking it. Thus soap, shampoo, etc. are fair game. (If I really like the lotion, I will ASK the maid for more, not steal it from her cart.) If it's something that would be washed and reused again (ashtray, silverware, towel) I don't take it.
Is it OK to play off credits that someone else left on a machine? I do it many times. I don't go looking for them, as a cadre of folks in AC do, but if I notice it, I'll play it. I think it's like picking up a dollar bill someone dropped on the floor and didn't pick up. As far as I know, at least in AC, it is not considered theft _ as long as the person doesn't graduate to stealing buckets of quarters.
Technically, if I go into a casino, put a quarter in a slot machine, hit a cherry and get two quarters, I have to report that 25 cents as income to the IRS. I doubt one gambler in 10,000 does that. That's why the IRS set limits for W2-Gs so they get their share of the larger wins. I sure hope no one's monitoring this board and reporting all the wins and losses we talk about to the feds.
Bill, I know you're a legal professional and I'm not, but have you ever seen someone actually prosecuted for these things? There are things that are clearly legal and clearly illegal, but in these gray areas I think everyone has to make their own decision.
Elaine
I suppose stealing coupons from a maid cart is crossing the
line. However, that is the only time I have clearly stepped over
the line.
Then you are a thief -- an untrustworthy and dishonest person. End of
discussion.
That is not a legal defense. Trust me; I know what I'm talking about --
as a legal professional.
snip
Cheers.
Bill Velek
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Bill Velek <billvelek@alliancecable.net> wrote:Quad Zilla wrote:
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