Misloaded casino change machine pays out fortune

Casino Regina is trying to track down gamblers who pocketed thousands of dollars in unearned jackpots after a change-making machine was misloaded.

In October, casino staff mistakenly loaded the automated redemption machine with CAD 20 bills instead of fives.

People using the machine to make change or cash in winnings were given four times the change they deserved for nearly two days.

The machine paid out more than CAD 27,500 in ill-gotten gains before the glitch was reported by an honest patron.

„Through our surveillance tapes and other modes of identification, we approached those that we could identify and asked them to return the money,“ Marty Klyne, president of the Saskatchewan Gaming Corp., said Thursday

Klyne said a „vast“ number of people used the machine multiple times after discovering the error. One person collected CAD 11,000 from the machine, in more than 180 repeat visits. That money has been returned, he said.

The casino used surveillance footage to help identify the culprits. People who used the machine and did not report the problem have been banned from the casino.

To date, CAD 13,400 — nearly half of the missing money — has been returned. The casino is now considering legal options to get the rest back and have asked Regina police to investigate.

Klyne says he’s satisfied that the machine was accidentally loaded with CAD 20 bills, and said the cash cartridges are now more clearly labelled.

While some say it was about time the house didn’t win, the government owned casino fails to see the humour.

„If (people) knowingly received cash they shouldn’t have, (under) social expectations of ethics and morals they should probably return it. They may want to do that on a pro-active basis as opposed to being pursued by Regina police services,“ said Klyne.