AITA for telling a friend’s friend that he couldn’t keep the “jackpot” that he hit on my antique slot machine? (About $700)

During a gathering, a person attending the event won the top prize while playing the host’s vintage slot machine, valued at approximately $700. Nevertheless, when the attendee attempted to claim their winnings, the host declined, explaining that they were unable to part with that significant amount of money. The dispute intensified, with the attendee mentioning the possibility of a lawsuit, causing the host to question if their actions were unjustified. Find the complete account detailed further down.

‘ AITA for telling a friend’s friend that he couldn’t keep the “jackpot” that he hit on my antique slot machine? (About $700)’

Last night, I hosted a party at my residence. In my living area, I possess a flawlessly maintained and fully functional vintage slot machine originating from the 1940s. My step-grandmother, who formerly worked as a showgirl, acquired it during a relationship with a count room employee before her marriage to my grandfather.

Throughout its existence, individuals occasionally engaged with it, occasionally earning small amounts. Possibly a maximum gain of $50 on any given occasion. To the best of my knowledge, the top prize eluded players, implying that its mechanism likely held about $700 in reserve, accumulated over time. I never took the time to empty it, as it struck me as an amusing and unusual item.

Well a friend’s friend hit the jackpot last night. I was f**king floored when he legit thought he could keep my ~$700. His case was hed been playing with his own money and I would have kept his quarters. My argument was I’d be happy to give him his quarters back if he’d asked but I’m not a casino and while I’m not destitute, I can’t afford to give someone $700.

The squabble brought the party to an end, and one of my closest male companions essentially warned the individual that he would face serious consequences if he attempted to depart with the funds. However, the guy did leave, promising to return with law enforcement and initiate a lawsuit against me in small claims court. I’m uncertain if that was a genuine possibility, but the police never showed up. Therefore, am I in the wrong for preventing him from keeping the money?

Edit: My apologies, everyone, but due to a suspension, I am unable to respond to humorous inquiries like “why are you so terrible?”

Edit2: Well, considering I’m supposedly a “baby gangster” managing an “unlawful gaming scheme” (according to some), I may as well go all the way and start trafficking firearms and offering young Andean alpacas to those willing to pay. Am I really perceived that negatively? I simply believed I possessed something interesting that my step-grandmother acquired through her relationship with someone from the accounting department.

Edit3: I need to respond to this directly: >If this actually occurred last night, just wait a week or a month and see how many friends, particularly mutual ones, stop communicating with you. Pay less attention to our opinions and more to their actions. Also, put aside the thought of small claims court; you should be more concerned about being contacted by your state’s gaming authority.

Should the moderators grant me permission to provide updates, I will certainly do so and inform you of the number of friendships I’ve severed. Virtually everyone, even the friend who introduced the “winner,” felt he behaved like a complete jerk, crawling on the ground to gather quarters from the floor and stash them in his pockets.

He was also untruthful regarding the amount he spent on the machine (claiming it was $75—who carries that many quarters, especially when attending a party at someone’s home?). Furthermore, I am eager to contact the Arizona gaming commission to inquire about any potential legal issues for myself. I will provide updates as I receive them.

As an Instagram influencer, I’m constantly surrounded by inauthenticity and superficiality, yet I’m still taken aback by the over-the-top reactions I see online. Feel free to label me an asshole, but don’t try to act like you know something when you clearly don’t.

Edit4: I got suspended for lighthearted banter, while others have had vile posts calling me names up for more than an hour. This complicates providing information, but I’ll attempt to articulate my rationale regarding the funds in the device and my inability to “spare” them for him.

Imagine you keep a jar of loose change that holds $100. A close friend asks to borrow $25 for parking, and you would likely agree, correct? Then another friend is impressed and asks if they can add their $1.25 to the jar, to which you’d also agree. Now, suppose a complete stranger announces they’ve contributed 80 cents and are now emptying the entire jar.

You’d probably decline. I’ve always thought of the slot machine as a communal change repository for my inner circle. I’ve provided friends with coins to play, and I’ve occasionally borrowed a coin or two from those curious to see it function. I’ve likely collected around $100 over the past five years, possibly. That equates to about a nickel daily. That’s hardly an illicit gambling enterprise.

Edit5: An interesting query: >INFO Did he specifically request permission to engage and retain any winnings? If not, his participation was unauthorized, as this isn’t a gambling establishment. Indeed, he did not. Our initial interaction occurred when I observed him collecting coins from the floor, rapidly depositing them into his pockets.

I’m fine with others playing it and even provide them with money to do so, considering the current scarcity of coins. However, he didn’t seek permission. Edit6: Another pertinent question >Additionally, more details are needed. You mentioned that other patrons have previously won minor prizes, up to $50. Were they allowed to keep their winnings? If yes, why is there a different rule being applied in this instance?

I might have permitted him to retain $50 to $100, as he likely managed to slip some into his pockets unnoticed. However, his immediate and abrasive behavior prevented me from proposing any compromise. The majority of the partygoers simply desired his departure. I do experience remorse, and perhaps my unease regarding the perceived hypocrisy motivates my inquiry here. Nevertheless, I believe that had he been even marginally agreeable and refrained from threatening legal action or involving law enforcement, I wouldn’t have felt forced into a defensive position.

Edit7: >INFO It’s important for us to determine the source of the funds. Was the money already in the machine because YOU deposited it, or was it won from playing? Therefore, all these calculations are speculative, relying on my grandmother’s estimate of the jackpot’s capacity (there’s a viewing window that displays the coins within the jackpot, and the area behind it is roughly the size of a large shoebox).

She mentioned it reaches its limit at $800. It was already over halfway when my grandpa and her passed it on to me, I had always estimated its value at $500. Over the past five years, it has filled up to about 7/8ths of its capacity. I occasionally use it, so I would attribute about $100 of that to my contributions, with another $100 coming from friends.

The jackpot and regular winnings, in my opinion, are drawn from separate funds. Therefore, last night was the first and last time I’ve ever witnessed that window without money in it. Since I have no familiarity with the machine, its operation, or how to modify its settings, I could be completely mistaken. If I’m far off, a slot machine expert could set me straight.

Edit8: This is the most insightful YTA perspective I’ve seen, and I want to ensure it gains visibility. > I sincerely hope you encounter significant legal consequences, at which point you’ll regret that your losses weren’t merely a few hundred but escalated to thousands, potentially including incarceration.

Edit9 (at 5:45am, gotta work): You all are hilarious. I’m enjoying the remarks that declare “your changes brand you as the bad guy! All by yourself. And by the way, where did the funds originate?” I’m fine with receiving the YTA votes, but a large number of them are simply factually incorrect.

I wasn’t making any money from this machine. I have honestly never opened it up to remove even a single coin.

User12345: Spending $700 on a stranger is out of the question for me. Although I’m okay financially at the moment, I have money put aside for potential future needs. Additionally, it turns out some old coins my grandmother left me could be valuable. Keeping them was definitely the right choice, right? (I’m expecting some people to call me an idiot for this).

It remained untouched by cleaning efforts since, to be frank, I appreciated the aesthetic of the coins visible through the glass. Its substantial size, coupled with a design prioritizing casino-level security, rendered it an exceptionally effective piggy bank.

4. Some kind Redditors recommended that I keep a bowl of change out for players. I essentially did have that setup, since about 80% of people who wanted to play didn’t have the right coins (I bought the machine five years ago). I always made sure to have quarters available, even if they weren’t right next to the machine.

As an illustration, it’s generally the children of friends who express interest in playing as time passes. I recall a particularly bright 9-year-old who visited once, genuinely anticipating winning the top prize with his $20.

He was heartbroken when he didn’t win (I might have given it to him since he was so cute) but I gave him a $20 silver certificate my step grandma had given me (acquired ny dubious means no doubt) and that kid was thrilled. so I always, always give people money back if they ask. I never intended to profit off the machine. No one has ever made a big deal of it before (save the 9 year old).

Edit10: This guy gets the best comment ever: >I’m guessing you resemble Jared Fogle or something similar 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Edit 11: The story gets more interesting; I appreciate the assistance of several slot machine owners who contacted me privately and recommended specialists in my vicinity. I successfully contacted a local individual specializing in the repair of vintage slot machines.

My one-of-a-kind slot machine is built upon a fairly common model from its time (though I’d rather not be specific, as so few are left). He assured me that any malfunctions or signs of tampering would be immediately obvious to me.

BasedAppropriateness17:

Upon my extremely rudimentary inspection, it seems that this small component is either damaged or out of place. Therefore, it appears that this worthless “customer” deliberately wrecked my device to pilfer my funds. There was no payout whatsoever.

I won’t know for sure until the technician comes around later this week, but it seems like that is the case. The technician mentioned a slim possibility that the damage to that component was accidental, but he seemed doubtful. I stand by my actions regardless of whether people agree with me, as posting here has likely helped me resolve the issue. And to hell with that man.

Edit 12: Okay, so the wonderful and completely reasonable moderators of this community have just informed me in a very nice way that I am not permitted to make any changes to this post. To make a long story short, the “winner” was almost certainly tampering with the machine, which caused the jackpot to be released.

Had I operated an actual gambling establishment, I would have implemented the stipulation that any malfunctions nullify payouts and games. Therefore, my actions were completely justified. To hell with this subreddit, the moderators, and those of you acting superior. However, the majority of you were decent.

Here’s what the community had to contribute:

Dystmyn −  YTA – You left money in the machine knowing people might win some of it. You were perfectly fine letting people use it as though it were real and keeping their money if they didn’t win and let the jackpot build and now that someone actually won you don’t want it to be real anymore.

Groggie −  NTA – I don’t usually post in here, but seeing everyone claim you are the a**hole for *not* giving this dude $700 seems **asinine** to me. He could not have had the same expectation here as he would in a real casino of winning a bunch of money– I doubt it is even legal anywhere in the US to do that, so why would he expect it at some guy’s house? You weren’t exactly smart about this (or previous times), but you’re not the a**hole for not giving him $700.

I’m working on the premise that the $700+ wasn’t accumulated using funds that didn’t belong to you. If this is the case, you’re essentially operating an illicit gambling den and not only are you in debt to that individual for $700, but you’re also at serious risk of police intervention. Going forward, don’t permit individuals to gamble with their personal funds. Empty the machine and allow them to play using *your* coins. This will prevent any resentment.

JATION −  Over the years people have played it and maybe won a few quarters here and there. Maybe a max of $50 at a time. This reads like you normally let people take their winnings and people play with their own money expecting to be able to take the winnings.

User Randomly chose to withhold your friend’s winnings this instance on the grounds that the sum was excessive. You are, without a doubt, a massive jerk in this situation. YTA.

exit_sandman −  NTA, you’re not a casino. And for all the people basically complaining that he robbed his friends blind:

Over time, he received $700. Assuming a decade-long period (a rough estimate), this translates to a staggering 20 cents daily, divided among every user throughout the years (what a miser! /s). And I’m being nice; it could easily have accumulated across seven decades, given the device’s age.

The user’s actions suggest he never planned to use the money; if he had, he would have taken it out periodically. I suspect he would have passed away with the machine still full of cash if this hadn’t occurred.

Given he allowed people to depart with $50, his desire to keep the entire sum doesn’t appear motivated by greed. Ultimately, he simply didn’t want a stranger walking away from his residence with $700, which seems like a fair expectation.

He could have easily had a retro arcade from the 80s in his house, and people would have enjoyed it for the same purpose: to have some simple entertainment without worrying about how much money they were spending. How would this be any different if we took away the chance of winning the jackpot?

His failure to explicitly state that he would not permit individuals to simply leave his residence with a substantial amount of money is also significant. There’s a concept known as the “reasonable person standard,” and a reasonable person wouldn’t anticipate receiving $700 from someone they didn’t have a wager with, who wasn’t a gambling establishment, and who wasn’t even acquainted with them, solely due to random chance.

EDIT: I’m being serious, there are individuals who are actually charging OP with “taking advantage of his acquaintances” and “running a for-profit enterprise” (even though his friends likely didn’t anticipate *any* significant return). Are you serious? You consider a few dozen dollars annually a for-profit enterprise and theft?

WebbieVanderquack −  ESH, but you to a lesser extent. You had a slot machine at a party, and people put their own money into it – you should have made it clear that it wasn’t technically “playable.” Keeping $700 in it is nuts. You can’t afford to lose $700, but you “never bothered” to get it out because “seemed like a fun novelty?”

It was your residence, not a gambling establishment, and once you informed your visitor that the grand prize was not available, he should have taken it in stride. The threat to involve law enforcement and legal action is simply shameful. Place a notice on the slot machine indicating that all winnings remain the owner’s.

singdawg −  NTA you’re not a casino. That said, you should not have kept so much cash in there really as it’s kind of predictable that someone would feel possessive of the cash from a win.

Sparkyrock −  YTA why would you let people play it knowing they can win money on it and then pull back because they win? If you don’t want to possibly lose money from it, don’t let people play or post a sign ahead of time.

[Reddit User] −  NTA also this is a really good post the people are split on this one I hope it makes front page

wisegirl19 −  NTA. You aren’t a casino, and I doubt he was playing on it expecting to see a payout. And it’s your property. It’s just a fun machine to play on to pass time. It’s not like you told him there was tons of money in it and he then spent a lot trying to hit jackpot without telling him he wouldn’t get to keep it. But honestly, keep the machine cleared out. This entire issue could have been avoided.

lotty115 −  YTA – You claim that you’re not a casino but you’re more than happy to let others spend their money in your machine and have let others keep smaller winnings in the past. Do you think casino’s are happy when their clients win a jackpot?

The user has permitted their companions to engage with the device, utilizing **their personal funds**. Consequently, the collective sum expended by these individuals has reached $700, **a figure you now assert as your possession**. It’s presumed that this rationale stems from their gambling losses on the machine.

If someone wins using the machine, they should be entitled to keep their winnings. You cannot have it both ways. Quit acting as if he stole $700 from you; it was money you weren’t utilizing and didn’t care to remove. If you can manage to overlook $700, you can manage losing it.

Was the visitor justified in receiving the prize they acquired, or was the individual who posted about it correct in withholding the funds? How would you manage a circumstance like this? Express your opinions in the section below!