[UA] Re: Las Vegas UA

[Matt Smith]

I used to work with a guy to used to service gambling machines, like 
slot machines, in Las Vegas.  I don't know if this helps, but I do know 
that when someone scores a "jackpot" a certified technician is required 
by law to be on hand to certify that the jackpot was valid, i.e. no one 
cheated, and to make sure that it paid out the correct amount.  This 
isn't a quick thing, either.  When you hit a really big pay-off, the 
slot machine will make a lot of noise and spill a lot of coins, but the 
real pay-off is done mostly with a check.  So, there's typically a fair 
amount of waiting around while the technician certifies the winning, not 
to mention the paperwork.  When you win, you're often-times required to 
sign a waiver that allows the casino to use your picture and name for 
advertisements.  That's so they can prove that people really do win at 
their machines.  Not only that, but for really large winnings, I have 
heard that the Internal Revenue Service have a representative on-hand to 
make sure that all the proper tax forms are filled out right there and then.

I also know that many of the smaller casinos out-source the maintenance 
of their machines to 3rd party companies that specialize in that sort of 
thing.  Some of the big casinos probably do the same thing as well.

These technicians also have to be very careful.  The guy I knew finally 
quit his job because of the constant paranoia.  He would always watch 
cars in the parking lots, particularly in the smaller casinos, to see if 
there was anyone who looked like they were waiting

Also, speaking of crime in Las Vegas, I heard from someone who worked 
for the police there that Las Vegas has so many bank robberies that 
often times more than one will happen at any given time.  The police 
only have one or two police helicopters, so they'll often just have to 
pick which bank robbers they're going to pursue and ignore the others.


-Matt