A woman says that she was detained during a trip to the casino. The reason? One simple, easy-to-make mistake.
In a video that’s going viral, TikTok user Cher (@iamcher_) shows herself getting out of jail.
“If you ever go to a casino, make sure you put money in the machine,” she starts, “’cause if you cash out, and that money’s not yours, they take you to … jail.”
Cher says that the inciting incident was “an accident” and that she “paid her back.” She’s referring to the person whose money she says she accidentally took.
“Be careful at the casino, y’all, or you will spend a night in jail,” she concludes.
How Did This Happen?
In a follow-up video, Cher explains how she ended up in this peculiar situation.
According to the TikToker, she was visiting the casino with her wife when she decided to sit down at a dragon-themed slot machine.
To start, she put just five dollars in, noting that this was only around the fourth time she had been to a casino and that she’s “still new to this.”
“I hit a couple times, and then there’s, like, a bunch of credits down there,” she recalls.
Thinking she simply won more than she realized, she decided to cash out, resulting in a payment of around $134. As her wife continued to play, Cher went up to the bar to get a bag of chips.
It was at this point that she was detained by a gaming officer.
“I said, ‘For … what?’” Cher recalls.
The Reason She Was Detained
When Cher began playing at the machine, she had accidentally taken the spot of a woman who had been playing. In fact, the woman’s husband was sitting at the slot machine next to her—but said nothing.
“If her husband was sitting there, why didn’t he say, ‘Hey, my wife’s playing that machine. She went to go grab something’?” the TikToker asks. “Apparently, in the state of Colorado, if you pick up a penny off of the floor in a casino, it’s a crime. It’s a misdemeanor, but it’s a crime.”
Cher immediately repaid the affected parties, and they said they did not want to press charges. Still, Cher claims she “had to be arrested” because it was a crime.
“When you go to the … casino, make sure you check the credits are zeroed out,” she states.
Is This True?
Surprisingly, yes.
As noted on the website for the Colorado Department of Revenue, “keeping found money in or from a casino is a violation of state gaming law.”
In fact, the website specifically cites a potential incident similar to what Cher described.
“Sometimes the second player sits down at a slot machine and simply doesn’t recognize that there are credits on the machine, and may insert additional money on top of existing credits,” the site reads. “The slot machine event logs, as well as the visual information from surveillance, is usually enough to determine if either player is owed credits or money.”
“A player who finds someone else’s credits and plays them off can be issued a citation under the Fraudulent Acts law,” the site continues.
In the case where one goes to a machine and finds credits already on it, the Colorado Department of Revenue advises either choosing a different machine or notifying a casino staff member so the existing credits can be properly documented and removed before play begins.
@iamcher_ Literally spent a night in jail cause I accidentally used a machine that someone left credits on. NEVER again. #fyp #wlw #studsoftiktok #casino #jailtok
Commenters Urge Caution
In the comments section, users questioned how Cher ended up in this situation given the presence of the affected woman’s partner.
“The fact that her whole husband didn’t speak up is very wild to me,” wrote a user.
“Colorado is full on non confortational people. Shame on the husband for not saying something and you having to go through that!” echoed another.
Others simply spoke to the veracity of her story.
“Good way to void a major jackpot too. I don’t care if it’s 5 cents left in a machine, and you hit a million, they will void your Jackpot win,” declared an additional TikToker.
“She’s not lying!!! She NOT lying!!” exclaimed a further user. “I’m so sorry this happened to you Babess.”
BroBible reached out to Cher via Instagram and TikTok direct message.