Workers clearing out slot machines from an old casino in New Jersey got an unexpected surprise when they discovered more than $17 000 in loose change had fallen under the machines.
The Sands casino in Atlantic City closed in November to make way for a new mega-casino. And while workers removing the old slot machines expected to find the odd quarter, everyone was surprised by the final haul of $17 193,34.
The booty — which included coins, tokens and even a $100 bill — was found under and between the more than 2 000 machines and was mostly covered in years of dust and grime, the Press of Atlantic City reported.
”Keep in mind that some of those machines had not been moved in the 26 years that the Sands was in operation,” Kim Townsend, from Pinnacle Atlantic City, the company that now owns the casino, told the newspaper. ”We expected to find some currency, but I think everyone was amazed with the final amount.”
Unfortunately for the workers, the casino operator does not believe in ”finders keepers”. The company will keep the lion’s share, with the state of New Jersey taking an 8% cut of the loot in gaming tax. — Sapa-AFP