Around 9 months I was walking out of my local mini Tesco and there was a small bundle of betting slips in the middle of the doorway. I picked them up as they must have been dropped. They were winning sips that I cashed in for £60 from the betting shop just down the road.
On Friday I went to place a season winner acca and someone left a £5 cash out slip in the machine. So I cashed it in and made a free £5. But today I went in to see if the odds had changed much and another £5 slip was left in the machine so made another £5 for free.
I could hand them in but Coral will just keep the money for themselves.
Weird Free Money Betting Shop
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sionascaig
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:38 am
Based on the statement you provided, here's a psychological analysis of why someone might share this on a public forum.
The user's post appears to be a form of moral justification. The author describes a series of events where they found and cashed in winning betting slips. They likely anticipate that some readers will view this as dishonest or wrong. To preemptively counter this, they include the line, "I could hand them in but Coral will just keep the money for themselves."
This statement serves a few key psychological functions:
Minimizing Guilt: The user is likely experiencing some level of cognitive dissonance—a mental discomfort that arises when a person's behavior contradicts their beliefs or values. By justifying their actions with the belief that "Coral will just keep the money," they are reframing the situation. Instead of seeing themselves as a person who took something that wasn't theirs, they see themselves as a person who prevented a large corporation from benefiting from someone else's loss. This narrative helps to reduce any internal guilt they might feel.
Seeking Social Validation: By sharing this story, the user is likely looking for others in the forum to agree with their reasoning. They want the community to confirm that their actions were acceptable, or even clever, given the circumstances. Receiving likes, positive comments, or similar anecdotes would serve as social proof that their behavior was not only okay but also justified.
Highlighting a Clever "Hack": The user is also framing this as a successful series of events where they benefited from small, lucky opportunities. Sharing this is a way to present themselves as resourceful and fortunate. This can boost their self-esteem and give them a sense of control or superiority over a system (the betting shop) that is typically designed to profit from its customers.
In essence, the post is not just a story; it's a carefully constructed narrative designed to manage the author's self-image and solicit positive affirmation from a public audience.
The user's post appears to be a form of moral justification. The author describes a series of events where they found and cashed in winning betting slips. They likely anticipate that some readers will view this as dishonest or wrong. To preemptively counter this, they include the line, "I could hand them in but Coral will just keep the money for themselves."
This statement serves a few key psychological functions:
Minimizing Guilt: The user is likely experiencing some level of cognitive dissonance—a mental discomfort that arises when a person's behavior contradicts their beliefs or values. By justifying their actions with the belief that "Coral will just keep the money," they are reframing the situation. Instead of seeing themselves as a person who took something that wasn't theirs, they see themselves as a person who prevented a large corporation from benefiting from someone else's loss. This narrative helps to reduce any internal guilt they might feel.
Seeking Social Validation: By sharing this story, the user is likely looking for others in the forum to agree with their reasoning. They want the community to confirm that their actions were acceptable, or even clever, given the circumstances. Receiving likes, positive comments, or similar anecdotes would serve as social proof that their behavior was not only okay but also justified.
Highlighting a Clever "Hack": The user is also framing this as a successful series of events where they benefited from small, lucky opportunities. Sharing this is a way to present themselves as resourceful and fortunate. This can boost their self-esteem and give them a sense of control or superiority over a system (the betting shop) that is typically designed to profit from its customers.
In essence, the post is not just a story; it's a carefully constructed narrative designed to manage the author's self-image and solicit positive affirmation from a public audience.
Just luke you, I once found some cash at an ATM but it never occurred to me to start a thread about itGarethp123 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 04, 2025 5:35 pmAround 9 months I was walking out of my local mini Tesco and there was a small bundle of betting slips in the middle of the doorway. I picked them up as they must have been dropped. They were winning sips that I cashed in for £60 from the betting shop just down the road.
On Friday I went to place a season winner acca and someone left a £5 cash out slip in the machine. So I cashed it in and made a free £5. But today I went in to see if the odds had changed much and another £5 slip was left in the machine so made another £5 for free.
I could hand them in but Coral will just keep the money for themselves.
As I've previously disclosed, I was in the casino surveillance industry.
One day the armoured van came to fill the ATM's in the casino foyer and on one of the machines managed to mix up the $20 and $50 canisters. So if you withdrew $20 you would receive a $50 note and vice versa. The sweet spot was $80 because you would get 4 x $50 (there were no $10 notes so withdrawals were in multiples of $20).
Word soon spread and not long after there was a line at that ATM, even though it was a bank of 6 machines nobody seemed interested in the others
Obviously it ended when somebody unsuspectingly withdrew $50 and got a $20 note and complained.
Not long after I received a call from my GM and was asked to pull the CCTV footage of the ATM's for the bank and the police as extra evidence (they obviously had card details) to who had received extra cash in error.
It wasn't a hard task to identify them. First in line was one of our bartenders, second a dealer, next a Pit Manager, then a housekeeper, then another dealer etc etc etc.... . To the best of my knowledge nobody was terminated over it, but that surprised me a bit.
One day the armoured van came to fill the ATM's in the casino foyer and on one of the machines managed to mix up the $20 and $50 canisters. So if you withdrew $20 you would receive a $50 note and vice versa. The sweet spot was $80 because you would get 4 x $50 (there were no $10 notes so withdrawals were in multiples of $20).
Word soon spread and not long after there was a line at that ATM, even though it was a bank of 6 machines nobody seemed interested in the others
Obviously it ended when somebody unsuspectingly withdrew $50 and got a $20 note and complained.Not long after I received a call from my GM and was asked to pull the CCTV footage of the ATM's for the bank and the police as extra evidence (they obviously had card details) to who had received extra cash in error.
It wasn't a hard task to identify them. First in line was one of our bartenders, second a dealer, next a Pit Manager, then a housekeeper, then another dealer etc etc etc....
. To the best of my knowledge nobody was terminated over it, but that surprised me a bit.-
wearthefoxhat
- Posts: 3573
- Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:55 am
I was in a hurry this day and was about to place a bet on one of those self-bet terminals in the betting shop. I was interrupted by a phone call from my wife that we needed some more food as the foodbank supplies had all been used. That was okay though, cos I was feeling pleased with myself that my small yankee bet had won and my family could eat something other than pasta and baked beans. Okay £60, doesn't sound like much, but it meant the world to me.
I rushed over to the supermarket, collected some nice food items and when I arrived at the cashier to pay, I realised I hadn't cashed out my winning ticket from the bookies, and I couldn't find it anywhere. Also, the spare £5 I had, was left in the self-bet machine.
I rushed back to betting shop only to find the £5 no longer in the machine. I enquired at the counter just in case the staff had spotted it but apparently it had just been cashed out. Annoyed with myself, I then mentioned I lost my tickets for my winning yankee, could I fill out a lost ticket form. On doing so, the staff then confirmed this had also been cashed out, and went on to say, "sorry guv, nothing we can do."
I was now apoplectic, "Hang on that was my money, I needed it get food for my family." I wasn't thinking straight, and picked up one of those heavy metalled legged chairs and proceeded to smash up the self-bet terminal. I then left the betting shop and went back to the supermarket, scooped up some items in a bag and walked straight out without paying.
On arriving home, I handed over the bag of items to my beloved wife who was over the moon with lovely items for dinner, my kids ran to me for hugs and expressed their love for their wonderful dad, the provider.
Then there was a knock at the door......
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I rushed over to the supermarket, collected some nice food items and when I arrived at the cashier to pay, I realised I hadn't cashed out my winning ticket from the bookies, and I couldn't find it anywhere. Also, the spare £5 I had, was left in the self-bet machine.
I rushed back to betting shop only to find the £5 no longer in the machine. I enquired at the counter just in case the staff had spotted it but apparently it had just been cashed out. Annoyed with myself, I then mentioned I lost my tickets for my winning yankee, could I fill out a lost ticket form. On doing so, the staff then confirmed this had also been cashed out, and went on to say, "sorry guv, nothing we can do."
I was now apoplectic, "Hang on that was my money, I needed it get food for my family." I wasn't thinking straight, and picked up one of those heavy metalled legged chairs and proceeded to smash up the self-bet terminal. I then left the betting shop and went back to the supermarket, scooped up some items in a bag and walked straight out without paying.
On arriving home, I handed over the bag of items to my beloved wife who was over the moon with lovely items for dinner, my kids ran to me for hugs and expressed their love for their wonderful dad, the provider.
Then there was a knock at the door......
-----
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Garethp123
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2025 4:14 pm
If you hand a lost betting slip or note to a bookie surely they will just rip it up and let it expire. Surely its better for a customer to keep the money.
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Garethp123
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2025 4:14 pm
I went back last night. Guess not....no uncashed slips in the machines. Nevermind.sionascaig wrote: ↑Mon Aug 04, 2025 7:15 pmBased on the statement you provided, here's a psychological analysis of why someone might share this on a public forum.
The user's post appears to be a form of moral justification. The author describes a series of events where they found and cashed in winning betting slips. They likely anticipate that some readers will view this as dishonest or wrong. To preemptively counter this, they include the line, "I could hand them in but Coral will just keep the money for themselves."
This statement serves a few key psychological functions:
Minimizing Guilt: The user is likely experiencing some level of cognitive dissonance—a mental discomfort that arises when a person's behavior contradicts their beliefs or values. By justifying their actions with the belief that "Coral will just keep the money," they are reframing the situation. Instead of seeing themselves as a person who took something that wasn't theirs, they see themselves as a person who prevented a large corporation from benefiting from someone else's loss. This narrative helps to reduce any internal guilt they might feel.
Seeking Social Validation: By sharing this story, the user is likely looking for others in the forum to agree with their reasoning. They want the community to confirm that their actions were acceptable, or even clever, given the circumstances. Receiving likes, positive comments, or similar anecdotes would serve as social proof that their behavior was not only okay but also justified.
Highlighting a Clever "Hack": The user is also framing this as a successful series of events where they benefited from small, lucky opportunities. Sharing this is a way to present themselves as resourceful and fortunate. This can boost their self-esteem and give them a sense of control or superiority over a system (the betting shop) that is typically designed to profit from its customers.
In essence, the post is not just a story; it's a carefully constructed narrative designed to manage the author's self-image and solicit positive affirmation from a public audience.
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wearthefoxhat
- Posts: 3573
- Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:55 am
Garethp123 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 08, 2025 4:13 pmIf you hand a lost betting slip or note to a bookie surely they will just rip it up and let it expire. Surely its better for a customer to keep the money.
Depends.
Some staff will recognise a customers handwriting. The customer may have already filled out a lost receipt form with their bet details, which would also show an example of their handwriting.
Other unscrupulous staff members may just check if there's anything on the slip and cash it in for themselves, but risk being sacked for gross misconduct if caught by the in-shop CCTV.
If the slips had been thrown in the bin and unclaimed, then they automatically become sleepers and, yes, the betting company keep the money. Plenty of examples of money unclaimed over the years, many thousands of pounds for sure.
To add my story .
I went to Coral's once and placed a £10 bet on a horse .The horse won at 6/1 .My immediate elation was soon curtailed when I looked at the poor starving staff behind the counter .They were looking at me with a profoundly sad look in their eyes .Then from behind the desk limped a bedraggled hungry looking manager who came up to me and with great hesitation said
'Please kind sir Please Please Please dont take the £60 from us .It's more than we could stand .Thing's have gone from bad to worse when 6 months ago somebody had a reverse forecast up at Monmore'
I felt sorry for the poor wretch..so I ripped my ticket up and through it in the bin .
Has anyone any simialr stories , of making sacrifices for the greater good on humankind and bookies everywhere ?
Kind regards
(and especially to poor long suffering bookies)
Tico
I went to Coral's once and placed a £10 bet on a horse .The horse won at 6/1 .My immediate elation was soon curtailed when I looked at the poor starving staff behind the counter .They were looking at me with a profoundly sad look in their eyes .Then from behind the desk limped a bedraggled hungry looking manager who came up to me and with great hesitation said
'Please kind sir Please Please Please dont take the £60 from us .It's more than we could stand .Thing's have gone from bad to worse when 6 months ago somebody had a reverse forecast up at Monmore'
I felt sorry for the poor wretch..so I ripped my ticket up and through it in the bin .
Has anyone any simialr stories , of making sacrifices for the greater good on humankind and bookies everywhere ?
Kind regards
(and especially to poor long suffering bookies)
Tico