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Episode Description
“Silver Mining” is a slang term given to people who roam casinos looking for leftover tickets or coins to cash in as their own. It is a practice long followed in #Vegas and one that is perhaps illegal and is most definitely discouraged by the casinos. Is the juice worth the squeeze and what happens to the money from leftover tickets?
In other #news #Circus Circus began getting its new paint job and it is quite bright and stunning. The new color is more vibrant than before, but the difference is night and day. We also discuss a crazy dumb driver on the Strip, the dramatic High Roller rescue drill, more signs of paid parking at Strat and a large casino heist that is quite the interesting tale.
Produced & Edited by: Shawn Coomer
0:00 Crazy and stupid Vegas Strip driving
1:05 Circus Circus gets a stunning new paint job – Too bright?
3:05 The numbers are in – Who has had the most profitable Vegas residencies?
4:47 Huge casino heist – How did this happen?
6:32 Is it possible to get away with a crime like this?
7:13 Strat is implementing paid parking even if they won’t admit it
10:10 Fire Department’s dramatic High Roller rescue drill
12:08 Casino “Silver Mining” – Is it right and is it legal?
13:43 Why won’t casinos give you small change anymore?
15:25 Is Silver Mining a good use of time?
Relevant Links:
Dumb driver –
Circus Circus paint –
Residencies –
Clarkson –
Strat Parking –
High roller rescue –
Silver mining –
Casino heist –
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Host – Shawn Coomer – @MtM_Vegas
Host – Mark Ostermann – @DetroitMark
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38 comments
I didn’t even know the cash out machines existed, I never notice them lol
The last renovation of circus circus was in 1968 when it opened.
I'll wait till you guys fix the high roller lol. If your in the all you can drink ball when it breaks down (no bathroom up there though). If you cash out change that was abandoned I'm cool with that, that just kinda a gift from one gambler to the next. One time saw a trash collector cashing them out and ripped a big stack of them and threw them away (not cool)
its hard work training to be a hero… God Bless our police, fire fighters & all first responders… keep them safe…👍😎👍
Please do a video on people spending crypto in Vegas since the dollar is tanking. A lot of hotels downtown take crypto now. Esp international travelers don't want to convert their currency to US dollars because they lose value. There will be a huge Blockchain event called XRP Vegas at Treasure Island May 5 and 6 and some of us other XRP holders will be having a hang out at El Cortez May 2, 3 and 4. Drop on by. We will be wearing XRP shirts. Lot of fun. El Cortez has free rooms with their Spring Break promo code BTW From April 1 to June 30 on weekdays and free food
I got married in Circus in 95. The new paint color is reminiscent of how it looked back then. About time!!!
We just leave ours in the room for the maids
We went into Circus Circus and it is a complete dump. They need to spend a lot more than 30 million to improve that place.
WOW!!! For at least ten years I've been saying they need to brighten up the big top!!! It looked HORRIBLE!!! Big improvement!!!
Illegal to take/use tickets left in machine, or on, if in machine cash it out, and put them all on top of the machine, have heard of someone being arrested for this (think in Colorado).
Yes all ridiculous but the fact is the money is not ours.
The crazy thing about the Circus Circus renovation is how little money is being spent on it. They could quite easily spend 10 times that much money and still have work to do.
i dont think they should build on that mining place i love that the fire and rescue did a drill cause yu never know what can happen
Its fine for people to take money that is left behind. Its like picking up coins from the floor, etc.
It's called "silver mining," and the casinos definitely frown upon it. It got its name from the days proir to ticket-in, ticket-out systems when everything was coin-in, coin-out. Shady people used to do this for extra income. You will get banned from the casino if you're caught, so wear a disguise. The bars were always the best place to find money because the coin return was below the machine on the front of the bar. Most people didn't even know they were there, so if you found a machine with a faulty coin mech, the return might have twenty bucks in quarters in it. I used to play a machine at the end of the bar in the Orleans that was full every time I sat down to play video poker. Can I get two rolls of quarters, please?… and a beer? Thanks, bartender. Those were the days…
The MTM boys up on a ladder with their 10 inch brushes painting the Circus Circus building.
Vegas is so much better with the MTM boys on the job.
I love Circus Circus 🎪. I have been going to it since it opened in 1968.
It deserves a little bit of attention and love. It's a very unique property.
You’re on a Virgin Cruise?, I think. Casino sucks, am I right?! I recognized the cabin in your background.
A guy got arrested at a Colorado casino because he sat down at a slot machine that someone had left 75 cent behind.
The guy had just turned 21y/o and went to a casino to play the slots for the first time.
His first time ever in a casino, he put $10 into a slot machine pushed the button and two security guys came running over yelling " We got him!!"
He knew nothing about slot machines and the previous player had left 75 cents in the machine.
He was arrested, convicted of robbery, it cost him hundreds of dollars and he had a robbery conviction on his record for years, which was a big negative in job interviews.
All because of 75 cents left behind in a slot machine.
Talk about world class corruption of the injustice system.
First no mention of The Great Chris Angel, and now Mark doesn’t say goodbye. What is going on, Miles To Memories???
You guys are amazing! Question? Who in the hell has time to search for machines with credits on it or looking for tickets? I mean, good grief and you're right. If security sees someone just walking around aimlessly, they will stop you. I swear, some people need to get lives. The parking is a revenue stream we all loath and look for housekeeping charges in the future as well as an option. This is coming guys— Congratulations on the growth of your channel. You guys deserve it.
Gotta disagree with the whole ticket thing. Change left behind is fair game. Someone wants to put the time in. Like collecting cans for the nickel deposit. Otherwise, another great update.
At mirage last year some drunk hit a jackpot next to me. He had $700 in the machine when he hit it. He got paid out and was so drunk he just left the $700 there in the machine forgot to cash out and just walked off . Machines freez up when you hit a jackpot and the credits you have stay there while your bonus pays you so he forgot $700 he never even came back after 1 hour
Need all casino hotels stop charging for parking!!!
Ohhh in the 80’s/90’s my sister and I would go around looking to see if there were any quarters or Dollar coins in the bins after a couple of drinks, laughing and joking having a good silly time.
😬 oops
Stealing vouchers in Nevada will get you arrested. Have seen it happen. Just print out and hand to casino personal.
1. I’ve left money in a machine by accident before and casino management brought it to me in bingo.
2. I just recently found a ticket for about $100 plus and turned it in to a slot attendant. Several minutes later Management came over and asked me if I found a ticket. I told them I turned it in and suggested they ask security to look at the footage. A short time later the lady who forgot the ticket and casino management came over to thank me.
It’s kind of funny that the shitty older places make you pay to park while Encore and Palazzo are free. Paid parking seems like a great way to deter customers.
I did a different kind of silver mining.
Back when there were still coin machines, I would put a big bill into a .50 slot machine , then push cash out.
All half dollars made before 1964 are 90% silver and from 1965 to 1970,,,40% silver.
I managed about a dozen or so before most all coin machines were removed. Today, people go to banks and sort through coin rolls.
what right does the casino have not to redeem your coins?
Seen my local 86 someone for ticket hunting. Usually see slot attendants or supervisors cash out left over change and make a note I’m guessing of location, machine number and time on their PDA
Hmm, I wonder if other casinos will get hit by their own employees.
From Anthony Curtis' Las Vegas Advisors' website from a 2019 post: A story in the Las Vegas Sun tracked down the totals for abandoned tickets for fiscal 2016: $12 million worth statewide. The state received $8.78 million, the casinos $3.22 million. A little more than $7 million came from the Strip, a little less than $1 million from downtown Las Vegas, Washoe County turned in $900,000, the rest of Clark County (not including the Strip, downtown, North Las Vegas, and the Boulder Strip) $651,393, the Boulder Strip around $500,000, South Tahoe $223,275, and North Las Vegas $193,640. It must be more now…
It's an American in a pick-up truck. What do you expect.
I’m so glad you guys are talking about the girl getting the tickets throughout the casino because as a local I seriously thought there was an unwritten rule that you either give your ticket to somebody on the way out if you don’t wanna use the last $.15 on it or you leave it up by the ATM. I feel like anything outside of that is stealing. There have been times I’ve sat down on a machine and there was money in it, and when I say money, I mean like $.12 and I will look around and wait and if nobody comes, I will cash it out and set it aside.
One thing about people leaving change in the machines is if you’re going to play that machine please cash out the tickets first for your benefit because I had a problem at a casino with an elder woman who left credits in the machine I didn’t notice when I put in my money and started playing so I’m going along and this lady comes up to me and points to me and screams out that I stole her money even though it was about twenty cents or so because she accused me of stealing her money the casino protocol had to write down and take my information though I didn’t get in trouble with the casino it made a scene and I felt a bit embarrassed so heads up probably better to cash the ticket out just in case the people come back and try to say you stole their money
My disabled brother has OCD, and he insists on going to the casino cage to cash in his tickets, even if it’s a 16 cent ticket. He wants his coins. The casinos just want to save money by cutting staff in the hard count rooms.
Circus circus is a staple on the Vegas strip yeah it’s been run down for awhile but I really do hope to see her shine again lots of good memories their growing up here
i remember sitting down at a video poker bar. about $500ish bucks still on the machine. I immediately asked the bartender. we found the nice old lady that had move across the bar, and all was good. she bought me a drink. I think a martini even. we are all in this together. now, I say that. I'm a lucky guy and didn't need the money. but it all worked out. and if the old girl was helping others eventually so be it. karma either way.