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Cashout and Handpay
At some point in your slot play, you will want to cash out your credits. You must do this by pressing the CASH OUT button. Before pressing the button, however, note how much the machine owes you. Then, after it has finished dumping coins, check the credit meter again to be sure it registers zero. If it doesn’t, then either the coin mechanism jammed or the hopper ran out of coins. This is the time to call an attendant by pressing the CHANGE or SERVICE button.
Slot Talk
A handpay is a jackpot payoff or cashout that is made by an attendant rather than by the machine.
When cashing out, a machine will only dispense a certain maximum number of coins because of limitations in the coin hopper capacity. Depending on the denomination of the particular game, this number may be anywhere between five hundred and one thousand credits, as indicated by a sign on the cabinet. If the credit meter exceeds that number, pressing the CASH OUT button will bring an attendant instead of the expected clatter of coins. The attendant will first check the machine and then hand pay you with paper currency.
All jackpots of $1,200 or more must be hand paid by an attendant to meet the IRS requirement of submitting a W-2G form. Many smaller jackpots are also hand paid to keep from depleting the machine’s coin hopper. For instance, on a nickel machine, a win of over $50 amounts to more than one thousand coins and will certainly be paid by hand. Whenever you receive a handpay jackpot, don’t leave the machine without checking the credit meter for credits you may have previously accumulated. Then press the CASH OUT button to get what it owes you.
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Money Hatters
more, the IRS requires the casino to verify your identity for the W-2G form. If you do not have a photo ID in your possession (a slot club card will not do), you’ll have to jump through a number of hoops to get your money.
