Casino Slot Patron Calls Police to Refund His Money

Gutierrez called 911 shortly after midnight on Monday morning to report slots at the casino had stolen his money.

Some players lose with grace and style; they display no negative emotion, congratulate the winner, and realize that occasional losing is an unavoidable part of gambling. Others, not so much.

Carlos Jose Gutierrez played a slot machine at the Tampa Hard Rock Hotel and Casino until he lost to the point he felt he'd been robbed. Then he did what anyone suffering a robbery would do: he called police.

Gutierrez  called 911 shortly after midnight on Monday morning to report slots at the casino had stolen his money. He was informed by the dispatcher that the only crime being committed was by him, as dialing the emergency response number to report a fictional offense is itself a crime. It is not confirmed he was drinking heavily at the time.

Gutierrez admitted to the operator that his call was a mistake. But, while crossing the street leaving the casino, Gutierrez must have started missing his lost funds again, as he went to another phone and again called 911 to report the dastardly slot machine.

This time the dispatcher agreed a car should respond. Police arrived on the scene and promptly took Gutierrez into custody. Gutierrez also qualified for an award for boneheadedness in the highest level, as not only was he charged with the misuse of 911 he had been warned about, he also was held without bail due to his status on felony probation.

The moral of the story may be to accept the good with the bad, and remember that good sportsmanship brings good karma. Making a scene after a bad beat or a long losing streak never seems to improve things, and can make them considerably worse.