Dear Mark, If a slot player walks away from a machine leaving credits in it, and someone else walks up and plays those credits, is that okay? Are credits fair game for everyone else? Nancy G.

According to them, and we all know who them is, 'taint yours. Luckily, if you are caught, there is no soundproof room with a glove-vice waiting. In fact, I have never heard of any leftover-credits-playing culprit being shown the door. But that doesn't mean there are not naughty charlatans who make a living scavenging the millions lost each year by gamblers who forget their stored credits (winnings). Called "sea gulling" in gamblese, it is illegal to purposively circle the casino looking for orphan credits on a slot machine, or even change on the floor. I have seen player impostors given the boot for making a full-time occupation of cruising the casino on the lookout for easy pickings. Clearly, you're not a casino conniver looking for an easy score. But a tip to you and other slot-playing patrons: before you walk away from any slot machine, don't forget to press the cash-out button. You might tattoo that bit of wisdom on your thumbnail.