NSW uses unclaimed gambling winnings to fund Jackie Chan film

Most people go to casinos in an effort to pick up some extra spending cash or, if they get really lucky, hit a major jackpot. It’s baffling, then, why a number of individuals would walk away without collecting their winnings. That’s what has happened in New South Wales (NSW), and the unclaimed money was put to very good use. It helped pay for a movie.

According to state law, the government has a significant amount of leeway when it comes to unclaimed gambling winnings. Virtually the only stipulation is that the money be used for “community benefit.” When gamblers left behind their winnings, they were added to NSW’s Community Development Fund (CDF), which is managed by the Office of Responsible Gambling. The fund is financed through unclaimed gaming machine tickets and unclaimed machine jackpots.

The fund donated AU$850,000 (US$602,295) for the 2017 film, Bleeding Steel. The movie starred martial arts master Jackie Chan, who at one point had to fight the enemy poised precariously on the sails of the Sydney Opera House. The sci-fi thriller was a complete disaster, with the South China Morning Post stating, “With this one [Chan] hits a new low in terms of the nonsensical garbage he is willing to put his name to.”

From 2014-2016, the CDF issued more than AU$3.3 million (US$2.36 million) to 52 projects. The majority of the projects, unlike the film, made sense, such as new schools and upgrades to war memorials located around NSW.