A gambler in Germany has been saved from prison - by a one-armed bandit.

Two officers carrying out routine checks at an arcade in the western city of Bochum late last week discovered that a man playing a slot machine faced an arrest warrant.

The 37-year-old had been ordered to pay a €710 fine or go to prison for 71 days after resisting police during a previous incident. But as officers approached, the slot machine paid out a €1,000 jackpot - allowing the man to pay his fine on the spot.

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