Berlin - A gambler in Germany has been saved from prison by a one-armed bandit.
Police said on Thursday that two officers carrying out routine checks at an arcade in the western city of Bochum last week discovered that a man playing a slot machine faced an arrest warrant.
He had been ordered to pay a 710-euro fine or go to prison for 71 days after resisting police during a previous incident.
Police say that as officers informed the man that he faced arrest, the slot machine started to flash and the beaming 37-year-old won a jackpot of 1 000 euros.
The man paid his fine on the spot - in cash. - Sapa-AP