It’s said that money won is twice as sweet as money earned. Unfortunately (with few exceptions) people don't eat money. However, people do like to eat food. And I can personally attest that on those rare occasions when a vending machine mistakenly gives you two mars bars or two cans of coke, the free extra one does taste much better. However such events are far too rare.
The Gambling Vending Machine would give out 2 products instead of one 25% of the time, it would dispense 3 5% of the time and according to a bloke from the pub, it’s been known to give out 5 products at once, although reliable witnesses are sketchy. To finance all these freebies, all items cost 50% more than they usually would (e.g. a 40p chocolate bar would cost 60p in a Gambling Vending Machine). This would lead to slightly more profit than a regular vending machine.
This would be treated as an alternative to the regular vending machine rather than a replacement. People would get the choice whether to pay the regular price and get the regular one pack of quavers or to pay the little bit extra for the chance of being in crisp heaven.-- hidden truths, Jul 20 2007 Well, I just love it. (+).-- awesomest, Jul 20 2007 Hard to believe this is not baked, but a quick search only comes slightly close - some machines, intended really for gambling, dispensing goods just to get around anti-gambling laws and calling themselves vending machines.
Which brings up a point - you would have to dance around gambling laws. Or only sell them in Nevada and on riverboats.-- globaltourniquet, Jul 20 2007 I consider all vending machines a gamble, in that you may not receive your candy. Never seen one that worked the opposite direction, though.-- phundug, Jul 20 2007 + very cute!-- xandram, Jul 20 2007 croissant - but only because there would be so many new additions to Wildest Videos-style TV shows when the goods fail to appear, and the marks own greed is etched onto their humanity (lack thereof).-- tactik, Jul 21 2007 way back in my childhood there used to be chewing gum machines that gave you two packets every so often - the kids all knew which position of the turning knob paid out the extra packet.-- po, Jul 21 2007 I used to drink in a pub that had a dodgy cigarette vending machine. You put your money in, and then if you pressed the button for your chosen brand at the same time as you pressed the "Refund" button, you'd get your fags *and* your money back. Stick *that* up your arse, Mr Darling.-- jtp, Mar 12 2008 Diabolical.-- elhigh, Mar 13 2008 random, halfbakery