Cash Only Please

I play in a pick up basketball game every Thursday night for the last 10 years. Good game, Good guys and good workout. I'm actually the commissioner so I contact the gym to get the rental agreement, collect money from the people playing and e mail everyone each week to see who is playing. Even though it can be a pain in the ass, I do it for selfish reasons. I want to make sure we always have a game and I can ask who I want to play in the game. (I became commissioner about 7 years ago in a total Michael Corleone Power Move-another story for another time). So anyways, everyone is pretty good about paying me for the session(usually I collect about $100 per 3 months from each person). I've been stiffed a few times but most of the guys pay me quickly usually cash. (One guy paid me with a personal check and the actual physical check was so large that I asked him "What golf tournament did you win to get this check?") Well, there's this one guy I will call "James" that used to play in our game. Nice guy, kind of quiet, great ball player and a total mystery.  No one really knows where he lives, what he does for a living or what. So what.  Good player and good guy (You can see my requirement to play in the game has nothing to do with character but can you hit the open 3 pointer?) . I do remember this guy always paying me but I did have to chase him a lot. So one session I'm collecting money from people and James says "Danny, I've got my money, you don't have to hound me" (If you haven't paid me in about a month, I send out broadcast e mails to the entire group stating your delinquency. Humiliation is a great collection agency). So I walk over to James as he pulls out his wallet. He starts to count out cash.  He hands me over 3 $20 bills and then pulls out what looks like scratch off lottery tickets. They were scratch off lottery tickets. He says "The tickets are winners and they are worth $40"  Looking stunned, I reply "James, I'm not taking lottery tickets for payment."  He replies "You don't understand, they're winners. Just go to the Shell Station and redeem them."  Are you kidding me?   I then said, "James, I'm not taking lottery tickets to the Shell Station. Pay me cash when you get it." James then gets another guy in the game to take the tickets and give him cash to pay me. James hasn't been in our game for about 3 years now and I do miss playing with him. Last I heard, he was in a game that the session fee was $60 and 2 live chickens.