A UK husband-to-be should be partying in Las Vegas after planning his dream stag-do with his best friend.
But groom Ben Whincup is now stuck in hometown Swindon after his friend allegedly took the funds - nearly £8,000 (NZ$15,000) - and spent it all.
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It was always Whincup's dream to play the tables in the iconic casinos, and decided there wasn't a better time than before getting married to his fiancée Emma.
So he and his group all handed over cash to the best man to make the arrangements.
"We had decided on the flights and the hotel on the strip where we would stay, and he just said he'd take care of it all," he told the Mirror.
"We handed over more than £700 each and trusted him to deliver the dream trip. In the weeks running up to the stag, we were all getting excited and there were no signs that anything was wrong."
But the night before they were due to fly, Whincup got a call from his mate who admitted he had spent all the money without booking any flights or accommodation.
"I could not believe what I was hearing," Whincup told the Mirror. "You can't believe someone would do something like that."
To make things worse, one member of the stag-do had already flown all the way to Las Vegas from his home here in New Zealand.
Whincup says he's in "shock and disbelief" and now faces a weekend in Newcastle rather than the trip of a lifetime.
"There is no use moping about it, I am just trying to make the best of a bad situation and even see the humour in it if I can," he told the Mirror.
Police say they are now investigating the alleged crime.
"We can confirm this matter is being investigated. It would be inappropriate to comment further," Wiltshire police told the Mirror.
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