A hiring and vending slot-machine, in particular for video cassettes, has a cupboard-like housing, two superimposed storage compartments arranged within the housing for the boxes containing the video cassettes, a computer-controlled cassette transporting device that can move vertically and horizontally between both compartments, receive and transport the cassette boxes to and from a determined storage container or input/output shaft in the housing. Reading means read the cassette identification codes and an operating field is provided outside the housing for selecting the desired cassette, requesting or delivering cassette: The operating field has an input keyboard and a display. A cassette transporting carriage (46) can move horizontally or vertically along horizontal or vertical guide-ways in the housing (10) and be shifted into the vertical or horizontal direction within the horizontal or vertical guide-ways. Its driving mechanism can be simultaneously actuated in the horizontal and in the vertical direction, and pull-push means (153) are arranged on the cassette transporting carriage (46) for transporting the cassette box (44) from a storage compartment or an input/output shaft into the cassette-receiving room of the cassette transporting carriage (46) and vice-versa.