Segment Information - Operating Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 206,331	$ 199,942	$ 202,734	$ 204,508	$ 182,069	$ 183,633	$ 189,628	$ 192,624	$ 813,515	$ 747,954	$ 730,505
Net revenues	$ 124,818	$ 115,072	$ 120,593	$ 122,427	$ 108,093	$ 105,555	$ 109,897	$ 111,965	482,910	435,510	428,230
Operating expenses:
Operations									334,649	304,636	301,387
Administrative									53,653	53,254	68,101
Depreciation and amortization									25,484	23,661	26,542
Loss on sale or disposal of assets									463	359	1,106
Restructuring									0	0	1,921
Interest expense									27,834	27,803	16,477
Interest income									(17,041)	(12,103)	(81)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliate									(5,529)	(4,916)	255
Impairment of investments									11,712	0	10,957
Other income									(5,391)	(423)	1,202
Income from continuing operations before income taxes									57,076	43,239	363
Operating Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues									813,515	747,954	730,505
Net revenues									482,910	435,510	428,230
Operating expenses:
Operations									334,649	304,636	301,387
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									17,121	13,037	15,425
Loss on sale or disposal of assets									230	332	837
Restructuring											1,738
Interest expense									96	9	234
Interest income									(2,619)	(1,930)	(32)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliate									(5,529)	(4,916)	255
Impairment of investments									11,712		10,957
Other income									(177)	(184)	1,275
Income from continuing operations before income taxes									127,427	124,526	96,154
Operating Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									636,155	638,737	626,805
Net revenues									379,330	373,828	369,399
Operating expenses:
Operations									263,094	259,977	255,321
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									12,869	10,171	12,242
Loss on sale or disposal of assets									203	198	664
Restructuring											993
Interest expense									71	0	125
Interest income									0	0	(2)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliate									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0		0
Other income									(3)	(19)	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes									103,096	103,501	100,056
Operating Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									169,240	101,231	94,905
Net revenues									97,157	55,684	52,018
Operating expenses:
Operations									61,361	36,211	38,481
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									4,068	2,675	2,965
Loss on sale or disposal of assets									27	134	169
Restructuring											543
Interest expense									25	9	109
Interest income									(2,619)	(1,930)	(30)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliate									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0		0
Other income									(42)	(69)	1,273
Income from continuing operations before income taxes									34,337	18,654	8,508
Operating Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues									8,120	7,986	8,795
Net revenues									6,423	5,998	6,813
Operating expenses:
Operations									10,194	8,448	7,585
Administrative									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									184	191	218
Loss on sale or disposal of assets									0	0	4
Restructuring											202
Interest expense									0	0	0
Interest income									0	0	0
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliate									(5,529)	(4,916)	255
Impairment of investments									11,712		10,957
Other income									(132)	(96)	2
Income from continuing operations before income taxes									(10,006)	2,371	(12,410)
Corporate
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	0	0
Net revenues									0	0	0
Operating expenses:
Operations									0	0	0
Administrative									53,653	53,254	68,101
Depreciation and amortization									8,363	10,624	11,117
Loss on sale or disposal of assets									233	27	269
Restructuring											183
Interest expense									27,738	27,794	16,243
Interest income									(14,422)	(10,173)	(49)
Equity in net (income) loss of unconsolidated affiliate									0	0	0
Impairment of investments									0		0
Other income									(5,214)	(239)	(73)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes									(70,351)	(81,287)	(95,791)
Merchandise sales
Revenues:
Total revenues									438,372	414,838	409,107
Cost of goods sold									276,618	266,525	258,271
Merchandise sales | Operating Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues									438,372	414,838	409,107
Cost of goods sold									276,618	266,525	258,271
Merchandise sales | Operating Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									350,699	351,878	348,771
Cost of goods sold									216,408	223,475	217,268
Merchandise sales | Operating Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									87,673	62,957	60,331
Cost of goods sold									60,210	43,050	41,002
Merchandise sales | Operating Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	3	5
Cost of goods sold									0	0	1
Merchandise sales | Corporate
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	0	0
Cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Jewelry scrapping sales
Revenues:
Total revenues									60,752	51,189	50,113
Cost of goods sold									52,290	43,931	42,039
Jewelry scrapping sales | Operating Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues									60,752	51,189	50,113
Cost of goods sold									52,290	43,931	42,039
Jewelry scrapping sales | Operating Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									47,745	48,203	47,810
Cost of goods sold									40,417	41,434	40,138
Jewelry scrapping sales | Operating Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									13,007	2,986	2,282
Cost of goods sold									11,873	2,497	1,885
Jewelry scrapping sales | Operating Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	0	21
Cost of goods sold									0	0	16
Jewelry scrapping sales | Corporate
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	0	0
Cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Pawn service charges
Revenues:
Total revenues									305,936	273,080	261,800
Pawn service charges | Operating Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues									305,936	273,080	261,800
Pawn service charges | Operating Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									237,461	238,437	229,893
Pawn service charges | Operating Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									68,475	34,643	31,907
Pawn service charges | Operating Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	0	0
Pawn service charges | Corporate
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	0	0
Other revenues
Revenues:
Total revenues									8,455	8,847	9,485
Cost of goods sold									1,697	1,988	1,965
Other revenues | Operating Segments
Revenues:
Total revenues									8,455	8,847	9,485
Cost of goods sold									1,697	1,988	1,965
Other revenues | Operating Segments | U.S. Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									250	219	331
Cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Other revenues | Operating Segments | Latin America Pawn
Revenues:
Total revenues									85	645	385
Cost of goods sold									0	0	0
Other revenues | Operating Segments | Other International
Revenues:
Total revenues									8,120	7,983	8,769
Cost of goods sold									1,697	1,988	1,965
Other revenues | Corporate
Revenues:
Total revenues									0	0	0
Cost of goods sold									$ 0	$ 0	$ 0