The Game -- LAPD Shows Him Mercy on His Birthday

The Game should have had his car towed in Los Angeles this week, but the LAPD decided to be nice to him because it was his birthday ... TMZ has learned.

Game told our photog on Thursday night that cops pulled him over in his Bentley and ticketed him for having tinted windows and paper license plates.

But law enforcement sources tell TMZ the rapper didn't have the Bentley registered, a huge no-no. We're told Game explained to police that he had purchased the car from a pro football player back in January and never got around to registering it.

Our sources say the cops were going to tow the car, but since Game said it was his birthday ... they decided they didn't want to make him walk and gave him a little birthday break.