Once again I debated about writing this particular piece because quite frankly I have no idea what peoples reactions will be towards it but I do feel it's something worth talking about. It has to do with gambling but not the evils of the activity, but more or less my personal experiences regarding it. There's a lot to say about it too, not because I am a big-time gambler, quite the opposite of that as a matter of fact; but, because there are so many angles from which to approach the subject material. I titled this piece as is due to the sounds certain slot machines do make and also because aside from the occassional scratch-off lottery ticket here-n-there (which translates to once or twice a year for me), that's the only type of gambling I really do, the slots. Before I even jump into this I already know that there may be some folks out there who might even be aghast by my admission of enjoying gambling but I got news for those particular people - first, there's a helluva lot more people out there who enjoy the activity more than most of y'all realize. Second, like with any adult-themed activity, as long as an individual is in total control of their faculties and doing such activity in moderation, there isn't a damn thing wrong with it. It's when it gets out of hand that there is a problem.
Are there evils to gambling? Why yes there are but they arent any more evil than the other social activities the majority of us adults partake in. If you're spending money gambling to the point where it's preventing you from feeding yourselves and your loved ones or paying your monthly bills, then yes, you have a problem and you need to get help for it. Gambling, or gaming as they call it in certain regions of this country, is like any other leisure activity out there - when you do it in moderation, it can be quite rewarding; but, when you allow it to become an addiction that disrupts your life as well as the lives of those around you, then you need to seek out help by joining your local Gamblers Anonymous organization and/or by calling 1-888-424-3577. I'm serious, if you're putting your last $20 into a slot machine called "Lucky Leprechauns" versus paying your monthly heating bill or putting food on the table for your children, then you have a serious addiction problem that needs to be addressed, ASAP.
When it comes to any kind of addiction, when or how do you determine that it's a problem? Aside from the aforementioned criteria, if you are a rational, fairly intelligent, mature individual, I think a lot of that is strictly a matter of personal interpretation. For myself, no, I do not have a gambling addiction because quite frankly, I couldnt afford to have one even if I wanted to. On the average, I go gambling, playing the slots at whichever casino that is, about 5 to 6 times a year. What do I feel makes gambling an addiction? When a person goes at least once a week - either you're very very rich to be able to afford to do that or you are totally hooked, and in most cases those who go that often fall into the latter category. Another key determining factor in what defines addiction is a person's attitude towards the activity. Bottom line - if you are going to the casino for the sole intention of "winning big" then you are definitely going for the wrong reason. Sure, we all wanna win big, dont get me wrong, but that's notta very realistic way to approach casino gambling. When you go to gamble, you should approach it with the following attitude "I'm here to have fun, no matter what happens, but it would be great to win big." If your expectations vary one iota outside of that statement then you should avoid your local casino at all costs, I'm serious, because 9 times out of 10 anyone who partakes in casino gambling with that attitude is merely setting themselves up. Why would you ever wanna do that to yourself? After all, aren't there enough let-downs on the road of life as it is? Dont make any extra - go to have fun and if you cant handle that, then please by all means dont go at all.
Another thing about going to your local casino to have some fun - don't allow anyone to judge or evaluate you as a human being just because you like to go out every now-n-then to have some gambling fun. As long as you are being responsible and mature in how you are gambling that's all that matters. I've hadda few friends over the years who have literally scoffed at me and said "Oh my God, how can you in good conscience, as an underdog champion of others and someone who is always putting the quality of life above every vice known to mankind, involve yourself in such activities??" The answer is simple - I'm in total control of the activitiy, not the other way around. Plus, guess what? I like to go out and fun like everyone else does. In fact, in regards to my own individual situation, let's break this subject down financially for once and for all. As a single person, any time any of us goes out to dinner and the movies on a date, think of how it all adds up guys - unless you need to go out and buy some new clothes for your date, per person here it is - $10 to $15 for the movie ticket, $5 or more for refreshments at the theater, $20 or more for a half-way decent dinner atta sit-down restaurant, $10 or more for drinks before or after dinner (that cancels me out right there cause I dont drink), cover-charge if you go to a club, which I havent in years so I dont know what the going rate is for that but still, you get the picture. So roughly, when a single person goes out onna date, you're talking $50 to $60 per weekend evening date, or if you gamble responsibly as I most certainly do, $30 to once every other month should you go to your local casino. Am I saying all us single folks should give up on finding someone special in our lives and focus our attention towards a slot machine? Hell no, but you get the point - gambling is like anything else, it's only an irrational extravagance if you allow it to be that way.
True, like alotta folks out there I'm barely making it too but you can bet your bottom dollar if I getta call from someone saying "Hey, you wanna go down to Foxwoods for a coupla hours?" and I have an extra $20 in my pocket that I just MIGHT be able to make into a larger sum, they can definitely count me in. That's exactly what happened to me this past week. I knew that I really couldnt afford to go but then I thought to myself "What if...?" It's true, any type of gambling, whether slots, craps or cards is a mere game of chance; but, sometimes it's worth taking a chance. Take my most recent casino excursion from this past week as a prime example - I walked into that place and gambled with $17.10 - when I walked out, I had $186 in my pocket. Does that happen every time I go? No, it doesnt, but for myself an extra $20 gained or lost is not gonna break my bank. Like with a lotta things, it all depends on what your individual circumstances are.
Should one's winnings go towards charity as a way of thanking the Universe for Good Fortune? I suppose so if you win thousands and thousands of bucks; but, if you're barely scraping by like I am, guess what kinds of things those winnings go towards? Rent bills, monthly prescriptions, a well-stocked pantry and if you're really really lucky, money that you can put into the bank. Yes, I do believe you're better off to donate money to your local homeless center or soup kitchen versus going gambling but again, that all depends on how you prioritize your finances. Because let's face it, in most cases when you go to the casino to have fun and possibly win some extra cash you're not walking through the front door with the attitude that "I gotta win big so I can donate this-or-that much to the local school fund" - only the very VERY rich approach a casino entrance that way. The rest of us approach it the following way "If I win this-or-that much, that will help with the dental work I have been putting off for the last 6 months or so." There is nothing wrong with having your own valid, legitimate reasoning for going to the casino unless, of course, you are harming yourself or others, then and only then should you think twice.
Look, there are all kinds of gamblers out there and though I mean no personal or moral offense towards my Jewish friends by stating this, I am what's called a "Jewish Gambler." Allow me to explain. Most people take at least $50 or more when they go to a casino to gamble on the slots or whatever. Well, I don't. Because I rarely have an extra $50 to gamble with as it is. Usually I take half of that, with the largest amount of cash I have ever taken with me being $40 back in 2003 or 2004. No, it's not just the amount I carry on me that determines the type of gambler I am, it's also how I play it.
When it comes to slot machines, you can play anywhere from penny machines all the way up to machines that cost $10 a spin. Years ago I would venture up to a nickel slot machine but I havent played those in ages. So there you have it, I play the penny slot machines and that's all. I go no higher than that because I choose to stretch out my money for as far and as long as I can because quite frankly, I may be there trying to win some extra money but I have very little room in my life to gamble with anymore than that. How much you play also determines what kinda gambler you are. If you look at the top dashboard of any slot machine, on the top row of buttons it gives you the choice on what amount you want to gamble per line, followed by a row of buttons beneath that that allows you to choose how many lines you wanna play. Everyone who's ever played a slot machine knows that you need to bet the maximum amount on the top row of buttons in order to even "Bonus" on any given machine, followed by however many lines you choose to play. Myself? Naturally, I choose only "1 Line" per play because I want that money to stretch as far as it possibly can while having the highest chances of winning the most I can. Yeah, it really is that simple. Do most people play the slots my way? Probaly not because they have extra money to gamble - I dont. Sure I'll take the chances of losing a bit of money, but notta alot. And that's how I choose to gamble. How you may choose to do so is totally a matter of personal discretion, I'm just sharing what works for me and has always worked for me.
How do you choose which slot machine to play? Since each one is a mere game of chance, the possibilities are limitless. Whatever your little heart desires. Slot machines are like everything else in the world - you'll see all kinds out there but every year you will notice "older" machines being phased out and replaced with "newer" machine, newer games to choose from. Naturally, my favorites have changed over the years dictated by which machines the casinos incorporate or get rid of. Personally, I love playing the machines that have certain themes to them. As an example, my current favorite machines for the year 2010 have been "9 Suns" (Chinese-themed); Zeus or Zeus II (Greek-mythology-themed); Neptune's Kingdom or Neptune's Kingdom II (Greek-mythology-themed); Wolverton (Werewolf-themed); and, Lucky Luigi's Pizza Parlor (self-explanatory!). My ultimate favorite? Again, strictly due to mere chance, would be "9 Suns" because in the last year or so that I have played that particular machine, every single time I have won on it, with $20 to $25 being turned into $65 to $200 every single time. But again, that's just because of the luck or click of the draw for me, naturally that doesnt mean that if anyone else goes to play that machine that they will have the same luck. But if any of you do go play that particular machine, should you find it at your local casino, damn, I wish you all the good luck in the world.
My most and least favorite casinos.. I've gambled at alotta different casinos in the last 10 years. Yes, you read correctly, I didnt start playing the slots till I was about 35 or 36 but even with that being the case I still have yet to make it to the gambling capital of the universe, Las Vegas, Nevada. Frankly, if I never make it there, no love lost, I'm so Eastern seaboard these days anyways! So if I were to list a roster of my most favorite casinos thus far, the Top 5 would be the following.....1). Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, NJ....2) Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ...3). Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasent, MI.....4) Little River Casino, Manistee, MI....5) Foxwoods Casino, Connecticut. Dont get me wrong, I'm notta giant fan of Donald Trump either but I gotta level with ya here, for some reason I have always won at both of his casinos versus the Borgata or the Sand's or Harrad's. My least favorite casino? Moheghan Sun Casino in Connecticut. Oh yes, it's a gorgeous place and the concert center there is first-rate but here's why I do not like it - you cannot play any of their slot machines unless you automatically put $5 to $10 in their machines and sorry, that is totally unacceptable to me. You guessed it - I gamble by the dollar, and by the dollar only. A prime example - I'm at Little River a few years ago while visiting my relatives in Michigan and what do I do? I literally put $3.10 into a LA Gators penny slot machine and within a half hours time increase that to $256.10 - no shit. If ANY casino dictates to you how much money you MUST play in their machines, then you need to exit that casino as fast as your little feet will carry you outta there. Sure, Moheghan Sun is one of the most gorgeous and luxurious casinos on the entire Eastern seaboard, but its physical luxuries and fancy restaurants are immaterial if you cant go there to simply have fun at your own financial discretion.
Speaking of which, as a casino-goer at some point you will be confronted with which casinos you like best - the Indian (that's what they call them, not the PC term of Native American, sorry guys) casinos or the state-run casinos. Yes, there are differences between the two, but regardless, you will want to make your own choices on this subject totally on your own personal discretion. First off, the only thing the two kinds have in common is that aside from them both being casinos is the age-old debate on which kind, if either at all, automatically "sets" their slot machines to pay out when they reach certain levels. From what I know on the subject, it's the state-run casinos that have more true incidences of this versus the Indian casinos. Kinda ironic isnt it? It's the white man's machines that are more apt to be crooked versus the Indian ones! Second, the only differences between the two are how they are regulated on certain issues. A prime example is the issue of Smoking. In every Indian casino there are both Smoking and Non-Smoking sections, whereas most state-run casinos are all Non-Smoking unless the rules on that issue vary from state to state. Personally, I think the Non-Smoking sections in any casino are a major joke because there is not one goddamn thing that prevents that cigarette smoke from drifting over, unless of course the Non-Smoking area is an enclosed area such as is the case with Little River Casino in Manistee, Michigan. With being a Non-Smoker does it bother me, the tons of cigarette smoke one encounters at a casino? Hell no, are you kidding me? The perfect excuse for getting a major headrush!! I'm serious, what better way to experience euphoria than to be winning a few hundred bucks and getting high at the same exact time? Doesnt get any better than that Batman...!
For myself, as much as I love Trump's casinos in Atlantic City, I enjoy the Indian casinos much better because they have a larger variety of machines to choose from and their roll-over for switching out old machines and replacing them with new ones is more up-to-date. Plus, since you can purchase meals via the comp points you earn on your casino card, and since the food is of better quality at the Indian casinos, I'm more partial to them. Though I would never imply that any of has a moral obligation to frequent the Indian casinos because of the horrible atrocities and crimes committed against the Native American peoples of this great land, I gotta admit, it would almost make sense if that was part of your reasoning for frequenting them; however, in my opinion, genocide and gambling have very very little in common.
Yes, there are a coupla things I do hate about the casinos, two in particular. First, they pump TONS of oxygen into their buildings because they want everyone who is gambling to stay as alert and aware as possible so that they keep playing the machines, versus getting tired and calling it a night. Second, there are no clocks in any casino in the world because again, they dont want people to be conscious of time, they want folks to keep playing and playing. For someone who was raised as a millitary brat, that just drives me crazy! So, I always make sure I'm wearing my watch. Speaking of that, how much time should a person spend at a casino playing the games? That too is totally a matter of personal discretion. Usually I play until my meager amount that I bring with me runs out or at the most, 3 to 4 hours atta time. If you havent won anything within a 2-hour timespan, then it's time to consider heading for home, but that's how I look at it. Have I played all night on the tiny amounts I have taken with me? Yes, definitely but those were very rare instances and only happened if I went to a casino on New Year's Eve, and I've only done that about 1 or 2 times in the last 10 years. Be forwarned on one thing though - the combination of cigarette smoke and filtered oxygen can do quite a number on your lungs if you are a sensitive asthmatic. Some people even carry around those tiny white face masks when frequenting the Smoking Allowed casinos and if you need to do that, please do because your health is more important than whether or not that particular slot machine you are playing is gonna pay out or not.
There have been a couple of people here-n-there who have privately commented to me that "You're an Hiv'er, with your health issues you shouldnt even be going to a casino!" To those people I naturally responded "What the fuck do my health issues have to do with wanting to get out of my tiny apartment and having fun once in awhile?" Besides, you'd be surprised how many folks who are on oxygen frequent those casinos. Does it make it right that they do that? No, but that's their choice - after all, maybe they wanna get out and have some fun too. Regardless of what your personal take on gambling is, if you wanna give it a try and see what it's like, I say go for it but again, always remember this - you have total control over the activitiy, not the other way around. Everything in our lives is all about choices and options, the experience of going to a casino is like everything else in your life - it's what you make of it, and nothing else. It really is that uncomplicated and for anyone who tells you otherwise, trust me, you'll discover that most of those people havent ever even gone to a casino. Personally, I love going to them and even for the times that I dont win, I always have a great time because I'm one of those people who loves the thrill and excitement in the air at those places, the bright flashing lights, people laughing, or having a nice meal with good friends. It's more than just having fun, it's living life. Good luck and as always, thank you for reading.
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