A Follow up Post .....

About that guy suing to get his money back from a casino.

I big part of a casino, when I was out there, food and drinks. About the time a customer got comfortable, had bought twenty or so in chips (back in the 50's) .... the drinks started arriving. There was an unwritten law, never let a customer head out the door, especially if he had won any money. We had dinner tickets for a nice FREE dinner for two or whatever necessary.

The environment in most clubs was that of "secluded." No windows, no clocks, nothing to make them aware of "time." "Send them to the bar," "Send them to the dining room." Just don't let them go outside.

During my time, I don't recall ever sending anyone away for excessive drinking. I have seen a customer, who had too much, have his winnings placed in the cashiers cage for safekeeping, and it was suggested to the customer that he "go eat" or some such suggestion. I have also seen a "big winner" offered the services of a security guard to escort him to his car or hotel, or whatever. One hated to see the money leave the club, but it was the prudent thing to do.

"If you're gonna be a sucker, be a silent one." The motto I always heard and played by........

I have know some, who hired someone to accompany them inside a casino, with instructions, "Make me leave when I get 5000 ahead." Sometimes that worked and sometimes not.

I have also seen, on many occasions, a "high roller" come to town, and ask a particular 21 dealer to accompany them on their "rounds" of the clubs. One I knew, always wanted a certain 21 dealer to play "third base" while he was on first. She was paid well for just doing that.

Casinos do not like to lose. That is for certain. I have been out of the business for many years, so I am sure things have changed quite a bit. But, I still find it hard to believe that a casino would, buy drinks, yes, perhaps get a customer to a point where their judgement may be impaired a bit, but not "rob" a customer who is not capable of making rational decisions. Their license is worth much, much more than the amount he lost . We never did anything that could lose us  a license ................

Will New York’s Casino Plan Really Work?

By ADAM DAVIDSON

As I walked down the main drag in Ellenville, N.Y., a small town about halfway between Manhattan and Albany, I noticed that if you turn your head at the proper angle, at the right time of day, at just the right intersection, the future doesn’t seem so scary. Right where Hermance Street runs into Canal, there’s the Shadowland Theater, a beautifully restored vaudeville house that abuts Aroma Thyme Bistro, which has four stars on Yelp. Off in the distance is the lush Witch’s Hole State Forest and the valley around Rondout Creek.

But if you lower your gaze a little or look just over your shoulder, another reality sets in fast. Canal Street is littered with abandoned storefronts. One block over, almost all the shops were torn down in a federal urban-renewal project. And because nothing ever replaced them, all you see are a lot of empty parking lots without much worth visiting. “There’s plenty of parking,” Mary Sheeley, the village manager, told me.

Like many small towns in New York’s borscht belt, Ellenville was fairly prosperous throughout the 20th century. The town had a factory for Channel Master, a leader in TV antennas, and the Nevele, a classic Catskills resort. These days, though, nearly half of Ellenville’s adults don’t work. Channel Master closed in the 1980s. Imperial Schrade Cutlery, which took over the factory, closed in 2004. The Nevele also closed that decade. The average income in town is now just over $19,000 a year.

But Ellenville just got some hope. Last month, the New York State Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo agreed on a deal to give the town a shot at one of the state’s four new proposed casinos. (A referendum is expected to be held in November.) As I was walking up Center Street, I couldn’t help wondering if this town had what it took to host a casino. Or if a casino could really persuade people to spend their money in Ellenville and turn around its moribund economy. But Michael Treanor, the current owner of the Nevele, who runs the company that is hoping to get the state’s gaming license, told me that that wasn’t the right way to look at it. “Our ability to do business is based upon a scarcity of casinos,” he told me. If the state allowed a dozen casinos to break ground, Ellenville would be toast. “We would never be able to build something luxurious enough to draw people,” he said. With only four casinos spread out over the entire state, though, whoever got a license could thrive.

Whatever you think of gambling, its regulations are mesmerizing. Gambling is outlawed in one way or another in all 50 states, but almost all — except Hawaii (surprisingly) and Utah (less so) — have exceptions. Most offer state-run lotteries. Thirty allow Indian casinos. Seventeen have full-scale non-Indian casinos (New York and Massachusetts are poised to join that group.) In each case, government officials limit the number of casinos and determine where they will be located.

As many of you know, I spent a number of years working in casinos in Reno, Nevada. I have seen the "down" side of the industry. What does it say about our economy, our way of life and our people, when a town can only survive as a result of people losing money. Something is wrong. Does it just pry lose hidden assets and get them back in cicrulation? I cannot afford to lose money, perhaps many can. I honestly do not understand it, EVERY dollar spent by a casino comes from someone losing money ..... how is that good?

Gambling - Blessing or a Curse?

Had some conversations recently about the casinos in Ohio, and all over the world. Are they a good thing or not. I have worked in them, seen them. In my opinion, the revenue they bring in is overshadowed by the damage they do, to society as a whole. Nothing good, every came out of a gambling hall. A gaming license is nothing more than a license to steal.
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Gambling + odds = Loss ... I have never known a winner.

A quote from Milos "Sharkey" Begovich. He was asked, "So you're saying that gambling is hurting the United States as a whole?"

His answer, "Oh, absolutely. Anybody that thinks otherwise is kidding himself."

His entire life revolved around gambling, he once won a nice six-figure amount. He has won and lost probably millions.

I knew a man in Reno, who had sold a business on the East coast, he and his wife headed for California, stopped in Reno. They lost everything they had. He looked for nickles, to play the slots, to get a bankroll, to get all his money back. His wife ran a new stand at the Golden Hotel.

I knew a man, a business man, lived in Nevada all his life, only went in the casinos to eat and see shows. He and his wife met with friends, one a week, pot luck dinner, afterwards, the women would play canasta, the men poker. One night he lost a few dollars, they meant nothing to him, I have seen him tip considerably more than he lost. It got him, within a few days he had lost two homes, everything he had, all his money, his cars, his businesses, and committed suicide.

You can lose "everything" but you can never win "enough." You can lose all sense of reason and responsibility when you gamble ......... and just one ..... hot streak .... can get you even, and, there is an unlimited amount of money that can be won.

When calling the dice on a crap table, you never mention the word, "loser" ..... always WINNERS .. there is a winner every roll of the dice, no one ever hears the word "loser." "They" have it down to a fine art.

"You gotta send out winners, to get players, I think it was Jim Kelly who advertised that slogan. His slots payed off all the time, small payoffs, but winners. You would invest $10 to win $3, and all you remembered was that winning jackpot, didn't realize you had just lost $7. .......... "I hit a jackpot."

Something for nothing, people are used to that. Casinos can tell you the exact date and time, that Welfare Checks are received. Wonder why that is?

Sour Economy Has Nevada Looking For New Jackpot

by CARRIE KAHN

The site of the demolished Frontier casino sits vacant on the Las Vegas Strip in December. Construction of a new hotel and casino, the Las Vegas Plaza, has been delayed until economic conditions improve.

It's noon on the Las Vegas Strip, and the barker outside O'Shea's Casino is hard at work.

"Twenty-four-hour happy hour, 24-hour $5 blackjack and 24-hour beer pong action going on right here today," he says. Dressed in a lime green tuxedo, he's doing his best to get tourists to come in.

Despite the recession, nearly 39 million visitors came to the city last year, the second-highest number in Las Vegas history. The problem is those tourists don't have as much money as they once did.

One tourist, Genina Jackson, says that after a decade since her last visit, she notices the difference. "Ten years ago, people dressed up a little more," she says. "I see a lot of jeans and flip-flops."

Jackson had stopped along the Strip in front of the huge fountains at Caesars Palace to take a picture with her friend Melissa. They are in from Atlanta celebrating Melissa's birthday.

"The casino is not as crowded. You can get to any table. Before, 10 years ago, you couldn't get to a table," Jackson says.

New casinos being built in Ohio to save our economy. There is also a rumor that the state is trying to buy the Titanic, and is investing heavily  in the manufacture and sale of propeller driven airplanes. Rumor has it also that the governor has been in negotiations with the city of New York in regards to purchasing the Brooklyn Bridge.

A really STUPID comment from Penn National

A statement in a recent report ............

"Penn National executives have said the company works to address problem gambling at its facilities."

So then, does that by any chance mean, that if there were NO CASINOS that there would be no problem gambling?

Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan ... or, "Let their be casinos in Ohio"

I find it rather strange, that the FOP, in previous years, was ALWAYS opposed to casino gambling in Ohio. I remember they had "honorable" reasons to oppose it. Morally, ethics, criminal element, were all words that were mentioned as to why they opposed it.

But now, some budgets around the state are "tight" ........... some threatened "layoffs" of police and they now endorse casino gambling. Who else does.

Now, gambling, casinos, are supposedly a part of a BIGGER picture ..... now they have a plan. Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan ........ a PLAN paid for by the below mentioned names ................. and endorsed by everyone money could buy.

The Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution
that authorizes first-class casinos in the state's four largest cities
(Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo). The plan would generate $11
billion in economic impact during construction and the first five years of
casino operations. It would create 34,000 new jobs for Ohioans, and would
provide an estimated $651 million in tax revenues each year for all of the
state's counties, its major cities and every public school district in the
state, with projected annual tax revenues rising to $772 million by 2017.

Primary backers of the proposal are:
-- Penn National Gaming, Inc., a prominent operator of gaming facilities
and horse racing tracks, including Raceway Park in Toledo; and

-- Dan Gilbert, through his Rock Ventures partnership. Gilbert is majority
owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and operator of Quicken Loans Arena
in downtown Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic Courts, the Lake Erie Monsters,
Veritix and Fathead, as well as Chairman and Founder of Quicken Loans,
which operates a 350-person Internet web center in downtown Cleveland.
Gilbert, who began investing in Ohio in 2005, employs more than 2,500
people throughout the state.

Now, that is some heavy money, wonder if they donated any to the FOP? It is no longer a "moral" issue, now it is financial, backed by a Loan Shark, and a corporation who exists because of casinos, and the BILLIONS that people lose in them.

WHERE does the money come to generate all these BILLIONS ......... people, just like you who choose to lose your money in a casino, WHY? .... because you have a little window of opportunity, to get something for nothing .. WINNER WINNER WINNER, a word often used in a casino ............ you never hear the word LOSER LOSER LOSER.

Even on a "seven out" on a crap table, a loser, the dealer doesn't say loser, he mentions those few who won ... everyone is a winner in a casino, bells going off, lights blinking ...... "I won" .... but I lost money to do it.

How the machine is oiled ...

Many years ago, and I doubt that things have changed much, casinos were used to "launder" money. What better way, no records, no cash registers, just money exchanging hands, and who gets "first count," the casinos.

Just imagine, owning a big restaurant, with no cash register. You count the money each night, well, you can see what might happen.

In Reno and Vegas, in those days, many, if not all, of the casinos were "affiliated" with a city, or an area. I do not profess to know all of the inner workings of how it all operated, I only speculated, and NEVER, asked any questions. You did your job, did what you were told, and always "looked the other way."

As a box man on a crap table, generally at the start of your shift, you signed the "receipt" from the drop (amount of money that the table took in, or dropped, with the paddle, into the money box) for the day or night before.

As a box man, you automatically kept a pretty accurate count of the money that got dropped, it was a force of habit. You kept track of how much a person "bought in," how much he walked away with, to keep in your head, how the table was doing for the shift.

If the floor boss came over, you could pretty well tell him that so and so lost or won, so much. It became a matter of routine, to keep a pretty accurate count of what was going on.

Occasionally, the amount on the "slip" would not reflect an accurate amount of the actual "drop." On a busy night, a substantial amount might be added. You just signed the slip, and went on with your business. How was I to know, I didn't do the actual counting of the money.

It was presumed, that the additional money came from someone, or somewhere, where there was a large amount of cash, unaccounted for, that needed a legitimate way to get back into circulation, without causing a lot of eyes to be raised.

It was pretty well known that this club was affiliated with Cleveland, that one with Chicago, etc. I have no idea of the workings of any of this, I know I just did my part, and signed on the dotted line when told to.

I never asked, "Why?"

I got promoted to a Floor Boss position, though.

Gambling fever is spreading ... Rabbit Races in Ohio

The photograph to the right shows three interested spectators at a recent workout at the Harerasin Farm near Chillicothe.

The remnants of the Adena Tribe, near Chillicothe, have applied for a license with the Ohio State Gaming Commission, to build and operate a rabbit racing track on Carlisle Hill in Chillicothe, Ohio.

A representative of the Harerasin Farm, indicated that they had been raising and training racing rabbits for a number of years, and felt that as the sport increased in popularity a number of other breeders would start breeding, raising and training the purebred racing rabbits.

The quarter mile lighted track would have a seating capacity of 75,000. A spokesman for the Adena Tribe, Chief Optimisen stated, "We getum the idea from the movie 'Field of Dreams,' we think if we build it, they will come."

In rabbit racing, a fake greyhound dog moves quickly around the oval track, and as the rabbits are let out, they chase the fake stuffed dog. At this point in time, some of the rabbits are still frightened by the fake dog, and run in the opposite direction. Training is still underway. A finish line is built at both ends of the track to enable race enthusiasts to not only bet on the rabbit to win, place, or show, but in what direction it will run. This is just another added dimension to Rabbit Racing.

Chief Optimisen was also quoted as saying, "We hope to eventually open a casino on the infield, and include open air seating on the roof to enjoy the rabbit races.

The opening of the track has been enthusiastically endorsed by a number of state associations who expect to be rewarded with their share of the tax revenue collected from the casino as well as the parimutuel betting.

What goes on in Ohio, stays in Ohio

A movement is underway in Ohio to legalize prostitution. One politician was overheard saying, "Hell, if we can tax it, then let's do it."

Apparently, Ohio residents are seeking sex in other states, such as Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia and Kentucky. One union official was quoted as saying, "I think it is time that prostitution is legalized, so that tax revenue from these acts can filter back into the infrastructure, and help relieve some of the tax burden in our municipalities, rebuild our police and fire departments, much as the acts themselves relieve the participating tax payers."

Ohio will then be one of two states offering legalized gambling and prostitution.

To add additional revenue to the state treasury, the state of Ohio is going to form their own construction business, to bid on and build the casinos and houses of ill repute, but also form the OCOA, Ohio Casino Owners Association, which will actually fund and run the casinos and brothels, and the OCABO Union, the Ohio Casino and Brothel Owners Union, which will service all of the employees in the casinos and brothels.

Now, the State of Ohio will own the casinos and brothels in the State, as well as control the unions in both fields. One Representative from around Cleveland stated, "If we own and run both businesses, if we do some "creative accounting" we will still be keeping the money in the state. Perhaps some of the "funding" can go to helping politicians around the state, defray some of their expenses, and not go out of state and perhaps even out of the country to off-shore banks."

Newark, Ohio, years ago, was known as "Little Cicero," named after the notorious city in Illinois. Now, perhaps the whole state can take on that name, and also afford us of the association with Illinois, which could be beneficial under this administration. If the association blossomed, we could then start putting our "deceased" citizens on the Cook county voter rolls.

An overall revue of this plan reveals, revenue from the casinos, revenue from prostitution, and a strong tie to Washington. It is definitely a WIN/WIN situation for the State of Ohio.

"What goes on in Ohio, stays in Ohio."

Something to think about .............

If you enjoy playing slot machine games, there's nothing wrong with that.

But don't treat them as a quick way to get rich.

Get-rich-quick schemes don't pan out and they certainly don't pan out when the house odds are stacked against you.

Casinos are big and fancy because they bring in more money than they lose.

INTERESTING

I am trying to figure out .... the president .... so many mixed signals..........

President Barack Obama enjoys poker and blackjack, and admires the way the gaming industry powers Nevada's economy.

But in his home state, it's a different story. As a matter of principle, he repeatedly opposed expanding gambling in Illinois, saying it was bad for communities and not a good way to fund government.

As recently as 2003, Obama, then an Illinois state senator, said he believed the "moral and social cost of gambling" was potentially "devastating" and that using gaming as a source of revenue or for economic development was "irresponsible."

He didn't think Illinois legislators should accept political contributions from the gaming industry, and in 2004 and 2006 refused federal contributions from gaming companies.

Today, it's a different story: He was the U.S. Senate's No. 10 recipient of gaming donations, backed in Nevada by such industry insiders as Billy Vassiliadis and Elaine Wynn, and actively seeking the support of the gaming-dependent Culinary union.

To Wager or Not To Wager .... that is the question

I listened to some local, Columbus, Ohio, radio, and they were discussing the possibility of Gambling In Ohio .... i.e. all the money we are losing to other states who have gambling.

All the good it does, jobs, the economy, millions of dollars of revenue, that we are missing out on, by not allowing slot machines at race tracks, or better yet, casino gambling.

What a good thing it is .....

I wanted to call in, but didn't.

WHERE does the money come from, all these millions that we are losing, the thousands of jobs .... does no one realize that it all comes, from people, who wager and lose money, that they probably can't afford.

People bitch about taxes, but lose their money in a slot machines, and think nothing of it. Everyone is a winner in a casino ..... WRONG ..... it's the millions that are lost that keep them going.

Race tracks want slot machines because their revenue is down .... oh ..... people can't afford to lose money on a horse, but they can put their money in a slot machine. OH, that makes sense.

Millions will be generated into the economy, thousands of new jobs, more tax revenue, all because people lose their money ..... probably ..... that they can ill afford to lose ...

I know where the money comes from to support casinos, and generate these millions they talk about ...... people .... and don't tell me it's just entertainment, and they are going to lose it somewhere else .... so why not in Ohio.

I know where the money cones from ..... there is no "money spring" that generates the money that goes in to a casino or a slot machine .... as we always said, "A gambling license is nothing more than a license to steal."