Comments on: Slot Machines: The Big Gamble
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- I am from California indian casino is within an hour and half distance everywhere, I like Las vegas which I only go once every two years and enjoy all the real entertainment. but Indian casino is defferent. for ten years I have being keeping going back, and I lost about more than $40,000,00. even I consider I am a not very addict to it.
At the begining I was very good, my budget was $200 everytime I go, I will pay very slow, most of the time I won 25-100 or broke even,one time I hit jackpot of 1100 with only $20 and I keep the money while I was waiting for my friend for 4 hours,I thought this was fun. one day I watched one guy lost about 2500 in one double flamming 7 maching, I tried my luck by puting 100,and I won the strait flamming 7$1000 in $40 spin,I cash out and move on, I watched, tried, cash out ,... eventualy I have a ticket of $2500, so I stopped and waiting for my friend, after 1 hour I dicided to try a quater machie just to kill time. all the sudden the manager show up asked how I was doing, of course I was very happy to brag about how much I win, she said 'let's make it better" and wrot me a casino check for 100 which I can only play slot, so I was glad to try again the flamming 7 since I had been so lucky with them,
I chosed the high jackpot of 12000 to play, the one to my left have jackpot of 7800, when the girl to my left left and I was going to take her spot there was one Italian man jumped in, what the hack, I was upset and get mad when he hit the jackpot of 7800, that suppose to be mine!anyway, I thought if I keep playing my machine, the big jackpot will come out soon, so you know what happened, I played all night with that 2500, all gone and another 1500 from ATM,until I have to go back to my room sleep about 3 hours and come back to find out one lady hit 1000 from my machine, two weeks later I came back the jackport went up to 17000 and nobody hit it.
from them my crazy ride started, I won some but no small jackpot will make up the loss I had , I wont stop until I won all my money back from the history which will never happened ,and I will play until I use all my limit of ATM, eventually I started to borrow money from credit card.
I don't remember how many times I drove back brock and sleepy and swear I will go there the last time for a big jackpot and stop foever.
When I was waiting for 12am to get another days allowance from ATM, I talked to people there and made some friends, there is nobody make profit from slot machine for a long run, all of them lost A LOT! there houses, their 401k, their retirement. exapt only one guy, he won the jackpont of 625,000.00 from a $25 machine, that means every Ding Ding Ding is $75,I asked how he did it, he said his budget was 50000 each time and he came here once or twice a year depents one his profits from his own company, he sold T-shirts to target,walmart...anyway he was the only one make big profit and guess what? he quit! we never see him again!
now my finance is in better shape, I settle my credit card for less than 20% by my self,I make sure I pay all the bills and put aside all cash plus 20% my imcome to my mom and dad account. I have not been back there for 5 month , it was very hard.. I tried GA, it was not working on me, because those guys are more worse than me and think they are sick only, I don't get enough explaintion . I think we have to change our life style, sleep on time, eat good, be more dicipline, solve the problem in our life, deal with all the stress ,and lean how to let go, if 75% of people dont go to casino and they are living a normal and good life why I can't, I know I try to make some quick money to suprise my family, but if I saved all this money I will be in a lot better place now, plus all those years of lack of sleeping night, I supposed to look younger than who am I now.
Hope you will never have to deal with the problem,the irrisistable atraction like me, and save all your money for the rest of yr life. - Reply to this comment
- I have 2 words for Ms. Stahl -- PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. We all make choices in our lives, and everyone should have to live with the consequences of their choices and actions! The Governor was right-on with his comments! I'm tired of all these liberal do-gooders making everyone look like victims!
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- This story really caught my attention, especially when Gov. Rendell yelled at and insulted Ms. Stahl. Lesley, you took the high road. So, if the Gov's logic is correct (that gambling does not cause addiction and 'those people' would gamble anyway), then that logic should apply to prostitution and all illegal drugs as well. If the name of the game is doing whatever is necessary to bring in revenues for government, why stop with gaming? Why watch out for the sucker? Maybe PA and the other 38 states that allow gambling should open opium dens---imagine the revenues! Local government could strike it rich without taxing the rich and the corporations. Who cares about those sickos....huh?
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- SO GOVERNOR ED RENDELL THINKS THESE SLOT MECHINES ARE A GOOD WAY TO BRING MONEY INTO THE STATE,BECOURSE THERE BEEN AROUND SINCE THE TIGRES & EUPHRATES HAVE BEEN AROUND,SO THAT MAKES IT ALRIGHT,I THINK THAT DRUGS AND PROSTITUTION HAVE BEEN AROUND JUST AS LONG SO LETS MAKE THEM LEGAL AND MAKE MORE MONEY.
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- Over all this story was too short and only focused on the addiction aspect. No matter where you go in life, you will find those type of personalities.
Lets looks at the jobs created, state income tax for those jobs, revenue for states, like Oklahoma raised from the casinos.
The 60 minute story , seemed to be, without a point. Too short to come to any conclusions. - Reply to this comment
- After seeing the story on 60 Minutes last Sunday the only impression I came away with was that it was just another anti-gambling screed only this time using the gimmick of it being state owned and operated. Although it was advertised as a story presumably about Pennsylvania's entry into gambling it dealt with that aspect only in a superficial way. Gambling addiction is a serious problem but talking only to addicts about gambling is like talking only to alcoholics in a story about wineries. Why 60 Minutes wastes its program and talents putting out poorly crafted opinion pieces like this is beyond me since it ruins an otherwise potentially interesting story while ending up being counterproductive in validating its offered opinion.
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- I find it irritating that everyone focuses so much on the gambling aspect of slot machines. I go a couple of times in the winter to a casino resort that I like, I like the rooms, the service, the food and the atmosphere and I really like playing the slots. I get excellent deals on the rooms and the food. The most I have lost was about $150 in three days between two persons. The hotel bill was under $100 including meals TOTAL during that same time. I have spent $20 to $50 to see a movie at a theater for two persons, for a total entertainment time of less than two hours. The same movie will be on DVD in a few months, on free TV in a couple of years and yet no one really worries about movie addiction. I spent $40 for two bowling. It took less than 2 hours to bowl that much. I spent $100 for an amusement park admission, $8 for parking, $50 for a meal and so on. And there is no chance that I could "win" any of these costs back.
I think that the states should go into prostitution instead. State run brothels would probably clear up the state debts, people do it anyway, might as well let the state's benefit from it, it would be safer for the prostitutes, they could get health insurance, unemployment, retirement, etc. Makes as much sense (even more) than PA governor's argument about state run casinos. Between tribal and private casinos the state's are just vying for dollars already out there in legitimate businesses. These prostitution dollars are as of yet untapped resources in most of the tax paying business sector. - Reply to this comment
- Considering that 60 Minutes is expressly sponsored by a major pharmaceutical company, I find the story on purported addiction problems related to slot machines quite ironic.
Maybe next time the producers run a presentation on addiction problems in the U.S., they won't have to look so far away.
- tom s. - Reply to this comment
- If anyone thinks Ed Rendell didnt profit from the casino project, please contact me. I have some nice building lots for sale in the Everglades. Personally I could care less about the legalization of gambling. The catholics have been doing it for years. But for Rendell to minimize the problems created by gambling shows his true ignorance.
2 personal friends of mine fell victim to the gambling addiction after the Presque Isle casino opened in Erie Pa. One was a middle aged business owner that died of a heart attack after he gambled away all that he had and then some. The other friend is serving time in a Federal Prison for bank robbery. A grandfather in his 70's who never so much as jaywalked before he held up a bank with a gun. I personally don't visit the local casino. It is like everything else In the Erie Pa area, somewhat trashy.
Also Rendell used the Horse racing mirage to get the casinos pushed through. Mark my words, after the state is totally addicted to the gambling proceeds, the casino owners will be pushing to close the horse tracks. They are a loser for the casinos. The casinos could kick more to the state if they weren't saddled with the money losing race tracks. (no pun intended). - Reply to this comment
- Gov.Rendell's reaction to Leslie was teeth wrenching violent. A bit above the norm. Oh yeah? Why? In other words your way is the highway. No one can ask questions. Leslie is asking justified probing questions( but be careful). I don't think she was leading him on. But it got to the raw nerve. He insulted her and then blew up. Wow, Boss. I did not mean to probe too deep. Sorry.( as he grabs me by the collar and looks at me like that). It was just that type of reation. Leslie is a lady. Amen.
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