Bet On It!

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I just noticed that the Buffalo City Council decided not to challenge the new casino in downtown Buffalo. Given the already established casino's in the surrounding areas, not to mention the racetracks and OTB's and football pools and NCAA pools that dominate our time, I must wonder, what good all of this betting is doing for our society.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have had a great time (some evenings) visiting the casinos. My wife and I head up to the Falls from time-to-time and waste our hard-earned money pulling on a lever. We've also won a little on some nights, but overall, we've found it to be a losing night out that takes our entertainment dollar... and leaves us feeling empty. There is a limit of course, and we haven't sacrificed money that we need.

Yet, I hate the feeling that comes along with losing money. I can't stand how I feel when I'm pulling the lever, knowing that I'm simply counting backwards to zero. I also read the newspaper stories saying that a casino will help rebuild the city, and I find it hard to believe. The financial impact is limited to those in charge of cleaning out the machines. There is a Pizza Hut restaurant boarded and closed at the foot of the Falls casino. The surrounding neighborhoods are in a state of decay. People who can't afford to lose their paychecks are stuck in front of the machines, hoping that their luck doesn't run out.

Listen to the old sins listed one-by-one - gambling is always mentioned. You've heard at least one story of someone who lost their home to the ponies or the one-armed bandit.

I suppose that like almost everything else in this day and age, I'm confused as I consider the issue. It's easy to say that people need to know their limits and not be addicted to the sights and sounds of a casino. It's a whole different thing to realize that for every winner, there are hundreds of losers. I just pray that the real losers aren't the citizens in the neighborhoods. Lotteries, casinos, and get rich quick schemes work best on desperate people, and that truly isn't real entertaining.

Comments

deafjeff said…
I'm hoping to get a job at the casino in the city. I hope all the 'tards pulling levers make me some $$.
15 January, 2008
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