While we were in the Asheville, North Carolina area, we spent a day on the Indian reservation in Cherokee. We started with the museum there and then headed to the casino for lunch. Of course, you can’t go to a casino and not drop a few coins in the slot machines. My husband never worries that I’ll get carried away. I don’t like to play anything higher than the nickel slots, and once I’ve lost ten dollars, I’m done. Sometimes I can sit for an hour before I lose that much. Other times, ten dollars is gone in ten minutes. The expression “Easy come, easy go” is not one I live by. I would change it to “Hard to come by, hard to let go.” That being said, I enjoy flirting with the possibility of winning the pot of gold, which, if you are playing nickel slots, would probably only amount to a few hundred dollars. Could be worse. I could play the penny slots.
When my father-in-law was alive, he and my husband used to play the lottery together. We were living in Texas where there wasn’t a lottery yet, and my father-in-law lived in Connecticut, which had one. My husband would send him money and he would play twice a week. Any winnings were split down the middle. We usually didn’t win much, but once we split $1600. We felt like we had hit the jackpot. Once Texas got their own lottery, we stopped playing together. On a recent visit, our son and daughter-in-law gave my husband numbers they wanted him to play each week. Like father, like son.
Yes, we only have one chance in several million, but don’t gamblers feel that somebody has to win, so why not them? We only expend $2.00 a week to feed our habit. I can’t understand people who will blow an entire paycheck or go into debt trying to strike it rich. It’s a deadly addiction. Everyone is a gambler though, in the game of life, as this song sung by the great Ethel Waters attests to:
Coming East 
I don’t think I could spend $10 or $20 on a lottery ticket. I’d rather blow it at the craft store! lol
If I spent ten or twenty dollars at the craft store, Patti, it would be a bigger gamble than the lottery. I’m terribly uncreative when it comes to crafts! My daughter is amazing, though. Don’t know how she got that way with me as her mother! LOL
I’ve been in a casino once and was so confused by all the flashing lights that I didn’t spend so much as a penny. Having no idea how to play the slots or which might be worth playing might have been a good thing. 🙂
I find them confusing, too, Robin, plus there is always so much cigarette smoke to wade through before we get to the smoke-free area. It’s not a favorite thing of mine by any means. But we had a very nice lunch there for a good price, and we didn’t lose more than a movie ticket.
Enjoyed this post and hearing Ethel Waters sing. I feel the same way as you about not letting the slots gobble up your/my coins, so I set a minimum amount to ‘play’ with, whether I win or lose!
It’s always nice to win something, Shofar, but losing hard-earned money feels so awful to me, I’m with you.
They just opened a casino near m here in PA. I am amazed at the amount of cars in the lot at any given hour. They have had a huge problem with…sit down…people leaving their children in the car while they go in gambling. I just don’t get it…
Amazing, Life! Where are their priorities? Oh…never mind. They’ve made that perfectly clear!
The one father left a baby in a car seat, a 3 year old and the dog. He thought he was only in there for 20 minutes..try 3 and a half hours! Things that leave you speechless that is for certain.
That boggles the mind, Life!
I’ve never felt the urge to gamble on cards or slot machines, but I have bought the occasional lottery ticket. I think it’s more an exercise of the imagination. What would I do if… Even though I’m not very interested in gambling myself, I’m fascinated by people who do. Is it the risk? Is it the rush? I’m intrigued by Julia’s gambling character and I want to read that story!
I think there is a common thread in ant additive behavior, whether it is drinking, sex, or gambling. It would be a good study before writing a character with that personality. I’m sure Julia researched it.
Last time when we (my hubby, brothers, niece, and my daughter) were in LV, everyone went craze, I fell asleep in front of the slot machine…
Did you win anything, Amy? Once I won $60. I think it was on quarter slots and I started with one roll. With my little profit, I bought us dinner. I would feel sick to my stomach if I lost even $20. I’ll never make a good gambler, thankfully!
If I did, I didn’t know, I was asleep…my husband said that I even snored. This may be one of the few things that I have trouble to concentrate. $60 might wake me up quickly.
Ha-ha, Amy. I’m pretty sure you’ll never make much of a gambler. A true gambler doesn’t fall asleep on the job.
I’m not a big money gambler but I do occasionally buy a lottery ticket especially when the stakes are high enough. But I do have a gambling addict in my current WIP, and it turns out to be very deadly for him.
That would be an interesting character, Julia. Bet he does more than the nickel slots.
I’m not a big gambler – I hate losing so quickly. I might be able to throw $2.00 – but no more. Asheville is beautiful. I hope you had a nice time.
We didn’t get to do as much exploring as we would have liked, LD. We didn’t have enough time, and I was a hindrance on everyone, though they never made me feel bad.
Love the Ethel Waters tape! Last time I was in Cherokee there was no casino. I did enjoy my day in Cherokee at the museum and especially, the gift shop.
I’ve only visited a casino once I was escorting/entertaining a consultant our school district had hired to do workshops for us. I spent the entire day working on a $20 investment – she was plugging $100 bills into a slot machine as if they were pennies ~ then complained because the lunch buffet was $18.
I don’t understand people who spend money like that, Carol, and then complain about how much things cost. We liked the museum very much and would like to spend more time there when I’m not so incapacitated. There were a lot of things we didn’t get to see because of me.
When my hubby took me to Atlantic City, and I was playing those slots (like you: the nickel ones), I kept thinking about my Mom and what a rough life she had (financially) and could just imagine her shaking her head at me. So I didn’t enjoy it too much! We’ve never played the lottery, and I feel sorry for those who spend so much money (they obviously can’t afford) – hoping to strike it rich.
I look at the casino as entertainment, Dianna, like going to the movies. Since I wouldn’t pay more than ten dollars for a movie ticket, I’m not willing to spend more than that at the casino. People who are heavy gamblers are searching for something money can’t buy, but they don’t see that.
I use to do the same thing when my mother was in Florida and I was in NC which didn’t have a lottery yet.
One time a sent a lottery ticket to friends as a gift. They won $10 on it. I wondered how generous they might have been toward me if they had hit the big one. Your guess?
I think they would have given your ten dollars back, Al.