[Danknee]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Despite the claims to the contrary, gambling is very popular with locals -- otherwise all those locals' casinos would close for want of customers.

I don't just "not gamble" -- I am very much against it because it's a pointless waste of time. But I moved here for family reasons, not because of gambling. I'll be leaving just as soon as I can. The average local is an utter nitwit -- and gambling is just a symptom of the larger problem.

Aliante Casino is a ghost town. I only go there for Capriotti's and Dairy Queen blizzards and both those places are building stand alone buildings right up the street so it will only get slower.

I guess Scoop hangs with a different crowd than me?

[Danknee]

Originally Posted by compwizard4504

However the two above posters who say they are anti gambling and then chime in with a story about "someone they know" who blows their paycheck gambling are the ones I'm targeting.

They aren't fooling anyone.

A year away from being free and clear on my house, then I'm 100% debt free; all due to living significantly below my means. Not sure why you are convinced I'm a habitual gambler. Keep fighting the good internet fight I guess. /shrug

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by Danknee

A year away from being free and clear on my house, then I'm 100% debt free; all due to living significantly below my means. Not sure why you are convinced I'm a habitual gambler. Keep fighting the good internet fight I guess. /shrug

I've seen a co-worker who make six figures fired for asking guests for a loan so he could gamble more.

It's a big problem that hides in plain sight. And problem gamblers don't have to have a complete melt-down like that coworker to see a deleterious effect on their life. Just hanging around for hours on the gaming floor with all that second-hand smoke is harmful.

[Caltovegas]

My big gamble is making to a buffet on time before the price changes. Locals gamble or why else would they know how to explain the spreads. On another note with all the buffets and fast food joints we locals do gamble with health risk with all the available food choices.

[binionrat]

We probably stop in every three days or so at one casino or another (we are snowbirds and just spend 5 months in Vegas) and definitely on the Seniors Day and play the free Slot tourney at Boulder Station on Wednesday (usually win $25 - the low prize) and go to the $4 movie special for oldsters. Most I will spend is about $20 and usually leave with a few bucks more but I play $5 bills and cash out with anything over $8. I like to play WOF quarter machines which I have the most luck with but stick to penny novelty machines as my $5 bills go further. I have won $500 (5 coin WOF) and then the same week $250 (3 coin WOF) but usually just a small profit which pays for hubby and me to have the 2 for one buffet that costs about $7 with our Station Pass. The only poker tournaments we play are the morning Sams Town tournie which is more a social event for seniors and it is $23 for entry and occasionally end up winning a couple hundred from the final table. It's free coffee and wonderful conversation. I can't ever see myself getting addicted to it (been gambling since 1982) but I guess it depends on a person's addictive personality. My belief is that I hit a progressive once with 3 quarters at Slots Of Fun on a 7's machine (red/white/blue 7's) and won $11,500 and that was my lifelong win....I don't keep trying to do it again or think I can...I think that is my one lucky "big one" and it won't happen again. I don't think I could ever spend more than I allow from my budget on gambling and I'd bet on that...:-)

[UTES]

Even though I don't gamble, I benefit from it.

From my point of view, gambling subsidizes much of the infrastructure I enjoy using. There's so much to see and experience in Las Vegas that gambling paid for - and that my wife and I get to enjoy for free.

Consider the Bellagio Conservatory. My wife and I visit all five major displays there each year. It's one of the highlights of being on The Strip for us. When guests or family are in town, we take them to the Conservatory as well.

While at the Bellagio to see the Conservatory, we don't gamble or spend money on site. Other than the Conservatory, there's nothing else at Bellagio of interest for us. We walk in, spend about 30 or 45 minutes viewing the beautiful displays, then walk out.

So, to all the gamblers that have made things like the Bellagio Conservatory available - thank you. It is appreciated.

Bill

[Golfinnova]

Part of the reason moving here was for my 85-year old mother to gamble, she goes every Friday night and most of the time she loses but she has won some decent jackpots. Is she a degenerate, not even close!

The wife and I have gone but we simply don't anymore mainly because it bores the chyte out of me to sit at a table or the appropiately named one-armed bandit. Danknee mentioned Aliante Casino which we are only 5 minutes from and is absolutely correct on, it is a ghost town even on weekends. We had dinner at Bistro 57 with their delicious tiramisu martinis in an empty restaurant followed by watching Creed in a half-empty theatre, this was 2 weeks ago on a Saturday night. Walking from the restaurant to the movies, I could see how few people were in the casino.

It just depends on whether gambling is fun, for this local it's not!

[Cold Warrior]

Why the hell would anyone live here if gambling wasn't an activity they are interested in?

You are paying my taxes. Thanks!

[cre8lite]

we rarely gamble, it's never been appealing to us.

years ago, when we announced to friends & family we were moving to the las vegas area, i had a co-worker tell me he absolutely couldn't move to vegas - the craps tables would eat every single one of his paychecks.

i'm with UTES - i occasionally will play tourist on the strip, just to see how much is changed. while my $$ doesn't go into gambling, i will eat at their restaurants or check out their free attractions or attend concerts.

[yellowsnow]

I have a monthly entertainment budget. Sometimes it's spent on gambling and other times maybe some event, show, or concert. If I remember I try to gamble a few bucks at Tuscany and AZ Charlie's every month to get their freebies. The California sends My SO $30 every month for food and has for years. He doesn't think he ever even gambled there!