Gambling, gambling and gambling. That's what I did on Friday night at Mohegan Sun, a casino located in upstate Connecticut. My friends and I wanted to do something different, and really reach for the edge, so we bundled up and hit the road with all the money we could afford. I brought $150, Sam $200, Johnny $100 and Ian $120. After praying for an hour on our way up for good fortune, we arrived with merry hearts and high hopes.
There's nothing like gambling and testing your luck. I like to test my chances everyday to keep me on my toes. When the fortune cookie comes with Chinese food I somehow believe that my entire future will be decided by these tiny words. It is kind of like checking your horoscope on the Internet, hoping the words will somehow spark something within you.
It was almost midnight when we finally got in line and signed up for the cash rewards system. After proving you are over 21, you receive a card, which is inserted into machines when you play and bet. It keeps track of how much money you spend and gives you rewards to spend in the casino. For instance, if you spend $1 of your own money you receive 10 cents of the casino's money.
What a good way to get people coming back for more: offer a rewards system so the more they spend, the more they receive in cash and prizes. This card is pretty cool. It has my name on it, and says "Good Luck Allison" when inserted into any machine. To be honest, I have it in my wallet. It shows that I have an official problem.
Casinos are interesting places. They are filled with weary-eyed people staring at screens while others sit at the tables. Although this was not our first trip to the casino, we don't go very often. It is not one of those things that we do on a regular basis. Yet there are others who do. They sit at the casino tables betting away their savings, their cars, anything they have left to offer. As incentive, they have this card, which makes them psychologically believe that they aren't really spending their own money.
But enough about the logistics of the modern-day casino. These are places we go to for fun, to entertain ourselves and maybe meet some new people. But for some reason, casinos have the distinct ability to divide people as well. I saw perhaps the first fight between a newly married couple. They were at the slots right across from us. The evening started off innocently enough, but it was soon clear that the man's wife was getting irritated. It's all the same stuff - she wanted him to stop, but he was on a "hot streak" and didn't want to give up on old lady luck. The woman stomped out of the room and the man continued his playing.
What is it about money that puts people so on edge, especially at a casino? Isn't this a place you go to with the knowledge that you ultimately will spend more than you win? As I gambled my money away, I felt almost guilty. Maybe I should have put the money in the bank or spent it on groceries. After the night was done, I walked out of the place with a mere $40. It was worth it, but I couldn't help but think about the young woman whose honeymoon was being ruined by her husband's obsession.
I've heard horror stories about people losing their lives to gambling obsessions. I have no clue if the young woman's new husband is "addicted" to gambling. I hope for the sake of their marriage that he is not. The thrill of the game is worth the money sometimes, but money can't buy back that man's night with his woman. An extra buck probably won't fix anything. Casinos don't have feelings, but the millions of people who flock there everyday do. Whether you make money or lose it, it's true what they say: The house always wins.
