Gambling

I do not have a gambling gene in my body. I simply don’t get it. Why would anyone want to throw away perfectly good money for a one in a trillion chance to get rich? The math is shouting “NO” at me, and I’m listening.

The rare occasions when I have done any form of gambling stand out like red flags in my memory. In my entire life, I have put exactly two quarters in a slot machine. This was done under duress.

My husband, daughter, son-in-law and I were passing through Atlantic City on our way to Margate, New Jersey, to see Lucy, the historic, elephant shaped building. My family strongly suggested that I needed to have a once-in-a-lifetime slot machine experience. To be a good sport, I sadly bid my two quarters farewell.

I’ve been in Las Vegas on a number of occasions, always on my way to someplace else. I do agree with architect Robert Venturi that the city is a fascinating mirror of America’s pop culture and ephemeral architecture. However, remembering what happened to my two quarters in New Jersey, I do not feel compelled to make a financial contribution to pay for all the neon and ticky tacky architecture.

The gambling industry is working hard to make all of us use the word “gaming” to refer to their lucrative rip off of the masses. I think that the nice sounding word “gaming” should only refer to using Monopoly money in a board game. “Gambling” occurs when the real stuff goes away.

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