Questions and Comments
Time to dip into the virtual mailbag and comment file.
Q: What do you think about all these new quick ways you can get money to gamble with when you are in a casino? Sounds dangerous to me.
A: It sounds dangerous to me too! Some people aren’t able to manage their money well, especially their gambling bankroll. They find it difficult when they’re on a losing streak to resist the temptation of accessing more money while they are in a casino, money that had been earmarked for necessary life expenses. If this happened back in the “olden days,” they would need to get up from the table or machine, and walk to an ATM. This would give them a little time to think about the ramifications of their decision, and perhaps good judgment might prevail.
With the pandemic pushing the use of digital-money processing system, more sanitary cashless gaming might make it too easy for many to avoid regulating their gambling spending. Couple this with the surge of online-gambling opportunities, available 24/7, I’m afraid we will see a major escalation of problem gambling.
Q: You rarely talk about free drinks being a major comp available for casino players. Are you and Brad teetotalers?
A: Actually, we have been for the last 15-20 years. But this has not been because of moral or religious issues. Brad had been a social drinker until his heart attack in 2003 when being on many meds changed that. I’ve always hated the taste of beer and wine, and fruity mixed drinks cause serious side effects because of my extreme sugar sensitivity.
After Brad’s heart attack, the doctor did suggest he drink one glass of wine a day. Brad used to joke, “I bet I’m the only husband in the world that has his wife send him out the door mornings, telling him to go gamble and drink!” After a few months, I did continue to send him out with a casino assignment, but he’d now been diagnosed with A-fib, so no more alcohol instructions. But we never wasted all the wine and liquor comps we got; we kept friends and neighbors well supplied. And sometime so much we couldn’t carry it all to the car, and it went to casino employees and even strangers in line!
(I guess this is the reason why I haven’t written about the recent trend of casinos keeping track of your play, with no chance of a player tipping the bartender to be more generous. Nor – horrors – that the drinks are being “watered down.”)
From the “Comments”: Good hint in a trip report by a frugal fan: “I like to straddle months to take advantage of double comps!” That reminded me of the powerful frugal technique we used often in the early days of our play before we were Vegas residents. Whenever possible, I planned trips from Indianapolis to start at the end of the month and go into the next month. An example of double dipping, like finding a casino having 2 promotions at the same time!
Q: With all of the video poker and table-game filming on YouTube and other media sites, do you feel like you should have embraced this type of promotion in your career?
A: Brad and I did appear in quite a few TV segments in earlier years. And I did some interviews for various media sites.
But I never felt that I was savvy enough to learn the technical details for that kind of promotion on my own. Besides, between our personal gambling schedule and my heavy writing projects, I never felt I had time for more promotion efforts. Plus, for years I was trying – but never quite succeeding – to “retire.” Cutting down was the best I could do until health issues forced the decision.
Q: Are you as frugal as you used to be?
A: I am loosening up a little in this area, maybe not as “crazy frugal” as Brad used to call my antics. But this message from the “Comments” mirrors my own efforts:
Wanted to ask you if you can help me NOT be as frugal as I have been all my life? I’ve got enough $ to last the rest of my life, but I still find myself just ordering water with my meal – can’t see spending $3 for a soft drink! It is very hard NOT to be frugal!
Keep those questions and comments coming!