Question of the Day - 04 October 2018

First, yes, the Drew will have a casino when it’s completed in 2020 or beyond.

Second, the question about members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and gambling is a good one that’s floated around ever since Nevada, next-door neighbor to the world headquarters of the Mormon Church, legalized casino gambling in 1931.

It’s our understanding that in Mormon theology, gambling isn’t strictly forbidden, as are smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol and beverages with caffeine. Rather, it’s viewed as a lesser transgression, an evil “based on the morally wrong philosophy of getting something for nothing, of taking money without giving fair value in return.”

Gambling and its lifestyle degrade and weaken high moral standards, according to LDS policy.

Gambling is, naturally, illegal in Utah, one of only two states without any form of it. That’s why Wendover, the closest border town to Salt Lake City, is so popular with Utahans, including LDS. We’ve seen estimates that 90% of the million or so gamblers in West Wendover each year come from Utah.

Obviously, many are Mormon and they’re no doubt among the less devout members of the church.

Working in a casino, however, is an entirely different story.  

Again, it's our understanding that the church doesn’t advise members where they can and can’t, or even should or shouldn’t, work. The church allows its members to pursue whichever career might be best to provide for their families.

Many LDS have lived and worked in Las Vegas since the early days of the city. Indeed, missionaries from Salt Lake City settled in Las Vegas Valley in 1851; the Old Mormon Fort is the oldest building still extant in Las Vegas. Thus, it was only natural for LDS to start working in the casinos when gambling was legalized and that never, as far as we know, caused a problem with church authorities.

“Questions specifically addressing employment in the gaming industry have never been a part of general temple-worthiness guidelines,” said LDS spokesman Coke Newell.

In fact, Mormons have had a greater-than-normal impact on the casino business. Some of Howard Hughes’ closest advisers were Mormons, whom he trusted for their high moral standards. E. Parry Thomas leveraged his church connections into business relationships for his Bank of Las Vegas and Hughes didn’t make a single real estate move without consulting Thomas first. Thomas was also the first banker to lend legitimate money to casino builders and owners. “Parry Thomas, probably more than any other single person, fostered the development of Las Vegas’ casino industry and with it Las Vegas, business leaders say,” according to a 1999 profile of Thomas in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Our book Whale Hunt in the Desert, describes a casino host named Doug Bean who personifies the lack of inconsistency, or even conflict or contradiction, inherent in being LDS and working for a casino.

“Doug Bean is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," author Deke Castleman wrote. "Because Bean’s church is opposed to gambling, many players wondered how he reconciled his racket with his religion. For Bean, it wasn’t an issue. He considered himself a salesman. Players came to Las Vegas casinos. Hosts marketed casino perks to players. Bean didn’t ask them to do anything illegal or that went against their religion. And he didn’t gamble himself.”

Finally, founder J. Willard Marriott was a devout Mormon, as is his son William, executive director of Marriott International. Bill Marriott strongly supports LGBT rights, a position that's also at odds with LDS doctrine. In a statement a few years ago, Marriott summed up his feelings, which are similar to Bean's: "The Bible that I love teaches me about honesty, integrity, and unconditional love for all people. But beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business.”