Las Vegas
CASINO-PHOBIA
By. Forrest Robinson
I know that this may be hard for some to believe, but I have yet to have
ever touched a slot machine at a casino. Sure. What’s the use of
going to a casino if you’re not going to play the slots? I guess
that I may have watched a few too many movies or something. But I always
have these pictures and scenes haunting me – scenes of people who
go to the casino with a nice amount of hard-earned cash simply looking
for a nice, fun venture playing a few slots or card games and perhaps
coming out with more money than they went in with. The idea seems to be
simply a delectable one. And who wouldn’t want to make a little
profit on the side?
I absolutely love staying at the MGM Grand Hotel. I guess that it may
be a bit overly hyped because of the whole Vegas thing, but here is a
hotel that is literally its own city. The brilliance behind the design
of this hotel is that since it has its own grocery store and pharmacy,
dry cleaning, restaurant, gym and GOD knows what else, there really is
no reason for anyone to leave and do anything besides play the slots.
The casino looks like a lot of fun to me anytime I’ve seen it. What
frightens me are images of people who go in seemingly on top of the world,
but leave after they had just gambled their lives away, wishing that they’d
never even seen a casino. All it took for me is learning how people have
lost cars and houses at the backgammon table or something. Yes, I do realize
that these are adults who are (or at least should be) quite capable of
making responsible decisions and knowing when to quit. But there are just
some incidents that have me nearly convinced that there must be some strong
a force trapped within slot machines and poker tables that tells people
to check all sense of logic and self control in with your coat upon entry.
On November 23, 2002 we did a show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I’ve been there only three times, I think, and each time I knew that I was going I always made a conscious effort to put myself in the mindset that I was going to just let go and have a good time. “I will not fear the slots!” is the mindset I would have (sort of). I know that I have at least some sense of self-control but somehow, Vegas just flat-out makes me nervous.
We
arrived at the MGM the morning of the show. When it was time for soundcheck,
I had to head down and go through the casino in order to get to the EFX
Theatre, which is the venue we were performing in. I gazed at seemingly
each slot machine telling myself that “maybe I’d give it a
try and live the ‘Vegas experience’” for once. The show
went well, though I must admit that it did feel a bit “corporate”.
You know, the big spenders got some of the seats in the front and were
in the mood to “be entertained” rather than experience the
music and be involved with the experience. There was a good ratio of people
present that were there for the experience, so that made it really nice.
It’s just that they were a little further back than we wished, if
you know what I’m saying. The good thing about the people in front
who were checking us out is that it was wonderful of them to come and
hear something new and be accepting of it. India loves for people to listen
to the words, which is a smart approach. And I can honestly say that they
were listening to the stories being told. Now THAT’S encouraging.
So after the show, I went to drop my stickbag off in the hotel room and then head on down to the casino. Yep, I went down and got change for $20 and was gonna do it! The butterflies were stirrin’ and I was going to own the slots for the first time. So I went for the “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” slot machine and was getting ready to drop that quarter (or nickel) in when I heard “Damn it! That was everything!” and I saw a big burly guy at the card table with the most disappointed look on his face being consoled by a very nicely dressed female that made me wonder if this was someone he knew before he stepped into the casino, or was this a scene from Leaving Las Vegas? I just didn’t know. Whatever it was, it was enough for me to decide to put the quarter back in my pocket and head for Emeril’s Cajun restaurant.
It
was only a slot machine, but would I soon want to take a bigger risk at
a card table afterwards? Maybe this still just wasn’t the time for
me to try the slots. But the nice bowl of lobster bisque I had was a lot
more pleasant for me than the scene I had just witnessed back there in
the casino. I know that we are in a “live life, take chances”
time. But I’m finding that there are some chances that seem to be
a bit too big for me to take for some reason. Or maybe I just don’t
get it!
Forrest Robinson