Racinos

[jeena]

I have been going to Atlantic City for years and sometimes Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, I hit a few jackpots for approx. $400.00 each at Mohegan, nothing at Foxwoods.  In A. C. I won about 5 jackpots between $350.00 and $750.00, over the years, that's it.  I go to Pechanga and Pala when I go to North San Diego, but I haven't won anything, ditto for Vegas, nothing, bit I don't go out West that often.Anyway, I never thought I would be opposed to any gambling site, but recently a racino opened up near my home in N.Y.   I have only lost a few hundred there since it opened last year playing the video lottery terminal slots., I don't play video poker there at all, and never will.  I probably won't return to play the slots either.  All the machines I have played give you frequent hits with glaring lit up symbols with loud noises to falsely   excite you for a few seconds until you realize you hit another low pay line which is whittling down your bankroll to nothing.The problem is my sister, she has already lost $4,000.00 playing the slots , and told me she has not saved any money since the racino opened,  so the track got the money that should be in her savings account.  In addition, she got a terrible divorce settlement because she had a lousy attorney, and I think she trying to make up the money she didn't get from her ex at the video lottery terminals.Now I constantly worry that she will lose all her money. I told her the video lottery terminals don't pay as well as the slot reels with the RNG and she should go to A.C occasionally, and not frequent the track so much.  She doesn't listen and tells me about the racino patrons who have won the bigger jackpots since the track opened.I know if we lived in towns near the casinos she would have the same problem, but I am sorry they built the racino in our backyard, and wonder how many other people in this city (they are busing the seniors in like crazy) and surrounding areas are losing their savings.

[oej719]

Always play with entertainment money only.
Never play with grocery or other money that is used to pay bills.

[cddenver]

The problem is my sister, she has already lost $4,000.00 playing the slots , and told me she has not saved any money since the racino opened,  so the track got the money that should be in her savings account.  In addition, she got a terrible divorce settlement because she had a lousy attorney, and I think she trying to make up the money she didn't get from her ex at the video lottery terminals.

Now I constantly worry that she will lose all her money. I told her the video lottery terminals don't pay as well as the slot reels with the RNG and she should go to A.C occasionally, and not frequent the track so much.  She doesn't listen and tells me about the racino patrons who have won the bigger jackpots since the track opened.


 
I'll give you my own views on this.  Bad, bad, idea for your sister to use "real" money (living expense money) for her gaming - bills and such should come first.  Also a bad idea for her to think that because she happens to see other people hit jackpots from time to time that those people are long-term winners.  Possibly, but probably not.  Casinos/racinos don't stay in business by letting their customers who "deserve it" win more than they lose, over time.
 
Sounds like she may have a budding gambling problem in general.  I personally know two people who have come to serious grief financially, starting out like your sister.  If you think that's a possibility, have her check out the info at www.gamblersanonymous.org.
 
 
 

[shadowman]

I would also explain that the payback at these racinos is around 92%. Have her do the math.

[jeena]

Thanks for all the responses, I'll keep an eye on her and follow the suggestions that were posted.  Now she says she isn't going to the track until the holidays, we'll see......

[oej719]

She will get the same results during the holidays.

[jeena]

You are probably correct, the racino is the one who is going to have a Merry Christmas, not my sister!   The bad part is she goes very often because it's so close to home, so she sees other people winning.  For instance the last few times she went, someone hit a machine for $25,000, and on another day a person hit a dollar Wheel of Gold machine for $5,000.  I keep telling her she doesn't know how much money was gambled to get those wins.  She usually plays the Wheel of Gold quarter machine and doesn't play the max (I think it's a 5 line 5 coin max), she only plays one quarter on five lines ($1.25) most of the time, so chances are slim that she would win a substantial jackpot.I just hope she doesn't "graduate" to the dollar machines where she sees most of the bigger jackpots being won.I wonder if the casinos make more money on a person like her, who will pump $150.00 at a time into a quarter machine regularly and lose it, than a person who gambles more money at a dollar machine, but will get a decent jackpot once in a while.

[oej719]

Sounds like she is beyond your help.
Here is where a professional needs to step in and help her before her family is jepordized.
She should also have herself banned from being able to enter the place if that is possibe there.

[cddenver]

I just hope she doesn't "graduate" to the dollar machines where she sees most of the bigger jackpots being won.

I wonder if the casinos make more money on a person like her, who will pump $150.00 at a time into a quarter machine regularly and lose it, than a person who gambles more money at a dollar machine, but will get a decent jackpot once in a while.

 
I don't know much about slots, but in VP it's all proportional.  If the paytables are the same on $.25 and $1 play each jackpot pays 4 times the $ on $1 play, but each dry spell costs 4 times as much.  Sounds like my mother - a penny slots budget, and a $1 mentality.
 
Oej719, can people have themselves banned from casinos?  Never heard of that, but it sounds like something a "smart" problem gambler would do.  "Out of sight, out of mind".  Remove temptation from those close casinos, and limit things to AC/Vegas trips.
 
Jeena, I *personally* know a woman who hit a $40K slot jackpot here in CO (small stakes), and played it all back in over the next 11 days.  In that 11 days she hit the casino every night after work, and even took a few vacation days from work to play.  She probably would have played it back in faster, but here the casinos aren't open 24 hrs.  When she told me that story she said - in all seriousness - that she got to play all she wanted for 11 days, for free. ???????  You're welcome to pass that story on to your sister.
 
 

[jeena]

If I won $40K, I would never play a slot or VP again!  The mentality is she played with the casino's money, not hers,  that's too bad. Did she expect to win another $40,000?Since I mentioned repeat winning, my next door neighbor's cousin won the NY Lotto twice.  He hit for $5 million last week alone, and shared a $10 million jackpot of $2.5 million in 1996, the story received a lot of press in NY, I don't know if it made national news, but you can read about it on the NY Lottery web-site.  Isn't it amazing how he beat the odds, twice!Note to cddenver:   I thought I read that the casino needs to keep less dollars to make a profit  than quarters, so the higher denomination machines are  looser, but  you have a good point regarding dry spells being more costly.I have been dying to play pick-em poker or triple play joker poker at a real casino (not racino) , but can't decide which game to play so I can  concentrate on one strategy.Once I won $250.00 on 50 play nickel poker machine at the Tropicana in A.C., I was dealt 5 aces.  The woman next to me congratulated me and without thinking I said to her, "I don't think I can carry all those nickels to the redemption window, I have a bad back!"  She told me not to worry because the slot attendant will come and take care of it.  I said, "of course," and felt so stupid.Thanks again for all the responses, you guys are great, good luck in and out of the casino!