[indianamaniac]

Come on - how many people are addicted to the stock market, or buying stocks?

It's not always about being addicted to something.

You say you hate that the casino built their business off the backs of people who lost their shirt at the casino. If you use that train of thought, then you can look at just about any industry as taking advantage of others. Let's spend all of our time hating utilities for it costing so much to use essential gas and electricity, too.

In regards to Wall Street, I would be willing to say that many more people have been parted with more money through legal and illegal actions by investors on Wall Street than have ever been "swindled" of their money by a casino.

[Tim]

It's not always about being addicted to something.

You say you hate that the casino built their business off the backs of people who lost their shirt at the casino. If you use that train of thought, then you can look at just about any industry as taking advantage of others. Let's spend all of our time hating utilities for it costing so much to use essential gas and electricity, too.

In regards to Wall Street, I would be willing to say that many more people have been parted with more money through legal and illegal actions by investors on Wall Street than have ever been "swindled" of their money by a casino.

Your opinion is noted.

[Southsider2k12]

It's not always about being addicted to something.

You say you hate that the casino built their business off the backs of people who lost their shirt at the casino. If you use that train of thought, then you can look at just about any industry as taking advantage of others. Let's spend all of our time hating utilities for it costing so much to use essential gas and electricity, too.

In regards to Wall Street, I would be willing to say that many more people have been parted with more money through legal and illegal actions by investors on Wall Street than have ever been "swindled" of their money by a casino.

I think the parrallel between utilities and gambling is a weak one. There is a basic cap of how much electricity you can use in a month. As far as I know, NIPSCO isn't lending anyone more money to plug in more items. I haven't seen NO LIMIT GAS FURNANCES yet either. Also even if worse come to worst, NIPSCO still leaves you with your house.

[Tim]

I think the parrallel between utilities and gambling is a weak one. There is a basic cap of how much electricity you can use in a month. As far as I know, NIPSCO isn't lending anyone more money to plug in more items. I haven't seen NO LIMIT GAS FURNANCES yet either. Also even if worse come to worst, NIPSCO still leaves you with your house.

Exactly. No idea how someone could equate paying your NIPSCO bill and blowing the mortgage payment at Blue Chip as one in the same.

[Ang]

Well, I hate NIPSCO.
Not all utility companies in general, just NIPSCO.

When I was a very little girl, slot machines were legal in IN and the VFW had some. My grandpa was the grand poobah at the VFW during the time slot machines were outlawed. He disabled them all but one, a nickel machine, which he kept in his basement. I would save my nickles for our Sunday visits to the grandparents house. Grampa would let me play on the machine with my saved nickles, and he taught me how to gamble responsibly. He taught me at a young age how not to give up all your money to the one armed bandit. As a result, I consider myself responsible when it comes to gambling. I don't go unless I can spare the money (similar to going to a movie or dinner out), I give myself a spending limit and when it's gone, I'm done. If I win, great, that money goes in a different pocket to be kept for something else.
Everyone should have the lessons my grandpa taught me.

[indianamaniac]

I think the parrallel between utilities and gambling is a weak one. There is a basic cap of how much electricity you can use in a month. As far as I know, NIPSCO isn't lending anyone more money to plug in more items. I haven't seen NO LIMIT GAS FURNANCES yet either. Also even if worse come to worst, NIPSCO still leaves you with your house.

The parallel being drawn is not of that concerning necessary expendatures vs. discretionary income as it's obvious that you're taking it.

The parallel being drawn is one that should illustrate how harboring "hatred" toward a business because it makes a profit off of individuals who are voluntarily patronizing said business is basically suggesting that one should hate anyone with a profit motive, including those industries that provide services that are essential, i.e. utilities.

I continuously read you folks talking about "blowing the mortgage payment" and "exploitation of an addiction" which quite frankly shows a disconnect in rationale.

"Blowing the mortgage payment" refers to someone who doesn't understand the concept of living within their means, something that anyone could fall victim to within any other industry. Who has driven more people into debt, casinos or banks and credit card companies? Using Tim's rationale, we might as well be pissed off at any business making a profit.

"Exploitation of an addiction" suggests that the only reason casinos are in business is to take advantage of people. Not all individuals who go to casinos have addictions. If we're going to start going there, then let's start calling for the boycott of every alcohol company, tobacco company, and credit card company as well.

We live in a capitalistic society that also prides itself on personal freedoms. You don't have to patronize a business, but hating on a business that employs over 1,000 people at a time when jobs are tough to come by and pumps millions of tax dollars into the community just seems hypocritical.

[Southsider2k12]

The parallel being drawn is not of that concerning necessary expendatures vs. discretionary income as it's obvious that you're taking it.

The parallel being drawn is one that should illustrate how harboring "hatred" toward a business because it makes a profit off of individuals who are voluntarily patronizing said business is basically suggesting that one should hate anyone with a profit motive, including those industries that provide services that are essential, i.e. utilities.

I continuously read you folks talking about "blowing the mortgage payment" and "exploitation of an addiction" which quite frankly shows a disconnect in rationale.

"Blowing the mortgage payment" refers to someone who doesn't understand the concept of living within their means, something that anyone could fall victim to within any other industry. Who has driven more people into debt, casinos or banks and credit card companies? Using Tim's rationale, we might as well be pissed off at any business making a profit.

"Exploitation of an addiction" suggests that the only reason casinos are in business is to take advantage of people. Not all individuals who go to casinos have addictions. If we're going to start going there, then let's start calling for the boycott of every alcohol company, tobacco company, and credit card company as well.

We live in a capitalistic society that also prides itself on personal freedoms. You don't have to patronize a business, but hating on a business that employs over 1,000 people at a time when jobs are tough to come by and pumps millions of tax dollars into the community just seems hypocritical.

You've built this on a false equivalency. How many people out there like their credit card, alcohol, or tobacco companies? Heck the tobacco industry had a 12 figure damage settlement lodged against it for what it did to people's lives in exploiting their addictions. I'd call that "going after" them.

[Tim]

If you're going to place hatred upon the casino industry for making money off the backs of others then you may as well hate anyone who makes money, including all of Wall Street...

Are you seriously trying to tell me how to feel about someone or some thing?

Let me know how that works out for you.

[indianamaniac]

Are you seriously trying to tell me how to feel about someone or some thing?

Let me know how that works out for you.

I'm not trying to tell you how to feel about someone or some thing... I'm just pointing out the misguided ignorance in your "deep hatred for the gaming biz"...

Hate away...

[Tim]

I'm not trying to tell you how to feel about someone or some thing... I'm just pointing out the misguided ignorance in your "deep hatred for the gaming biz"...

Hate away...

It's only misguided in your opinion. Not mine.

[Southsider2k12]

Pence is trying to stop other states from adding more gambling.

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/18807392-537/...-expansion.html

[diggler]

It was alot more fun when the MOB ran Vegas. Atleast it was HONEST

[Southsider2k12]

It was alot more fun when the MOB ran Vegas. Atleast it was HONEST

And way less corrupt.

[diggler]

Broke And Broker: US Casino Spending Tumbling Back To Great Recession Levels

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/09/2013

Need yet another confirmation showing the US consumer has entered a phase of terminal retrenchment (in addition to all the other ones of course)? Above is a chart of Casino gaming spending in the past 15 years. What the chart shows is quite clear: at a drop of 4.3% Y/Y, far below the cyclical rises in 2011 and 2012, discretionary spending allocated for proceeds one can "afford to lose" is back to Great Recession levels, and sliding lower.

As Bloomberg Brief summarizes, Gary Loveman, CEO for Caesars Entertainment, said the company felt the impact of curtailed consumer discretionary spending in their most recent quarterly results. Loveman noted that his company’s strategy was implemented “against the backdrop of ongoing uncertainty in the macroeconomic picture in this country and consumer weakness in the U.S. economy that negatively affected discretionary consumer spending and ultimately our gaming results."

On the other hand, with most of the gambling these days taking place in your retail brokerage screen with bets on when the Fed's record high house of superglued cards finally comes tumbling down, perhaps consumers have merely changed their definition of gambling. It was once known as "investing."

[Tim]

"As Bloomberg Brief summarizes, Gary Loveman, CEO for Caesars Entertainment, said the company felt the impact of curtailed consumer discretionary spending in their most recent quarterly results. Loveman noted that his company’s strategy was implemented “against the backdrop of ongoing uncertainty in the macroeconomic picture in this country and consumer weakness in the U.S. economy that negatively affected discretionary consumer spending and ultimately our gaming results."


What a load of crap. How about Americans are tired of throwing their money down the toilet at establishments who have refined the art of theft?