Slot Machine Drunks

Governor Ed Rendell is so convinced that allowing the casinos to serve free, unlimited drinks at the slot machines that he recently told a story to solidify his position on the topic. He told reporters that he knows free booze at the slot machines will not lead to “falling down, sloppy drunks” losing all of their money at said slot machines because of the regulations that will be in place.

He told them the story of being on vacation in Puerto Rico recently to get a break from the election hassles. He told them he went into a slot machine casino while he was down there just to do a little gambling. “I was playing blackjack and I actually saw a pit boss come over and tell one of the waitresses not to serve any more drinks to someone at our table who was clearly intoxicated. He said, ‘He’s cut off.’ He just came in and said it in a very strong and determined manner,” the governor recalled.

“I don’t know what limitations or regulations that those casinos have,” Rendell added, “but we will have significant regulations in Pennsylvania.”

Even though he was trying to prove the point that PA knows how to handle the drinking at the slot machines, his point got lost in the story as he described the guy as already being drunk before he was cut off. Opponents took that story and used it to show that no matter where slot machines and gambling are, if you have free booze you will have drunks.

They say that PA’s limitations had better be stronger than Puerto Rico’s – because they don’t want drunks leaving the slot machines and driving home.

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