Minnie the Moocher

What a sad place to work, 16 months since I dealt that first card, maybe someone like me should never have applied for employment in this place, the winners, the few, they will be back, I have seen this picture played before.

"Mr. Wilson, good evening and good luck to you" Having dealt with this disease myself but now since self restrained I can see the beast for what it is, a destroyer of family,a halting of life,a taker of dreams. "hit or stay" ..........."Your a little unlucky tonight Mr. Wilson, another buy in?"

I don`t know Mr. Wilson personally but from the look of his worn shoes and rough hands he is a working man, an average man, a man who should be home with his wife and children rather than giving his hard earned money to Paragon, every 2 weeks around 6 pm in walks Mr. Wilson, he has succumbed to the draw of something for nothing, perhaps that isn`t phrased right, Mr. Wilson obviously gives his sweat and training for his bi-weekly pay cheque, it takes no skill to give it away, 6 months he has been coming here, every night he played and lost for the first month, oh sure he had a couple of winning nights,everyone does,that`s the hook, I don`t know how much he lost in that first month, 20,000...30,000 thousand...those days are gone now he`s coming on paydays only, I wish I could chase him away,warn him but my casino training and rules of conduct prevent such advise, 4 runs through the cards and Mr. Wilson is down 700.00$ quickly, please leave I think to myself, what food isn`t being bought,what mortgage payments are being missed, what divorce lawyer is his wife contacting, this scenario,the grip of the game, blackjack, poker, my poison was the wheel, roulette, perhaps a more appropriate name would be Russian roulette, the pawn shop, relatives, advances from work,theft, and finally a beaten man, those sources of money soon dry up, if only, one more night, one big hit, let me get even and I will never gamble again, how can I quit now, yes those arguments played out a thousand times for me, rock bottom, why is it people can`t look up until they can`t look further down.

If only I could give Mr. Wilson my knowledge, or slap him silly, "Hit or stay Mr. Wilson".....Oh damn I blackjacked again, there goes Mr. Wilson, a heavy sweat and an empty wallet, as a dealer in this house of pain I see them all, even the whales get harpooned in time, corporate executives that gamble millions in a night, I don`t feel sorry for their loses but it puzzles me, why such wealthy elite would feel the need to wager on highly leveraged games, is it genetic, is there absence of happiness,is it a flaw by the maker of man, as I gaze around the room, slots,tables, distractions yet time stands still, I hate this job, smiling and chatting as I sweep their chips to the house, there goes Minnie the moocher, Minnie doesn`t play he hustles, he chats up the winners offering advice as to which dealer is hot, red or black,odd or even, a consoling voice that`s what Minnie is, and how he persuades winners and losers to toss him chips for his non advice is amazing, yea Minnie is a winner, 2 to 3 hundred dollars a day for spin, Minnie should have been a politician, the master of smoke and mirrors but he is but one member of this life destroying circus.

Because there are far more nefarious characters to watch for, the Chin brothers, well dressed and smooth but their veil doesn`t hide the pure ruthlessness they possess, sharks, lenders, 300 % interest per week, who would dare agree to the Chin brother`s terms, Damn, it looks like Mr. Wilson is availing himself of the Chin`s service, if only I could scream NO,leave him alone, but I have heard of the handi-work of the Chin brothers, broken arms or worse, pink slips and deeds, 6 homes this year alone that I know of. "Mr Wilson your back, time to change your luck,would you like some red chips or all black"

I sure hopes he wins, another 1000$ in chips courtesy of the chin brothers but I know that`s $2000 dollars back to the Chins tonight or $3000 dollars within a week, why do I care, I lost my life savings more than once to the wheel, I can`t help but think if these casino`s weren`t here Mr. Wilson would have new shoes, money in the bank and good tread on his mini van, do not Governments think of the harm, the money that gets siphoned from families, can`t they see lives being put on hold, the money from thousands of Mr. Wilsons not being spent on children`s braces,on education,on trips, on barbecues, on flowers for the wife, Paragon raking in millions per month, soccer and football fans having to walk through the gauntlet of spinning wheels,flashing slots and scantily dressed hostesses to get to their seats, what demonic mind would conspire to force a sporting audience to navigate through the land mines of vice.

All I am is lowly blackjack dealer with Eyes Wide Open, who was that politician who warned of the evils of gambling, was it Martin Luther King, no that`s not right, was it John F Kennedy, no again I`m wrong, what was it that was said...."Governments that make money from gaming are losers, for gambling revenue comes from losers" (Gordon Campbell) "there will be blood of woman and children on the hands of MLAs who vote for expanded gambling" (Kevin Krueger).....My those are powerful words, why didn`t Government heed those warnings,what Government would go against that advice, if it wasn`t so sad I would laugh, those same people who said those words have authorized a $10,000 weekly limit online gaming and the largest expansion of gambling in Canada, what happened, when did such good speakers become corrupted, unless, unless those words were nothing but bluster, unless those men were adulterous, drunken liars who could care less. "Hit or stay Mr. Wilson".......The sweat is getting very heavy on Mr. Wilson, 2 brown chips left, nope now gone, "Goodnight Mr. Wilson" there he goes with the Chin brothers in tow.

And still Minnie the moocher works the room, what a smooth talking charmer, there he goes heading to pensioner row, the slots, Minnie will smoo some coins from those old darlings, why do those gals come here, every month on pension day in comes our senior contingent, are they lonely, no husband, children far away, waiting to die,spending their pension cheques on the bandits, 2 to 3 days a month and then they`re gone til next month, what would they do if they won big, probably the same as most, give it back, again I can`t help but think of those words of the once opposition leader Gordon Campbell said, 'Gaming revenue comes from losers"

But this is a nice casino, plush chairs, brass and gleen, too nice perhaps, the grip of gaming doesn`t see carpet or brass, they see triple 777s or aces and jacks, these victims would be here if it was a cement floor and splintered stools, nice or nasty the business is to extract dollars,lots of dollars, I wonder what usury deal the Chin brothers will exact upon Mr. Wilson, 1:00 am and Minnie is making the rounds again, "hey Minnie how goes it"....A smile and a nod from Minnie, the cycle of sadness permeates this place, Super Natural British Columbia, a downtown casino, somehow this joint seems out of place, a giant casino with flashing lights pulling lives apart, Canuck fans,Lions fans, now gamers, adjacent bars and eateries empty yet standing room only in this life destroying casino, 5 days a week I watch as Joe average dies and fades, lonely seniors gambling their medicine money away, they come they go, Mr. Wilson didn`t make it home last night, he jumped off the Lions gate bridge.There are but few winners in this place,Minnie the moocher,the Chin brothers and the owners of Paragon gaming.

What is the true cost of these casinos, online limits of 10,000$, Keno every 4 minutes, 6/49..BC49..Super max...Pacific hold-em.....pokersites....!

Those were wise words spoken by Gordon Campbell and Kevin Krueger way back when, too bad they were but words, spin, I will repeat those words and hope a future Government heeds them.

"There will be the blood of woman and children on the hands of MLAs who vote for expanded gambling"

"Good evening Mr. Smith, would you like reds chips or all black!"

The Straight Goods

Cheers-Eyes Wide Open