Casino supporters, including many elected officials, argue that gambling is just another form of entertainment. But this story in The New York Times underscores how much more is at stake than a fun night on the town. In short, many gamble to pay bills and many slots players quickly become addicted.
When gamblers lose – which is inevitable over time - they often take their anger and frustration out on the slot machine. Since a slots barn opened at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens last October, the police have arrested 41 people accused of damaging slot machines. (There have also been 19 arrests of casino customers for larceny, mostly picking pockets, and 19 arrests for assault, according to the Queens district attorney’s office.)
Those accused of beating up a gambling machine are charged with criminal mischief in the third degree, which carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail, according to the Times. “I hit the machine because I lost five grand,” a 34-year-old man, identified in court records as Jashim Uuddin, said after he caused $2,000 in damage with a punch in January, according to the authorities. He was sentenced to 70 hours of community service.
Last week, Douglas Batiste, 59, was arrested for disturbing the peace at a casino in Louisiana. Upset by a losing streak, Batiste urinated on the offending slot machine, according to authorities.
Even when some gamblers win, they lose. In 2010, a court ruled a truck driver from Des Moines could not claim nearly $10,000 he won at an Iowa casino because at the time he was banned for punching a slot machine.
So much for the fun and games.