Recently was taken here by several friends for my birthday. As an incentive the casino gives people ten dollars who celebrate their birthday during that month. Gambling really isn't my thing but when I do go (only with friends), I set very strict spending limit. Either I always set very low limits, or I'm very unlucky, or my friends just lie about how much money they actually play with, but I often end up waiting an hour or more for them to finish playing. Because of these waits I usually bring something to entertain me book, magazine and always my own music to cover loud annoying sounding machines.
Living in the twenty-first century, as I tend to do anymore, chose an electronic book (iPad). After playing only a short with varying success (spending none of my personal allowance), I decide to hedge the amount of time I'd probably end up waiting on my friends who either more lucky, or can afford to cap their gambling allowance higher than my $100 limit. Plus I was in the mood for some hot tea and a bite to eat. Whilst enjoying my tea and mediocre food a person from security came up to me and said I'd have to leave or they'd have to take my iPad. When I asked as to why, he said because it _could_ connect to the internet and that interferes with the proper operation of their machines.
Taking a moment to ponder this casinos unreasonable xenophobic/technophobic attitude. The transparency of the obvious lie, and the ignorant irony of the statement such a statement when most cell phones do connect to the internet all the time, and the fact an iPad is nothing more than a large iPhone (whose only distinction is that its display is larger and you can't natively make phone calls), incorporating same OS, same software, and identical communication abilities. I happily bowed to the absurd and agreed to surrender my e-book.
After walking to the security station and was greeted, check that, accosted is a more fitting word, by security people who jumped me for having a tablet saying: "give us that, you know better." I explained that in fact I did not know better, I had only just moments ago been informed of this rather unique casino policy. And for "knowing" better there is no signage or posted policy, nor had the two security guards/greeters at the door mentioned it, nor either of the ladies at the desk I registered with for the birthday special thing, or any of the countless other employees I had crossed in my 25 minutes there. And my very reason for being at the security desk was to "hand it over" just as I had been asked to do but I needed a moment to lock and secure the device as to protect its sensitive data. Then sheer insolent ignorance very rudely reared it's had and said: "Hand it over now or leave. You don't need to lock it, they lock themselves." I replied, only if their set to do so, which mine is not. Seconds later it was secured (i hope) and in their hands.
At first when I was asked to relinquish it I was mildly annoyed, but the way I was treated while surrendering it, infuriated me. I was now ready to leave all together despite still not even touching any of the money I brought and allocated to play with that night. Plus who in their right mind enjoys sitting in a smoke filled den of the near dead and/or scary impoverished skanks gambling their pensions/entitlements/benefits away. I gathered my friends as fast as possible, but you know how hard it is to get some people off the video crack. But before leaving I returned the stupid card thing (I'm still not sure what those are for), asked all my personal information be removed from their system as I don't want their adverts in the mail. And at lastly returned the winnings I had accrued with the birthday incentive money the casino was so kind to give me. They said the winnings were mine to keep. I said: "I appreciate that, but feel it wrong to accept gifts from a group of people, represented by very few, who either lack social niceties or went out of their way to make me feel especially unwelcome at your workplace."
Soon we were on our way to one of the friendly paranoia free casinos down the road. Where, as anticipated, spent my entire allowance far in advance of my friends. At lest this casino was kind enough to let me read my book while I waited. read more