Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Casino Nights

    I had written a post two years ago about my connection to Casinos. So when I mentioned casinos in my last post some of you started to wonder if I was a gambling, partying fool of some kind. I don't gamble. I take an occasional drink. I'm not a night owl or a partier. 

    I work a couple of Casinos every two or three years for an organization that has charitable status. In Alberta , charities can get an opportunity to raise funds from Casino profits that go to the government.

   So  the charity gets a couple of nights at the Casino and have to work for the funds they will be given. As I said before, it's kind of a make work project for the charities. I'm sure they'd be happier with full time staff doing the job we do.

    We work with the table operations...blackjack, roulette. We are in a separate room from the Casino. We have a banker, cashier, general manager and a chip runner. We sign for a certain amount of money and chips. The money is counted and the chips are counted. When a table needs chips they put in an order to our banker. The chips are sold to the players at the table. When someone has chips to cash in they come to us and we redeem their chips. We start out with roughly 150 000 in chips and cash. At the end of the night counters count all the chips and cash from the tables. The chips come back and are used the next day again. I'm not sure of the procedure with the money from the tables.

    The slots are all electronic so humans don't have to  count and distribute money. 90% of a charities money comes from the slots and 10% from the tables.

    So what was I doing until 2:30 AM? Well counting money and chips. It's not fast paced and is a lot of fun. They have a system for operating this procedure.

    I think I'd have a tough time to find anything more boring than slot machines. Gambling holds no interest for me. 

    One guy cashed in chips for $1600.00. He told us he spent $3000.00 to get the $1600.00. I would rather spend the $3000.00 for travel.

   I don't find the late hours a problem and I get to work with fun people from my group. 

   So now you know that I haven't fallen off the deep end and become a complete fool.

46 comments:

  1. That's cleared up that matter.

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  2. Somehow I did not picture my Bird watching, cyclist,rink skating guy to be out carousing the bling of the casino banks without Micro's excellent management. ha,ha I did think you might be doing this part time for??? - Charity - that's very nice of you Sir Red and the others that worked with you. Charity always benefits from the good guys n gals.

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  3. I must admit I noticed your casual notes about the casino too but didn't mentione it. Everyone has his own life to live so if you were a gambler, so be it. But I was a little surprised as well as the other people apparently. Thanks for the explanation.

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    1. Yes, I'm not the casino gambling type. It's in many ways a very sad sight when people are blinded by the false promise of lots of money.

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  4. I don't know how people spend hours at boring slot machines. They are mind numbing. And like you, I would have rather spent that $3,000 on travel.

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    1. People seem to be completely gripped by a machine.

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  5. That sounds like a good way to raise money for charities. We have a lottery here in our state and it provides academic scholarships for students. My granddaughter is about to receive one- so I don't look at gambling with an evil eye..they do some good and I know many high school seniors are glad to get those scholarships for college.

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    1. For two nights work we clear $25000.00

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  6. Glad you are safe. One has to burn that candle sometimes, it keeps us you young.

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    1. We must always have some kind of challenge.

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  7. Once long ago I worked in a casino in Lake Tahoe. I had a big chest filled with change and I kept my apron filled and walked around making sure people didn't have to leave their slot machine to get change. It was an eye opener for me, too. I have no interest in gambling, but I saw many an old lady spending every cent of her social security at the slots. Very sad. Glad to know you are also uninterested in gambling, Red. :-)

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    1. The casino is a place where you learn how the other half lives.

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  8. HaHa! Thank you for clarifying that for us! (I did wonder about all that ...smiles).

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    1. Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you.

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  9. I have not interest in gambling for money although I have been known to buy the rare lottery ticket. I think people who say they win most of the time are either lying to themselves as well as us or have very bad memories. When I see a casino that is not fancy I might assume they pay out fairly.

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    1. Casino payouts are established from the beginning. 10% is paid out.

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  10. Replies
    1. 7:30 t0 2:30 with three other people is fun. There's lots of conversation. One night we spent about 2 hours on settling estates as one woman was in the process of looking after the estate of her mother.

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  11. I don't think I could stay up that late, though!

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    1. A young person like you would have no problem staying up til 2:30 AM

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  12. Good. Having once been married to a gambler I have no sympathy for them.
    The only gambling I do is when I buy raffle tickets for a charity.
    Oh yes, I also have Premium Bonds (a kind of State Savings Scheme, where you get no interest but can win a few pounds now and then.)

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    1. A partner who is gambler makes for a very stressful relationship.

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  13. Spending twice as much as one takes away. Oh, sure, that makes sense.

    While I'll pick up a lottery ticket, I have zero interest in stepping into a casino.

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  14. I guess I won't be hounding you for gambling tips for my next trip to Vegas.

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    1. You can hound me but it won't do you any good.

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  15. I enjoy a trip to the casino now and then. I like to play Keno. A long time ago I was a Blackjack dealer. The money for chips goes into a locked box at the table. Later those boxes are taken away by guards someplace and counted. BTW I used to deal for a Charity too...Prairie Public Television. That was a long time ago when gambling for charities was legal in North Dakota :)

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    1. The same thing happens here when the chips and later cash are brought to the count room. A count is made at each table and then then whole thing is counted.

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  16. thanks for that! i wondered what you were doing out late at the casinos but didn't want to pry. i don't have a problem with folks that gamble (as long as they're not losing their house or selling their wife's car because of it...) i'm just not very lucky at it. nice that the charities can make money!

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    1. Many people have a very strict routine for gambling and it's purely for entertainment.

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  17. I usually double my small limit My wife loses hers. We break even. Decide it was all very boring. Then go to the buffet for a nice meal cheap Once a decade...:)

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    1. You are the last of the big time spenders!

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  18. It sounds like a great way to raise money for charity. I'm with you, I'd rather work it than play it. I don't have anything against gambling, but was never drawn in.

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    1. We picked up $25000.00 for two night's work.

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  19. I wondered and wanted to ask but just couldn't. :) What a wonderful way for the casinos to help. I'm with you - if you have to spend more than you gain its not worth it to me. I always think if I were going to gamble I'd take a set amount and the moment I won more I'd stop. I know that probably isn't realistic but I'd try.

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    1. I found out how carefully people read my posts.

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  20. Red, I could never picture you being out late drinking and gambling your money away! Oh no. The only gambling I've ever done is buying a two dollar lottery ticket. : )

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    1. Yes, I've bought lottery tickets when the staff set up a pool.It was fun but not at all profitable.

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  21. I used to work at Bingos for Amnesty International. The worst part was that in those days, every player smoked! You could hardly see across the room for the smoke. It must be better nowadays.

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    1. Oh how I remember bingos. As a teacher , we had to do two bingos a year.

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  22. It seems that one way and another the whole of the Good Works of the world now seem to relay on gambling in one form or another.

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    1. Things have changed. The casino is a fast and dirty way to get funds.

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  23. Hi Red, Not only did I enjoy your post here, but also all the comments. Kind of neat to see what folks think about gambling ... and especially YOU gambling. Ha ha. My favorite thing about the big casinos around here is the buffet. They have some real good food there. Of course, they have it all figured out ... they will do just about anything to attract folks to the casino.

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  24. I'm also not a gambler. I can't stand the idea of just feeding a machine. We were in Vegas for the first time in 40 years a couple of years ago.

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