🚀 go-pugleaf

In today's Gazette, I read another stupid aspect of our new casino. They
will not allow smoking or drinking in the casino. I think this ti, the
government has lost all sense of reality.

On smoking: I am not a smoker, nor do enjoy it when people smoke around
me. But I think smoking should be allowed in a casino. All they have to
do is declare some tables as being non-smoking, for people like me.
Atlantic City and Vegas have them. So why can't Montreal? Because our
government is being extremely short-sighted on this issue. They see a
casino as a giant video arcade for people to indulge themselves at the
government's profit. Well, that profit isn't going to arise if they
continue to alienate huge parts of the populati. 

On drinking: The big casino's give out free drinks while you play,
hoping that it will dull your sense of judgement...and it works. Trust
me, I know. The Sands Hotel in Atlantic City won $14M off one guy during
a 5 year period by giving him free drinks. I'm not saying that drinks
should be free in Montreal, but rather that they should be available to
those that want them. Again, the government has missed on the purpose of
a casino. If I'm betting lots of money and I need a crutch to help me
over my nervousness, I want that crutch available to me.

I think that with the no vice rules, the french only signs rule, its
relative non-proximity to downtown, its rediculously high wages its
going to pay its employees (a dealer in AC makes about $16K per annu,
and whatever stupidity that sure to follow, this casino will lose money.
They will have to either close the casino or sell it to private
enterprise (heaven forbid). At first, I thought that a casino in
Montreal would be a good idea. Now, I'm not so sure.

Anyway, everybody have a good week. I'm drivng to Atlantic City on
Monday to the land of english signs, free drinks, and smoking at a
blackjack table (if I so choosed).

Brian Spencer (bspencer@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca)