It's a Crapshoot

            This is an old story that I find fascinating every time new statistics are released.  Although the economy is down in the toilet, gambling receipts at casinos, racetracks, lotteries and probably illegal sports books are up.

           As reported in the pages of our very own Delaware County Daily Times was a story that told the tale, “Big month for pa. table games.  Table games at Pennsylvania’s 10 operating casinos brought in $54.6 million in revenues in March, the highest total by far since they were introduced last July.  The previous high month was December 2010 when gross revenue totaled $44 million.”

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board doesn’t attribute “hard times” to the increase in gambling. PGCB Executive Director Kevin O’Toole believes a prime reason for more gambling is due to casinos enhancing and refining the mix of games that patrons seek. “Certainly as we move into the warmer months where patron visits increase, it would be likely that we will see a continued upward trend of these revenue numbers," O’Toole said.  BAH HUMBUG!

I am reminded of a wonderful, succinct exchange some years ago between two African-American friends who pass on the street. To me the comments embody a wonderful condensation of our language. “Who are you working for these days?” asked the first friend.  “Williams,” replied the second. Now short for the name “William” is “Bill.”  So the man concisely summed up his situation. He was working to merely pay the bills. All anyone is looking for these days to pay the bills is a little extra scratch.  The PA Lottery groundhog telling us to “keep on scratching” is poor advice when what many of us are doing is clawing to survive.