Reopening

3 August 2021

By Frank Scoblete

Casinos are open once again – most of them anyway. And many players have returned. In fact, even the first day of reopening in some states had players lined up to get in. Their enthusiasm was as contagious as a virus.

The casino aficionados use casino playing as their primary source of entertainment. This is their thing and they no doubt love it. I’m guessing many of them enjoy playing casino games more than they even enjoy going to movies or visiting relatives.

So I spoke to a few to get their reaction to the reopening of their favorite activity and they shared with me their opinions.

Margaret: I played slots online when the virus made us stay home but it was not as satisfying as being in the casino. I missed the other players and the noise and the people cheering and screaming when they won. I worked from home and some nights I’d fire up my computer to reward myself by playing but it didn’t fill the bill. I found I played fewer and fewer nights and finally I actually didn’t play at all. So I am ready to tackle the casinos once again. I love having my own machine and challenging chance.

James: I like blackjack and craps but I am not really thrilled with the social distancing and the masks. The hand sanitizers are okay but the casino just doesn’t yet have the feel that I am used to. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather play in the casino even the way they are now than not be able to. I love my two games and I get to the casino early to get a spot at the tables. Something is far better than nothing.

Teri: My husband and I were two of the first ones in the casino when it opened. It was fun to say hello to the dealers, many of whom we knew from previous visits, and the precautions are certainly warranted. I’ve been wearing my facemask whenever I go out. This has been a weird time period in both of our lives. Even though I saw movies about lethal viruses attacking the human race, I just thought of those as science fiction movies. Now I am in the middle of one. Yes, it has all been very weird.

Matt: There’s a song in My Fair Lady where the character sings about getting to the church on time. Well, just substitute “casino” for church and that’s my song. I’ve been waiting months to get back into the action. I never realized how much I would miss playing games. The whole casino thing has become a big part of my life. I read the books and articles but getting into the action is the thing that pumps me up. I’d rather go to the casino than do anything else as a fun pastime.

Janice: I have a social group of women with a couple of men thrown in as well. I guess you have to take your husband with you if he wants to go, right? Most of us are slot players and we find that the casino is still very close to what it was when everything shut down. At least it is for us. I think the table-game players face games that are somewhat different because there are social distancing rules and such. My husband loves craps but he is not in love with the new way they are playing the game. Still, it is better to be able to go the casino than to not go. That’s how we all feel.

Nick: I prefer the old casino ways and not the new ones. Maybe I just have to get used to living in this “new world.” I remember when some casinos tried to outlaw smoking and some of them went under. Gamblers like to smoke and smoke is one of the great smells of the casino. I had to give up smoking but I still like the atmosphere of the casino air. Call me crazy; my wife does. The old ways are usually better than the new ways. That’s my opinion and I am sticking with it. [Comment from Nick’s wife: “He is crazy!”]

Paulie: Roll them bones baby. Daddy needs a new pair of shoes or is that baby needs a new pair of shoes because I forget whose who and what’s what. I have been playing craps since Vietnam and I love the game. Even though we are social distancing in the casinos for the present time, I don’t care. Just standing at a craps table makes the world seem like a better place. My blood boils and my heart pumps when I challenge the casinos at the game of craps. It is just so much fun and it is great to be back.

Megan: I just got engaged. My fiancé and I – he’s my fiancé now! – just got back from the casino where we spent some time enjoying the games and the atmosphere. I missed the slot machines and he missed blackjack. It is different at the moment but the games are now open for business. The coronavirus has thrown everyone for a loop but I am hoping things get back to normal or as normal as it can be under the circumstances. The biggest gamble right now? Will we get a vaccine?

Frank Scoblete’s web site is www.frankscoblete.com. His books are available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books and at bookstores.