Among other places of employment, during my nearly 20 years in America, I worked in a casino for 5 years. That was a roller coaster ride, wow. What you witness there everyday changes you, dependent upon who you are as a person. I used to sell the tokens for slot machines, did minor repairs, and paid out the winnings. You can make excellent tips, if you do your job well. But there’s a creepy side to this, let me tell you. After a while of working there, the regulars get to know you. They start making requests, especially once you sold them a winning token. They want a kiss for good luck [and not on the cheek, either], they want you to sit on their lap, they bring you presents, make marriage proposals, ask you to go away on trips with them. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well it is, and I’m telling you from personal experience. There were some really awkward moments, because our security officers couldn’t always be present quickly enough to stop these crazy guys. Especially, while working second shift, the rich guys came to gamble. A couple of them seemed to think, that they owned “their lucky girl” for the night, and did what I mentioned above. Two of my regulars bought their tokens exclusively from me, only came to the casino on the days I was working. Every week, they wanted to know my days off. I did not like that, nor the fact, that security had to walk us to our cars when our shift [second] was completed. That was the creepy part.
Now on to the sad part of gambling, when it turns into an addiction. When the guests tell you, that they just gambled away the entire paycheck for the week or month, it does something to you if you have a heart beating within your chest. One lady said, that she’d better save her last 10 dollars, to be able to buy some cheeseburgers for her kids at dinner. And more than once, I started my shift, to find guests in front of those damn machines, all disheveled and tired because they haven’t been home to sleep or freshen up. At this point I needed a change. I could no longer be a part of this “hell hole” and do my part of “ruining lives”. Yes, it was a roller coaster ride, and not a pretty or glamorous one.