Being played at The Horseshoe Casino

I am sure everyone knows about the new Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cleveland. It has been written about in The Plain Dealer many times since its opening. First as a new venue for local jobs and then as a resource for tourism...

But I have many unanswered questions that should be answered by a casino representative:

1-What happens with the millions of dollars that the casino makes? Where is all this money going? Does the City of Cleveland get a portion? If so, how is it used? 

2-Do the Horseshoe Casino owners know why they have had less revenue than expected these last months? 

I can answer that. I was a visitor to the casino last month, and my visit was not pleasant. I speak for others, also!

First: When I arrived, I wandered around in the blinking, beeping, gold lighted arcade through a maze of machines that felt like being inside some strange new world from "The Twilight Zone." Ready to suck us in. There was a fakeness and emptiness and strangeness, from all the gold lights. A bizarre feeling. When I ended up at the back of the building, and saw the old Higbee's steps--the only remembrance that was left--I thought "What have they done to this building?" What a shame! 

Then, when I tried to figure out how to use the slot machines, it was impossible. I had to call for help several times, and the employee acted like he did not want to be bothered.

"Have fun," he said. But I was not having fun. What was a "credit?"  What was a "reel?"  What was a "spin?" Why did the slot machines turn and spin and blink, and not let you figure out if you won anything? Why did the machine decide, while the player had no clue, if the machine was being fair? There were 40 to 100 ways to win, and no player had a player card to sit and analyze each row. We were not playing. We were being played.

I could not find a slot machine with three spinning reels, which is what I thought they were supposed to look like. (I had to ask, and was directed to a few slots, which were hard to find in the maze of slot machines that looked like flashing tombstones rising high to the ceiling.)

But with the 3 reel slots, the player had to bet 50 credits on each spin (Hey! I learned some of their * !@*! @! jargon!), and only got a chance to play twice for their dollar. And no slot machine had a handle. Aren't slot machines supposed to have a handle?

As you can see, this was my first time gambling, and I did not enjoy it. I thought, "Do people really like doing this?" And although I did not expect to win anything, I thought I would have a little fun. But I did not have any fun. The atmosphere was sterile, greedy and distant. And the players seemed unhappy and frustrated, as I was. 

(I played the 1 cent and 2 cent slot machines, and lost 3 dollars and fifty cents. I had planned to spend 5 dollars. But there was something not right about being in that place, and I left. I am no fool!)

I do enjoy playing the scratch-off lottery though, and have even won a few dollars on occasion. (I can even SEE if I am a winner, with the lottery tickets. Not like the mystery slot machines.)

As more people learn about the awful experience they get at the casino, I believe patronage will drop off. THIS IS GOOD!

Now, one more question...if people are out of work, and the economy is bad, and people cannot afford to pay their mortage and car insurance, etc,...where do they get the millions of dollars that they gave to the Horseshoe Casino these past few months? If everyone lost their mortgage payments, and went back to the casino to win it back, and lost more money, then the Horseshoe Casino is going to bankrupt the whole population!

Greed begets greed, and the Horseshoe Casino is ruining the lives of poor hardworking people in Cleveland!

Jeanne Coppola is a resident of the Collinwood neighborhood, and is interested in art and writing. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cleveland State University, where she was a writer for the multi-cultural student magazine, The Vindicator. She is pleased to be able to write for The Collinwood Observer, and offer her comments and opinions for this new and exciting community newspaper.


Jeanne Coppola

Jeanne Coppola is a resident of the Collinwood neighborhood, and is interested in art and writing. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cleveland State University, where she was a writer for the multi-cultural student magazine, The Vindicator.

Jeanne is pleased to be able to write for The Collinwood Observer, and offer her comments and opinions for this new and exciting community newspaper.

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Volume 5, Issue 2, Posted 10:39 AM, 03.19.2013