Ever since casino gambling and pari-mutuel betting came in on the coattails of the Hoosier Lottery, in 1988, I’ve said it was a mistake that the amendment to the Indiana Constitution that made it all possible wasn’t more narrowly drawn.
Here’s proof.
Instead of letting the casinos con them into expanding the gambling franchise in Indiana, our legislators ought to be tightening the screws on what’s already here. It’s damn scary to walk onto one of those boats, go up to the nickel slots, and find a bunch of dead-serious pensioners feeding their Social Security checks into the slots, a nickel or a quarter at a time. The one time I let Sally drag me into a casino, I didn’t see anyone having a damn bit of fun. I saw old people spending their food money hoping they’d hit the jackpot and never have to worry about money again.
Brrr. I’d put a gun to my own head and pull the trigger before I let myself get to that point.
A "surly curmudgeon[], suspicious and lacking in altruism." (Robert A. Heinlein)