Casino Royale

Ed and I went to the PA Sands casino last night. It still seems really strange to have a casino a 5 minute car ride away. Our plan was to have dinner, and play a little on the poker slots afterwards.

We ended up at the Irish pub restaurant, which turned out to be somewhat disappointing. I ordered the corned beef and cabbage, and Ed ordered the fish and chips---two dishes that you would expect an Irish pub would be capable of preparing well, no? The corned beef was tough, and I tasted Ed’s fish, and the crust tasted soggy to me. I think that will be our first and last visit to this particular restaurant.

After dinner, we figured out how to claim our “free play” money on the machines. We both had $5.00 to redeem based on our last visit there--this was only our second time at the casino. Then, I also had a voucher that we had cashed out on our last visit for $23.00. My big “hit” was 5 of a kind on a “deuces wild” game that paid out $50.00. Of course, I didn’t walk away with my winnings…. The damages weren’t too bad, though, maybe $35.00 lost between the two of us.

It’s interesting, because the Sands has a very catchy television commercial showing all the lights and music and excitement of the casino, with young, attractive couples dancing around with drinks in their hands.



In reality, the vast majority of the casino visitors couldn’t be of a more opposite demographic. Most people are my age or older, some much older. They are not dancing at all; on the contrary, many are moving around in those electrical carts or wheelchairs. It’s not even uncommon to see people toting their portable oxygen tanks. When I see people like that, I hope they aren’t hardcore gamblers, but are just there for a little fun and the possibility of forgetting about their physical ailments for a little while.