Years ago, when I lived on the West Coast, I went to Virginia City, Nevada a couple of times. I don't know what it's like now, but it was an Old West tourist place, intended for families. They had a gambling casino there that was clearly intended for entertainment, as the slot machines were penny and nickel slots; a jackpot was $25. It was perfect for the entertainment involved in gambling, without risking your life's savings.
We went to visit friends in San Diego back in the late 80s and when we were leaving they suggested that we take in Vegas on our way home. We were driving our car so it seemed like an ok idea. When we go to Vegas we stopped at the local Chamber of Commerce to see if there were any bargains to get. They recommended that we go to a timeshare that would give you a free nights lodging if you agreed to listen to a presentation in the morning. Note all we had to agree to was listen. So we took them up on it, registered, then went to a couple of casinos. We initially were winning but changed casinos in hopes of getting bigger payoff. That didn't work ou and we each had a pleasant $20 worth of food and gambling. The best part was yet to come. In the morning after we'd had breakfast we went to the pre-arranged presentation. When we went in a sales associate was assigned to us and he escorted us to a table. As soon as we sat down I informed him that we had absolutely no intention of buying a timeshare. Thereupon he called his leader to our table. The exalted leader essentially said "get the hell out of here".
@Ken Anderson Do you recall the saloon with the bar surface paved over with silver dollars, encapsulated with a layer of clear plastic? Frank
Yes, I have spent a few leisure evenings on a few trips to Las Vegas. Never been anywhere else in Nevada except Reno. There is a casino here in Norman I have visited twice. I went out with my son and grandson. Son and I took in the scene, grandson won four hundred dollars. I had too leave soon after going in the casino. I was on my portable oxygen but cigarette smoke was so heavy I could not breath. But if yoou have a few bucks for enterttainment, they can be fun'.
It's been years but I preferred Reno to Vegas because it wasn't quite as busy. The first time I went to Las Vegas, I came in at night and I won more than four hundred dollars on the slots. I lost it all before breakfast the next day and had to call a friend to wire me money to get home. After that, I would decide how much I could afford to lose and play that only. If I won, I could keep playing, but once I had lost what I had decided I could afford to lose, I was done. That worked for me. I can see how people could get addicted to it, though. One more play, and I could win it all back. Changing planes in Vegas I put five quarters in a slot machine and won, I don't remember how much, but it made my day. That was it.