I ended up doing my media ethnography on casino gambling. I despise gambling and rarely bet anything more than $20 (over the course of the entire night!). I once lost about $100, I once won $107, and I've been to Las Vegas once, very reluctantly. These events are the entire extent of my gambling career. Why then, would I ever do my media ethnography on gambling? Well, I ended up at Grand Casino in Hinkley, MN, because of drummer Steve Moore, who was recently made hugely popular by You-Tube for his fantastical drumming style.
So, I found myself at a casino, which I think are incredibly interesting places. First of all, the biggest thing I always notice at casinos is the large proportion of people alone. Gambling is not a social event for most serious gamblers. Is it that when people begin gambling, they do so socially, but as they become addicted, it no longer a social event, as with alcohol addiction and many other addictions? Another thing I noticed is that most are in their fifties or older.
I put in $27 into a penny slot machine and bet a single penny on every line (60 cents) until I was down to about $5. There was one woman who came and sat beside me but didn't say anything - just smoked. Then, in one miraculous push of a button, I gained about $15 back! My boyfriend wanted to go to watch the band for a bit, so I hit the "redemption" button. I admit, it felt good when I saw the screen increase my money ever so slowly back up to about $20. I actually wanted to keep going and probably would have. I was glad that somebody was there to stop me. Maybe that's why serious gamblers prefer to gamble alone, there is no one to sway you off those machines.
There is smoking allowed in the casino. I have not been used to this in years, and I didn't miss it. I guess the casino is a Native Americian Reservation and is exempt from the smoking ban. Although there were effective smoke-eating machines, there was still pungent smoke filling the air.
Camera are not allowed in casinos so I couldn't take pictures. I also felt like talking is "off limits" on the gambling floor. So, I did some interacting with gamblers in the buffet (we HAD to eat at the buffet at a casino!) and in the cash redemption line. As I waiting in line with my boyfriend to redeem my $18.76, there was a woman in line that I started talking to. I showed her my large redemption ticket and told her I was down $7. She replied, "Well, at least you know when to stop. I wish I could do that."
At the buffet, many people were eating alone, but not nearly as many as on the gambling floor. Maybe people do carpool here together but respect that gambling is a solitude event. They might meet up to eat as well. This hypothesis was reinforced when I talked to my married neighbors about gambling. They said that they often times go to a casino together but separate upon arrival because they both like to gamble, but on different medias.
Oh, Grand Casino, haha. I just went there a few weeks ago with my girlfriend, brother, sister-in-law and friend. I totally agree on the awkward social atmosphere of the casino. Like you, I went with other people as a social activity, not as a solely gambling event. I found it slightly awkward to have my group stand behind me at the blackjack table or penny slots, because the majority of gamblers were the older, smoking crowd that you referenced. It is an extremely and easily addicting activity, like you said. I lost my twenty dollars on the penny slots. Then my friend gave me a 10 dollar chip to gamble with at the blackjack table with him. I actually ended up winning 50 dollars that I had to give back to him because it was his money he started with, haha. He said he'll buy me a lunch sometime to make up for it. That was a random side-story, but as I was playing blackjack, I definitely felt a sense of judgment by other players and the dealer because I was not a regular-going gambler, but it was so easy to win (and lose) money that I had to keep playing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I went to Vegas last week and I actually love to gamble, although I don't do it often. For me, gambling is definitely a social thing. I only play blackjack and craps, but I'd never play alone, and I'd never go to Vegas alone in general. I think the social aspect is a big part of the fun--teaching newbies how to play, comparing how much each person wins/loses, watching everyone's excitement. The way I gamble (and any people I'd go with), I plan ahead for what I can afford to lose, so losing isn't a huge disappointment. But of course there are plenty of people who don't play it safe. I rarely go to casinos in MN because it's just kinda depressing. Vegas is way more fun :)
ReplyDelete