Make no mistake--casinos are not set up for you to win.
In fact, they often rely on their customers having no self-control in order in order to make the most money possible.
So sometimes, when people get addicted to gambling and spend their entire life in the casino, they make some poor choices. And people tend to witness their poor choices.
Reddit user SKBMeh asked:
People of Reddit who work in a casino, what's some of the saddest moments you witnessed?
Here were some of the answers.
Trigger warning: Suicide.
Humanity Go Bye Bye
Former poker dealer at a casino.
An older gentleman started to have a heart attack at the table. I called the floor person for assistance with the call button. Paramedics are rushed in etc. all within minutes. I'm this instance I am instructed to keep the game rolling by the floor person as he whispered in my ear.
Two hands are dealt and played and a player at the table requested the heart attack guy get moved somewhere else as it is disrupting the game. Another player asked to have his chips picked up and call for the "open seat" because "we have a wait list".
I was disgusted.
Capitalism
There were these two middle aged Greek or Cypriot ladies who were ALWAYS on the slot machines, every day when I started my shift they were they and they were there when I finished 10 hours later. And still there in the same clothes the next day oftentimes. They were SUPER nice and always polite to the staff. One day they hit the jackpot and win big, I think it was either £15k or £45k, it was a good few years ago now.
Everyone was overjoyed for them - except the managers obviously. Well the managers then gave them free meals at the restaurant and an open bar tab until every single penny of that money was clawed back into the casino.
Life Ruined
We used to have a woman who would be on the blackjack tables for five days/nights straight. Her husband would call and tell her that her kids wanted her home. Her boss actually came to the casino to try and get her to leave, she was missing work. I don't know what happened to her but she's probably ruined her life.
We also had a few regulars commit suicide and a few go to jail.
Lack Of Basic Self Care
Former valet at a casino. The amount of daily regulars who drove barely functioning vehicles full of trash, roaches, and rats who would actually valet their car and go gamble away any money they had to their name was honestly depressing.
The saddest I remember was a 90+ year old lady who drove a 91 corolla and when we got in her car we realized she had no power steering fluid at all and her steering wheel would barely turn. I have no earthly idea how her frail arms could turn it. We went and bought her some before she left that evening.
Gone Too Far
It's been about 15 years, but I worked in one for about 4 years.The one that stands out was a woman who came from the country to the "big" city to get X-Mas gifts for the whole family (including young kids who still believed in Santa and all of that), but spent all of the Christmas money at the casino before going to the mall.
Also, a few years later I went back to visit, and when talking to one of the pit bosses about who was still there and what not, she told me one of my old regulars, who was actually nice and likable (a rare trait in that business), had recently committed suicide as a result of gambling too much.
New Career
In general, people who come for the first time and are super nice and friendly, they don't care about winning or losing much just came to have fun. They come back a few more times, then after a few years they're regulars that don't smile anymore, they don't laugh, they don't count their wins, just their losses, and sweat every comp point they earn and act like gambling is their job now and the focus of their life. I've seen more than one person have this happen to them. The other saddest thing is when a regular stops coming in and their spouse comes out and tells us they passed, we're almost family with some of our regulars and it hurts to get that news.
Priorities Out The Window
Grandmother, mother, and daughter heading to the casino by car from 2 hours away. Mother had a postcard to get a free cast iron pan for showing up. Daughter is more than 8 months pregnant. One hour away from the casino daughter starts to have labor pains. Mother won't stop and take her to the hospital, she's gotta have that ($10) pan. They arrive at the casino an hour before the promotion was going to start. Mother raises all hell trying to get her pan but the workers for the promo haven't arrived yet. Daughter ends up having to be transported by ambulance to the hospital. All over a $10 pan.
Hard Loss
Worked in a casino for about 7 years and the one that has always stuck with me was when a kid (18/19) came with his friends and lost $100 playing blackjack. Then he was sitting there, looking dejected and watching his friends win. He left and came back with another $100. I could tell from the way he was acting he probably didn't have the original $100 to lose so he definitely couldn't afford to lose another $100, so I asked if he was sure he wanted to play. He nodded his head and solemnly said yes. Unfortunately he lost that money too.
When Death Takes A Holiday
I did casino security for 3 years before I became a police officer. Had a Code M (medical) early early one morning, around 4 or 5am. Old guy in his 80's passed out and fell out of his chair, wife sitting next to him. I was the first to get to him, did a quick assessment and found he didn't have a pulse, immediately started CPR. The old lady looked over and said "oh he does this all the time, don't worry about him." Between chest compressions, I told her he wasn't breathing and she just kept playing her slot machine. She didn't miss a spin even when the paramedics took him away. I saw her again the next night and asked how he was doing. With the straightest face ever, she said, "oh he never woke up. I'm sure he's in a freezer by now"... and went right back to the same machine she was playing the night before.
Please Care About Your Family
GiphyI worked at a casino as a dealer through college. A lot of incidents were pretty sad, especially with regulars that you liked. One regular would tell me about his middle school age kids, and then I would realize the next week or so later that he was missing their school plays/recitals etc because he was at the tables. I remember working an overnight one Christmas Eve and begging him to go home when 6/7am rolled around because his kids would be up and opening presents.
Other times just people screaming at you for "stealing" their mortgage payments from them that month. Then seeing them back again the next day.
The house always wins. So make sure you're not caught off guard when the chips are down.
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"What’s your wildest story that sounds too far-fetched to be true?"
Redditors' interactions with animals were either empowering or terrifying.
A Chihuahua's Hero
"Mine is when I was in high school I lived out in the countryside of Central Texas. I was just kind of bumbling around on the property and my mom's little chihuahua was tagging along. I heard a bird, saw a fast moving shadow, and threw my arm out, slapping a hawk out of the sky as it tried to get my mom's chihuahua."
"Cut my arm pretty good, but saved that little rat of a dog. The chihuahua went on to pass away at a smooth 19 years old."
– itsthattedguy
Brush With An Owl
"I worked nights in college. I'd always take my two dogs out to pee when I got home and one late night an owl tried to snatch my Chihuahua but thankfully missed. My golden retriever ran back inside like the owl was going to somehow take his 60lb a** but my chi stood his ground like he could take it on. I got him inside and was much more careful after that. He, too, passed at 19. I miss him."
– jacyerickson
"I was almost drowned by a pod of dolphins while surfing at Salt Creek, Orange County, CA. I got up on a wave and one of them knocked me over, 2 wave pin down on a 5-7 ft day."
– jppope
These could be plot points in a movie.
Reunited Leash
"I was surfing in Santa Barbara County when I was a kid, maybe 14 or 15. When I would come in from a surf, I had the habit of undoing my leash from my leg while I was walking in the shallow water. Unbeknownst to me, the other side of the leash that connects to the board had come off. I lost my leash. I searched around the tidal zone but no luck. I was bummed but I just moved on."
"Three weeks later, I was surfing in Ventura county, and as I was walking in from the surf, a piece of kelp wrapped around my leg. I reached down to pull it off. It wasn’t kelp, it was my leash I’d lost a dozen miles north a few weeks back. It had algae and stuff growing on it, but no mistaking it was absolutely my leash."
– shah357
The Origin Of Love
"When my dad and step-mom met, my dad swore he’d met her before, but couldn’t remember when or where. Eventually, he decided he’d seen her in Cody, Wyoming, the town where he grew up. She swore she’d never even been to Wyoming (she’s from Oregon and that’s where they met)."
"Several years later, after they’d been married a while, step-mom mentions to her mom that my dad swears he met her in Cody, but she’s never been there. Her mom says 'Yes, you have,' and pulls out a photograph from 1956 of her, age 9, riding on a mechanical horse (a kid one) and in the background, standing around in the crowd, is my dad and his two brothers, ages 8, 10, and 11."
"She submitted the story to a local magazine for a Valentine’s Day contest one year and won a trip to a resort."
"Some honorable mentions: By the time I was 20, I was 1 degree of separation away from 5 different people who’d been murdered by 3 different serial killers (gotta love the PNW), and I almost hit Bob Dylan with my car once."
– JessicaGriffin
Getting Lit
"First time I ever smoked pot a police helicopter hovered above me and my friend and hit us with the spotlight. They were looking for someone else apparently because they immediately moved on. Nonetheless…"
– igottathinkofaname
VIP Client
"I took my VW to the dealer to get some work done. The service rep at the counter was so hung over (possibly still intoxicated) that he couldn’t handle completing the paper work. He told the tech that I was a VIP, specifically 'Britni Spears’s brother' and that he owed me a favor, so the work was on the house and they just never did any paperwork, didn’t charge me a dime, did the work, handed me the keys, and away I drove."
– peteschirmer
These Redditors couldn't believe their luck.
Contest Winner
"I won a two week cruise vacation for two in a contest."
"I never entered the contest."
"I was convinced I was being scammed."
"Even from the beaches of the Caribbean, I still wasn't convinced."
– Tokiw4
The Generous Friend
"Was in Vegas for a work thing. I was not happy about being there because it was a tough time in my life, money was really tight and Vegas is the last place you want to be when money is tight."
"I was telling my buddy about it and he says, 'Im going to pay pal you $150. Go play the poker tournament at the Venetian at night. You can drink for free and hopefully you last long. If you win anything, pay me back, if not, no worries.'"
"So I did. Won the tournament! $3200."
"The second night, I went off to play some craps alone one night because I did not like the work people and did not want to hang with them."
"Started with $200. 45 minuted later I 7’d out and had $37,000. Cashed out and told no one!"
"On the drive back (I lived in Phoenix) I called my buddy and told him (only) about it. I sent him $2500."
– Raspberries-Are-Evil
Beginner's Luck
"The one time I went to Vegas at the proper age of 21, I won $2000 on my first spin on the 25c slot machine. I didn't gamble the rest of the time and enjoyed the fact that my trip paid for itself. Came home with all the money I left with and an extra $800. Didn't tell my bf I was with at the time either; he would have tried to spend my money."
– KnowItOrBlowIt
Given A Second Chance
"I went jogging one night and came across a lady laid out face first. No heart beat. Started doing cpr. Never saw another person was able to call 911 while doing cpr. Kept at it twenty Minutes till FD got there. She made a full recovery. They said cpr that long has a 95% fail rate."
– DullAd2253
A friend back in high school told me he was a vampire when he dropped me off from band practice.
This was at a time when Anne Rice was super popular and everyone was reading the Lestat books.
Being an impressionable 15-year-old at the time, I believed him, because he warned me that if I ever revealed his identity to anyone, "I will find you."
A couple of years ago, I reunited with a mutual friend and I joked about how I believed so-and-so was a creature of the night. We nervously laughed.
Whether my blood-thirsty friend was weighing on my conscience or not, I've been visited by him in COUNTLESS dreams ever since I told my friend about him.
Call it what you want–paranoia or self-fulfilling prophecy–but there are some things in this realm I will never be able to explain.
I'm just glad I'm still here to talk about it now that I let the proverbial cat out of the bag.
