I hate Casinos. Seeing your brother going down a path of addiction sucks.

I absolutely despise Casinos. Taking people already down, chewing them up, and spitting them back out with a smile on their face and a free room and some free play. It’s a nasty business, and one designed to rob you of as much money as possible and build the addiction of not just the games, but the “community” of friendly faces leading you down the path to self destruction.

I’m watching my brother deal with alcoholism and an addiction to gambling, which seem to go hand in hand and make each other more destructive. I know that “he should just be more mentally strong” and I wish he was, but until you have a family member go through this, you don’t know how you would actually feel.

It’s a giant, disgusting trap. Gambling should be legal I guess, but it should have to be done down at some empty ballroom and without all the traps and perks that keep poor people throwing money into it. This is my own emotional response to it. When you’re pulling your drunk brother out of there @ 3 AM when he’s dropping spin after spin on “Panda King” it changes you.

ETA: It’s almost the same idea with some bars that watch their regulars drink themselves to death. Yeah, it’s personal responsibility, but it’s a fricking sad business.