Vegas Calling

Vegas Strip from Wikimedia
 
Las Vegas, too often we get a chance to go there and find ourselves pumping money into a one armed bandit and forget that there is so much else to do when we visit the place. I want to get back as it's been a few years since I was there and silly me spent all my time,  off the strip and in the casinos...It's fun but it would have been great to see a Vegas Show or two..

What I think I'll do next time I book a trip there is get my tickets  at Ticketmaster for at least one Vegas Show before I even get on the plane.  I know the cacophony of sounds that flood over you when you walk into a casino! The winning slot machines ringing in your ears, the shouts at the roulette tables, will all lure me to the nearest blackjack table or craps table and I will just want to win!!

Of course I love to throw down some bets and win but one of my most memorable trips there was when I took a ride outside of the city and coming back down the hills that night and seeing the city from a distance, the pulsating lights, the clear mountain air...it was beautiful.

There is just so much to do there and it's only when you are gone  that you realize you probably should have stepped away from the tables and taken in the sights and sounds that make it such a fun place to go

I missed Bette Midler when I was there last time and I just know she would have made the trip...




Of course there is more Nightlife in the city that never sleeps than just about anywhere. I know I'll still throw a few bets down but I never go there expecting to win and only bet what I can afford. With the airfare specials and great hotel deals I get in my email it's time to book a trip. I just want to be sure that if I come back I have more to remember than just losing at the gaming tables.

And of course I am a single guy with a great new haircut and some fresh new jeans...I am ready baby!! 

Gambling Online

Online Gambling sites like,  Casino Red , take the travel out of having to go to Vegas or some other far off place to lose your money. Instead of paying air fare and a hotel room you can just snuggle up to your friendly PC and place your bets. It's enticing but is it smart ??


Heck I have trouble trusting the Casinos I have visited in person, never mind the Virtual ones. Interestingly enough this is a billion dollar industry and much of the money being wagered is from the U.S. 

Trying to find out if it's legal?? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

It seems operating an online casino or facilitating the betting is probably going to get you in hot water here in the U.S.A.,  but merely making bets...as long as they aren't sporting bets.. seems to be ok, sort of. 

A man  from North Dakota, Jeffrey Trauman,  made some sports bets and won $100,000 online but he violated a State Law for which he was fined $500. It  still seems Jeff came out a winner in that. As far as I have been able to determine,  there is no specific Federal Law that prohibits people playing online it just gets tricky on how the money is channeled to and from the casino. 

Places like PayPal and many major Credit Card companies won't allow their customers to use their services to transfer money from their accounts to online casinos because of U.S. laws that prohibit that practice. But just because it's illegal for banks to do it, there are still those out there that want to help you find a way to do it 

So it's true that it is easier to gamble from home or your local internet cafe, but maybe it's better to have the Casinos a bit out of reach. Clearly online or when you are at your favorite Casino, gambling is a risk, and one should always be aware of what they are risking.


Good Luck whatever your choice might be and Happy New Year to all