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It goes without saying that a fool and his money are easily parted. It is gambling and losses are the norm, not winnings. We all understand this, yet the "wouldn't it be nice to..." mentality drives us on. I have been to the Rivers Casino often. It is a generally unpleasant place for gamblers as machines truly appear to be far tighter than other area casinos, but the people watching is better than at a walmart on food stamp day. These are a few thoughts, and i hope to accurately depict the Rivers Casino's good and bad points. With the sports stadiums, concert stage, and various hipster eateries and bars nearby, you get a lot of heavy traffic while approaching the casino. Parking is free most of the time, though spots within the garage are narrow and hard to come by during evening or weekend hours. Once inside the Rivers, where you will be greeted by crowded aisles, silly bad music and an overall air of despair. Again it is a casino. As in any casino, you will find a large population of elderly citizens who gamble for hours on end trying to feel alive. They move slowly, have to play 3 slot machines at a time, and give you dirty looks when you play what they have deemed to be the machine that they may have wanted to play at some point during their visit. Like any casino, it attracts people who don't know when to say when, or desperately gamble their money away hoping to pay rent and utilities. If you visit the Rivers on or about the days when welfare checks and social security are direct deposited, the people watching is at its absolute peak. The spectacle of senior citizens and welfare recipients from the low income/high crime area 2 blocks from the casino really should be enjoyed by all at least once. While there, you will see an absurd amount of money being put into the slot machines, but very little coming out. I have heard people win, yelling and clapping and all the rest, only to see that someone did a $3 bet, and won $72. Once I heard a high roller win over $10k. When I investigated, I found the wager to be 5 credits at $25 per credit. Certainly, if you are chancing $125 per spin, one would hope that a winning would sound decent. When you see someone bet $1.50 and win $200 dollars, that is a major win for the place. Again, the machines are tighter now than ever before I say this confidently after 200 or more visits there. Recently a local news channel also expressed an interest into this truth only to confirm it. Noise levels fluctuate. Some of the machines could wake the dead, some of them that should have sound are silent. It is common to hear a noisy machine blasting the sounds of bonus spins or "big wins" only to walk past and see that the player won $15 to $60 dollars. People who play the $1 wheel of fortune slots inevitably always win the lowest 2 amounts on the wheel. Maybe 1 player in a few thousand gets a good take, but don't bank on leaving there wealthy.When my friends and I go, we play for a few hours, waste some money, and leave with stories to tell. It's a place to go, a thing to do. The food is mediocre. The restaurants within are bland and pricey, and the buffet is heat lamp heaven. There are free pepsi product fountain drinks, approx 10 oz cups, but the drinks never taste right at all. Better food is available on the way to and fro, so we do not eat there often.This is the kicker of the visit. The air within is putrid and stale. It smells of cheap cigarettes, heavy perfume, over-priced Budweisers, body odor and broken dreams. Trust me, you will want to launder your clothes immediately upon returning home.The commercials are beyond misleading. There are no smiling, attractive young men and women in suits and cocktail dresses. It is crowded, noisy and filthy.So, in many ways, the casino is just something to do.
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