First time gambling in a casino.

1977, MGM Grand. Stayed there with a friend from high school. Some cheap slots and a little black jack until I started wondering where all the shouting was coming from. All these folks gathered around this long waist high table. My introduction to craps.

Ooh, my stomach still jumps at the thought of the groaning boards of the Sunday champagne brunch!

 

2006 or so, at Barona (a California tribal casino). They were one of the few properties in the area with a gambling age of 18. My best friend, who was also gambling in a casino for the first time, hit a small handpay. I played slots for a few hours and don't recall winning or losing much either way, but I fell in love.

 

June 2000. The Mirage. Love at first sight. Hooked for life.

 

1999, went with some of my co-workers and college friends to Foxwoods Casino in CT.
Saw a shiny new Wheel of Fortune $1 slot machine and played a few spins on max ($3 a spin as I recall)...then Bingo-Bango!
Got the bonus and the 'beep-boop-beep-boop-beep-boop' wheel-spinning sound effects....$1000 handpay.
No TITO back then. Dollar tokens to play. With the buckets and everything.
A lady walked up to me while waiting for my moolah and asked me how I did that.Told her I pressed the button. Everything else is luck and magic.

 

1985. My older brother & I on one of those back page advertisements for “Bob Stupak Vegas World!!”
All included, air, room, free money & match play, buffets. If I remember it was like $250
They played it as “Go to Vegas for free” we called the place Geriatric World

Loved it from the minute we got there. We still go together almost every year, with lots of different friends over the years.
Still love it as much as I did 35 years ago.

We’re hoping our May 27th trip happens.