My letter to National Review Magazine re: The Dark Side of Gambling

From: patrickbarron@msn.com
To: letters@nationalreview.com
Subject: The Dark Side of Gambling
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:41:53 -0400

Dear Sirs:
Kevin D. Williamson is doing your readers a great favor by showing the dark side of gambling. My grandfather was a professional gambler. He was a pit boss, a middle manager, for decades in various casinos in Las Vegas. When I reached adulthood and was stationed at the local Air Force base for a time, he told me the truth about gambling. I won't go into all the sordid details here. His most memorable story was one he saw played out over and over again. A hard-working couple takes a much needed vacation to Las Vegas after struggling many years to make a go of their mom and pop business. The worst thing happens...they win a small amount of money. Returning to their daily grind, they decide that it is easier to make money gambling in Las Vegas than working seventy hour weeks in their business. So they return to Las Vegas...and lose everything. There is a reason that there are so many pawn shops in Las Vegas.

Patrick Barron