Gambling madness in Montana
I envisioned wonderful nature and big mountains when I planned the trip to Montana, but there's one thing about the landscape of this State that totally surprised me. I had no idea there are so many casinos, so I was immediately shocked when I left the airport and saw the bright, flashy signs light up the night scenery. For a brief moment, I thought I mistakenly landed in Las Vegas! My home base during the trip was the capital city Helena, which has less than 30,000 residents. The sparse population makes Montana unique. The State is massive in size, with less than a million people spread over the land. I began to wonder why such an uninhabited region needs so many casinos around every corner...and I'm still not sure of the answer.
1. On one of the main streets in Helena, you can find casinos lined up one after the other. Sometimes five or six of them at a busy intersection, and even gas stations or laundromats will have a few slot machines where people can throw coins to waste time. It seems the legislators and Gaming authorities have made it quite easy to get licenses for slots, so many dive bars and gas stations use the machines as a way to boost revenues. There are less than ten big casinos in Montana, all tied to Indian reservations, but the number of video gaming machines is close to 20,000! I have no idea how many of these small casinos exist in the State, but they seem to be everywhere.
2. Unlike Vegas, free alcohol isn't the norm at most Helena casinos, and you can't smoke inside! This is a positive in my view because I'm sensitive to cigarette smoke, and smoking indoors is prohibited almost everywhere in the USA. Vegas casinos are a rare exception where you can still light up and puff away in an enclosed public space. Another major difference - in Montana you only have to be 18 to gamble, not 21. So, the debauchery can begin at a much earlier age, right after graduation from high school. When I worked for the airlines, I used to go to Vegas quite frequently and play blackjack, roulette and the slots. My luck was pretty consistent, and I came out a loser only a few times. Almost always I left with more money in my pocket than when I arrived, but I haven't gambled in over a decade. Now I'm much more frugal with finances, and almost all spare funds go directly to travel.
3. The casinos have standard slot machines and you can only play with cash - no credit, debit cards or any type of loan from the house. One of the thrills of the slots for me was hearing the loud crashing sound of the coins fall into the empty metal pan at the bottom of the machine when you hit a jackpot or winning line, but in Montana it's boring. There is no type of instant coin or cash payout, instead a receipt is generated and you carry it to the cashier to receive your winnings. Less exciting, but it seems most casinos in the U.S. have now moved to this approach.
4. The most important thing to understand is the scope of gambling in Montana. This is not the glitz and glamour of Vegas, or the chance to press your luck with the hope of instantly becoming a millionaire. First, there are no table games where you play against a dealer. Montana allows only electronic machines, video poker, keno and bingo machines. The max bet on Indian reservations is $5, with a max payout of $1500. This is chump change compared to Vegas, where the potential for huge losses and earnings is much higher. Second, casinos in Vegas are frequently tied to hotels, some of them quite luxurious, and as I wrote above in Montana the casinos are often at restaurants, gas stations, laundromats or other mundane locations. Different, less inviting, atmospheres. Live bingo, where you play against others but not against the house, is also legal and very popular.
I think this many casinos and shady gambling establishments are detrimental to such a beautiful State! They take away from the otherwise pristine natural landscapes, where even in cities you can almost always see the mountains in the background. I don't know why there are so many of these establishments, but I guess it's because options for entertainment are quite limited in such rural areas, which describes basically every "city" and location in Montana. People need a way to occupy their time, and for some there's always the false hope of striking it rich. Yet such hopes often lead to gambling and alcohol addictions, and we all know that in reality the house always wins - not the general population who sit and feed coins and dollar bills into the slot.
The only good thing that comes from the casinos is the tax revenue. Montana imposes a 15% tax on the money paid into the slot machines, minus the money paid out in winnings. In 2015, this generated close to sixty million dollars to the general State fund, and hopefully these finances go to improve the quality of life for residents of the region.
I've never noticed casinos during my visits to Russia, but I read online they exist. Do you support legalized gambling, or like to press your luck at the slots and tables?