Trying My Luck :: Gambling Betting Papers

Trying My Luck Huge, splashy signs advertising Mystic Lake Casino line the interstates crisscrossing the Twin Cities. "Is today your lucky day? There's one way to find out." "Need a reason to visit us? We'll give you a million...Literally." While some people attend movies or head to a bar for weekend entertainment, others flock to the flashy Mystic Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota to try their luck. My image of casinos was formed by the Las Vegas movies that portrayed gambling as a win-all or lose-all pass time. My boyfriend Seth, who has frequented the casino blackjack tables since he hit the legal gambling age, was quick to inform me that my attitude was an inexperienced one. For some the atmosphere, people, and thrill of risk taking that the casino offers far outweigh the illusion of a get rich quick fantasy come true. Many gamblers consistently visit a casino for the same reason others hang at their favorite bar–entertainment. At first I took my boyfriend's reasoning as the earl y stages of gambling addiction, but as I began to spend more time at Mystic Lake, I realized the casino can be an entertaining place when a person knows his or her limits. The 622,000 square foot mass that is Mystic Lake Casino lies approximately twenty minutes away from the bustling center of Minneapolis. The building sets on an Indian reservation and is owned by the Shakopee Mdewankanton Sioux community. Although the area surrounding the casino resembles the middle of nowhere, Mystic is always buzzing with activity. At night, huge spotlights illuminate the sky in the shape of a teepee that is visible miles away guiding prospective gamblers to the casino. As one travels towards Mystic, the sparse, almost barren highway scenery is suddenly filled by the neon expanse of Mystic. The towering spotlights are now seen to be positioned over a sparkling man-made lake so they reflect off the smooth water. A huge parking lot surrounds the facility. Shuttle busses drive through the immense lot transferring patrons from their parking spots to the front entrance. Every time I visited Mystic Lake, no matter what the time, the parking lot was always loaded w ith cars. My boyfriend once described the atmosphere of the casino as a constant in a world where nothing is constant.