Phoning it in with Frank

Frank Fahrenkopf, former head of the Republican National Committee, co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, current head of the American Gambling, er, Gaming Association and overall long-time member in good standing of the Washington D.C. club for rich white guys in ties recently took a break from his busy schedule packed with important duties to write a letter to CityLife blasting one of the Gleaner's columns that appeared in that free weekly with sex ads in the back.

Fahrenkopf's trigger was tripped by the column's contention that the amount of casino industry revenue generated by local people with gambling problems is a) vastly underestimated and b) something that Official Nevada doesn't want to talk about.

Writing in defense of the special interest he has represented in Washington for so long, Fahrenkopf characterized the column as an "outrageous commentary" based on "utter fallacy."

So severe an admonishment from such a powerful and respected beltway lobbyist made quite an impression on the lowly Gleaner.

In fact, it seemed the only responsible thing to do was to write another column about how the casino industry's bottom line is fattened by problem and pathological gamblers, but this time featuring a close examination of Fahrenkopf's strongly worded denials.

So please read the Gleaner's latest column in CityLife. Perhaps you can help settle a matter of no doubt deep and growing concern to Nevada's casino industry — whether Frank has lost a step, or he just doesn't care anymore.

Comments

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Ka-phooey on Frank's falsetto febble-minded fatalism. Birds gotta fly and suckas' gotta lose.

[KidFromVegas]

Scathing!!! From the article in the RJ, it seems the gamers have started negotiating with the teachers... they're scared shitless over the ballot initiative. I find their argument that an increase in the gaming tax would inhibit investment in future projects to be compelling. Lord knows when you take profits from Nevada and invest them in foreign and out-of-state projects, Nevada wins!!! Sorta like the RJ shipping all that money back to Arkansas while getting corporate welfare via state tax exemptions. Damn skippy I'm bitter as I cling to my double double bonus machine and 2-for-1 buffet coupons.

[Rich Stafetas]

Great post and article, Hugh. I wonder how Frank describes the little old ladies on oxygen, in wheelchairs, smoking and playing three machines until their social security checks run out.

[Pedro]

That was pretty damn good.

However, considering the slim chance Frank wrote his letter in the first place, I figured I'd pass your article on to the people who probably did and ask them to put a copy on his desk:

PRESS CONTACT
Holly Thomsen
Director of Communications
202-552-2686
hthomsen@americangaming.org

RESEARCH CONTACT
Andrew Smith
Director of Research
202-552-2679
asmith@americangaming.org

[IronJawed]

Congrats Mr. Gleaner. Excellent column.

[nvmediaboy]

One the best columns (the response to FF) you've written yet, which is saying a lot!

[RussBBinVegas@aol.com]

Fucking right on dude. Keep on this issue, Gleaner, as only you do so well. I've lived in Las Vegas 12 years and a) finally gave up my own addiction to gambling, last october. Oh man, am I ever happy to be released from the prison of running over to play video blackjack 3 times a day at Smiths & 7-11! And b) I have always wondered why there is VIRTUALLY NO discussion of the vast numbers of locals being suckered into forking over every last thin dime, by the likes of the billioinaire Fertitta brothers who send you 3 postcards a week offering you some total cheeze gimmick give-away (a polyester blanket with Station logo, only 500 points, to "gold card" members!) to zombify & addictify 1.6 million locals. It's an outrage & a racket!

[RussBBinVegas@aol.com]

Here's another question I have around the issue of "locals gambling" that I have never seen addressed in all my years living in Las Vegas. Everyone here gets used to the sight of gambling EVERYwhere, like when you walk into your corner supermarket or convenience store. People take for granted that Joe Sixpack or Harriet Housewife is dropping a quick 20 (or plenty more) into that oh-so-easy oh-so-alluring video poker bandit. But here's my question. Obviously, this is a source of pure profit, for SOMEbody, but HOW COME the store itself doesn't LOWER THEIR PRICES commensurately. After all, they are skimming an outrageous amount of extra money from their customers .. WHO IS GETTING THIS MONEY and how come we locals aren't compensated for our gambling addiction being exploited by Vons & Albertsons to the extent that those supermarkets would GIVE US BACK SOME OF THAT MONEY in the form of more reasonable prices than say, the exact same store in Barstow, sans GameMaker. Hop you'll lob this query in a future column, Gleaner. In addition to the OTHER all-important question on our enquiring minds: how come all Republicans have the exact same dork-white-guy 80's hairdo.

[ching ching ching]

RussBB.....;

The slot space is leased, just like the dry cleaners, the photo shop or whatever else is up front of the store.

I learned in graduate school study some years ago that the absolute best returns for slot machine owners (and slot route operators), are the machines in the grocery stores. Absolute gold mines! At least several years ago they were. I know the 'split' has changed since I studied the matter but in bars it used to be 60/40 (slot route company getting sixty percent).

[The Penguin]

Russ and ching, excellent observations. I initially moved to Vegas in '95 and was weirded out by all the slots and video poker machines in my neighborhood Smith's story. Much less the 7-Eleven.

Equally (perhaps more) disturbing was the sight of all those middle-aged white trash trailer park queens who looked like sixteen miles of bad road, smoking like trains and dropping quarters in these damn machines for hours on end. Not only does the phrase "Couldja go home and take a shower and get a life already?" come to mind, but so does, "Jesus, you must have some seriously disposable income on hand to do nothing but sit on your bony ass all day and give it to somebody else while getting bupkis in return. Why not instead put it to good use give it to me so I can go buy some tacos?"