Three gambling businesses were shut down in Swain County. Vendors of video gambling machines have been running neck-in-neck with the state, which has been making illegal their every evolution to conform with new laws. Now, I’m not one to believe that gambling makes any sense; but what makes less sense is the state’s notion that it is only a virtue in the context of its Education Lottery and the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.
While not on the subject, I always irritate myself by going to the casino to buy gas. Sometimes, the person in front of me is on a winning streak, and as always, I’m in a hurry to get to work. Well, now the state has come up with an even greater convenience for gamblers who don’t want to be slowed down by people trying to buy petrol. Yes! You will now be able to Play at the Pump! I only hope the advertising is not one of those O so slick thingies where people with bad eyes end up gambling – er, supporting education – when they’re trying to buy gas on a limited budget.