Loose Slots

Atlantic City, New Jersey, July 9, 2008:

A Jersey City man who was playing slot machines at the Trump Taj Mahal casino claims he sat in a chair soaked with urine left by a gambler who had just exited the seat.

Ronatarian Party presidential candidate Ron recently filed a complaint with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, saying the person who had been playing the slot machine moments earlier had urinated in the chair at the seaside casino.

"My whole concern is that they fix this," he told The New Jersey Spew. "It's not apparent that they have anything in place to deal with this kind of situation. Plus, it's [expletive] gross, man."

Ron said that after his pants got soaked by the chair July 5 he was given no help in finding a place to clean up and had to walk to his car to change into an old pair of sweat pants.

Trump Taj Mahal spokeswoman Tracy Haas acknowledged the incident and said the casino regretted what happened. She said they "dropped the ball" because broken or soiled chairs are supposed to be immediately removed from the gaming floor.

Gretchen Koback, who reviews patron complaints for the New Jersey Casino Commission, said she believed similar issues had "come up a time or two" at New Jersey's many casinos but that she could not specifically recall one. Complaints are kept on file for one year.

Gamblers who become addicted can enter a trancelike state where even basic hygiene habits are ignored, said Bethanie Coltin, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.

Their reasoning is so impaired by the addiction that they may go for hours and days without eating or showering, she said.

Gamblers have told counselors that they wore adult diapers or relieved themselves to keep from losing their seat at a slot machine where they expected the machine to pay off, Coltin said.

Posted by Bittle at July 9, 2008 08:35 AM