Message on the answering machine tells me I won.

[Dragonsdad]

The Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes, no less.
...talk about a blast from the past

I remember my mother's official looking entry forms and notifications showing up in the mail, and that was back before zip codes.
Remember the television ads of the 'Prize Committees' showing up at people's doors with checks printed on poster boards?
...dude in a suit shoving a microphone in some unsuspecting fool's face

This time they're throwing in a Mercedes with paid up insurance and free gasoline.
I may have missed some of the details. It was a long message I quit paying attention.

Gotta admit, free gas sounds pretty good.
...pretty sure they'll call back

[Allen]

And I'll bet you didn't even enter the contest. Talk about luck.

[Dragonsdad]

And I'll bet you didn't even enter the contest. Talk about luck.

I know, right?
I mean... What are the odds of winning a contest you never entered?

[mtnboomer]

I'm sure they just ask for some personal information....................................... ....................you know, just to verify your winnings.

[Dragonsdad]

I'm sure they just ask for some personal information....................................... ....................you know, just to verify your winnings.

Shipping costs on the car are likely to put a pretty good dent in my millions.
Then there's notification fees and taxes.
...lots of taxes

If a van pulls up and a camera crew jumps out I ain't answering the door.
I wonder if they still do that?

[Galaxieman]

I remember some 30-ish years ago you'd get a thick envelope in the mail and have to paste a bunch of stamps on their entry form, and stamps for all the junk they sold.
I enter a few times when they went on line. Still get emails about every day. My favorites are the ones that proclaim "YOU WON.....<and then in little letters) if your numbers match the winning numbers.."
and,
'The PCH PRIZE PATROL IS ON THEIR WAY TO (insert your address here)....if your numbers match.."

[Dragonsdad]

"You can't win if you don't play the game"
casino advertisements use this approach

As a casino worker I was engaged in the business of raising peoples hopes and profiting from those hopes.
We weren't producing anything but it was honest work.

Nobody tries to hide the odds and we even paid out once in awhile.

[Allen]

"You can't win if you don't play the game"
casino advertisements use this approach

As a casino worker I was engaged in the business of raising peoples hopes and profiting from those hopes.
We weren't producing anything but it was honest work.

Nobody tries to hide the odds and we even paid out once in awhile.

People can't comprehend what 25,000,000 to 1 odds are all about (lotto). Casino odds are much less but pay much less. Out of the way, end of the row slot machines almost never pay out (so I hear).

"you can't win if you don't play the game" You proved them wrong with your "win" to PCH.

Mad Magazine once spoke of their lottery: "One million dollars, a dollar a year for a million years".

[Dragonsdad]

"end of the row slot machines almost never pay out"

'end cap' winners are more exposed (easily spotted) and draw attention to the games.

I have a dim view of most marketing management.
Carnival 'barkers' (carnies) usually have a better understanding of human nature as they see more of it than someone used to selling durable goods.

[lyman]

"end of the row slot machines almost never pay out"

'end cap' winners are more exposed (easily spotted) and draw attention to the games.

I have a dim view of most marketing management.
Carnival 'barkers' (carnies) usually have a better understanding of human nature as they see more of it than someone used to selling durable goods.

interesting bit yall brought up,


when in Vegas for Shot Show, we walked thru a good many Casino's ,
even stayed at Circus Circus (dump,,,)

the slots, IIRC, in all of them were the new modern video game, I think one place had the traditional looking slots

not may were in a row, most in a circle,

guessing, since I saw them move or replace some at Circus Circus over the week I was there, because the all ran off the same modem or lan connection,
and were circled around them,


Paris Casino,

PXL_20230119_034449549.jpg

[Allen]

I guess rain and high wind isn't an issue?

[Dragonsdad]

We're seeing fewer and fewer machines in rows. The house is taxed on the number of machines available for play so it doesn't make sense to pack as many as possible into a given space. What we're looking for now is a player's ability to shut out their surrounds, including the space immediately next to them. The idea is to lose yourself in the screen. Traffic flow ranks highly in deciding what to put where.
btw- A game is considered available as long as it's on the floor (physically reachable by the customers). It doesn't matter whether it's powered up or not.

They're rarely interconnected unless feeding a common jackpot (progressive amount) or paypoint (central cashier).

I'm old school.
My thinking has the clatter on coins hitting the payout tray is the best possible 'call' to attract attention. Marketing wants the sound cranked up so loud it drives people off the games they're trying to play. Marketing believes people want to play video games. Accounting wants everything going through the main cashier's cage. Accountants want to eliminate money actually changing hands. If they can eliminate the need and expense of a drop crew and cash handling, so much the better. I'm of the belief that people like seeing money. Money (and greed) is why people go into those places. Hiding the money may be safer for everyone but it works against the atmosphere you're trying to build.

I'm done with all that now.
Parts of it were interesting sometimes.

- - - Updated - - -

I guess rain and high wind isn't an issue?

That's an indoor shot. You're looking at a ceiling.

[Allen]

That's an indoor shot. You're looking at a ceiling.

Wow. Clouds, street lights, trees and what I thought was a closed off street. I see the carpet now.

I'm only blind in the one eye. It's the other one that I can't see out of.

[lyman]

walk past that about 100 yrds, and you are in a hallway, or breeze way, like at an inside mall, with water in the middle, and a guy running a gondola with people in it,

my previous experience in a Casino was Greenbrier , which looked big to me, but it would fit in the front foyer of some of the ones we walked into,

Paris was neat,

we had lunch on Sat, at the Antique Arms Show, (gunshow in the Wingate IIRC) and the place we ate at was attached to the betting parlor for sports,
that room alone was bigger than most gunshows I do,

[Dragonsdad]

Silver Legacy, Reno opened with a jaw dropping laser light show that simulated a summer thunderstorm. They've since replaced it with whatever marketing deemed appropriate but it was very cool, especially at the time. Totally unexpected flash of light followed by rolling thunder, more simulated lightning, more thunder, sound of approaching heavy raindrops. People would stop dead in their tracks and look around. I know I did.