But I’m Not Gambling
“Jimmy, there you are. I’ve been worried about you. How’s it going?”
Jimmy glanced up, shook his head, and went back to pulling the arm on the machine.
“Hi Pastor Jack. Did she send you to check up on me? I’m a big boy. I don’t need you.”
I sat at the stool next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “It’s not that, you’ve been in counseling six months now. You don’t want to throw all that away do you?”
“Humph” he scowled, “don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve gone to all counseling sessions with you and joint sessions with her. I haven’t broken my promise to her or my commitment to God.” Then he continued pulling the arm.
I stood up and patted the slot machine. “And what do you call this?”
He didn’t miss a pull. He continued putting quarters in the slot, pulled, waited for the wheels to stop, and put another quarter in. “Pastor, I promised to quit playing cards, give up the dice, and to stay out of casinos. I’m not playing cards, this isn’t a crap table, and I’m not in a
casino.”
I stepped a little closer and shook my head. “Just because you’re sitting at a slot machine in a restaurant doesn’t mean you’re not gambling. We agreed the problem was your taking money from your paycheck and gambling it away. You can’t take the money you’ve earned and try to get rich quick. Remember the forty-thousand dollars you lost last year?”
“I’m not taking money I’ve earned and gambling. I received a three-hundred dollar bonus. It’s not earnings. I started on the machine you’re sitting at, I moved here when it didn’t pay off. I’m now at six-hundred, so I haven’t gambled. I can stop any time.”
Just at that moment, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Excuse me sir, I’m Martina, I work for the casino.”
“Oh, I know, I’m not supposed just sit at the slots; I’m getting ready to leave.”
“Oh no sir! I don’t have a problem with your sitting there. You’re a patient customer, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it here sooner. You see I just came on shift; I’ve been working my way towards you. I need to pay you out.”
“But I haven’t been gambling?”
“I disagree I saw your hand on the arm of this machine. I saw you pull it down. You’ve a jackpot that hasn’t been paid out. Come with me and I’ll help you.”
“Well Martina, just how much have I won?”
“$155,650.75 sir, please come with me.”
I looked over at Jimmie who had stopped playing his machine and looked at me with his mouth open. “Now are you going to come with me? Have you learned your lesson?”
“Yes Pastor.”
Jimmy glanced up, shook his head, and went back to pulling the arm on the machine.
“Hi Pastor Jack. Did she send you to check up on me? I’m a big boy. I don’t need you.”
I sat at the stool next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “It’s not that, you’ve been in counseling six months now. You don’t want to throw all that away do you?”
“Humph” he scowled, “don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve gone to all counseling sessions with you and joint sessions with her. I haven’t broken my promise to her or my commitment to God.” Then he continued pulling the arm.
I stood up and patted the slot machine. “And what do you call this?”
He didn’t miss a pull. He continued putting quarters in the slot, pulled, waited for the wheels to stop, and put another quarter in. “Pastor, I promised to quit playing cards, give up the dice, and to stay out of casinos. I’m not playing cards, this isn’t a crap table, and I’m not in a
casino.”
I stepped a little closer and shook my head. “Just because you’re sitting at a slot machine in a restaurant doesn’t mean you’re not gambling. We agreed the problem was your taking money from your paycheck and gambling it away. You can’t take the money you’ve earned and try to get rich quick. Remember the forty-thousand dollars you lost last year?”
“I’m not taking money I’ve earned and gambling. I received a three-hundred dollar bonus. It’s not earnings. I started on the machine you’re sitting at, I moved here when it didn’t pay off. I’m now at six-hundred, so I haven’t gambled. I can stop any time.”
Just at that moment, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Excuse me sir, I’m Martina, I work for the casino.”
“Oh, I know, I’m not supposed just sit at the slots; I’m getting ready to leave.”
“Oh no sir! I don’t have a problem with your sitting there. You’re a patient customer, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it here sooner. You see I just came on shift; I’ve been working my way towards you. I need to pay you out.”
“But I haven’t been gambling?”
“I disagree I saw your hand on the arm of this machine. I saw you pull it down. You’ve a jackpot that hasn’t been paid out. Come with me and I’ll help you.”
“Well Martina, just how much have I won?”
“$155,650.75 sir, please come with me.”
I looked over at Jimmie who had stopped playing his machine and looked at me with his mouth open. “Now are you going to come with me? Have you learned your lesson?”
“Yes Pastor.”