Manson's Memo - coinless slot machines

Many of you get to Las Vegas more frequently than Jane and I do. It’s not high on our list for trips. But we went this month for a wedding so we got to see some new hotels and spend some time gambling. Jane did better at blackjack than I did betting baseball.

One of the changes since the last time we were there was that the slot machines don’t even take coins now. They also don’t give you money back directly. Instead you get a slip of paper that you feed into another machine to get your money (or what’s left of it).

I understand the efficiency of this. It’s nice not to have to carry a bucket full of nickels or quarters (I’m a big spender) over to the cashier and wait for them to run it through a centrifuge to count it and give you bills for all those coins. I’m sure it’s much easier on the casinos as well, no more women pushing carts filled with coins to make change. Maybe they’ve even discovered that people don’t feel like their losing as quickly if there are no coins going in and out.

What I really found interesting is that when you push the cash out button and it prints your voucher, the machine still makes a clinking sound (digital, I’m sure) as if it were dropping coins into the tray. It’s not enough to just get a slip of paper; people need some sort of recognition so they feel they’ve won, so they give you that clinking sound so it feels like you’re getting your money.

Think for a moment about the times you have been most satisfied – when you have felt truly rewarded for your labors. Did it come from outside you like the noise of the slot machine or from within, having the knowledge that what you had done had made life better for yourself or someone else?

The best rewards are the ones that come from a life well lived. They may not be as showy as other rewards, but what good is a clanking slot machine that has no money in it?

שלןמ

(shalom)