Have you been to Reno? If not, I suggest you add it to your list. Located in the northwest of the US state of Nevada, the city is a gambling hub. Those visiting Nevada rarely miss it. In 2009, I visited the US to attend the wedding of one of my nieces, who lives in Arizona. After the function, my brother, who is a permanent US resident, suggested that we visit Reno. On hearing about the city’s gambling industry, I became curious and agreed. We set off on a road trip from Phoenix in Arizona to Reno, Nevada. It’s a 2,000 km trip! On Indian roads, such a long trip would take at least two days to complete. But over there, it took us less than 15 hours.
We set off in the morning, shortly after sunrise and reached just after sunset. I was in awe! Bright and colourful lights adorned the city. It looked like a fairy-tale land and was unlike any other US city I visited. Probably Las Vegas is similar. We saw as many as 22 casino buildings, of which the biggest one was called Peppermill Resorts. We had booked rooms there. After relaxing for a while, we went to have dinner at the restaurant adjacent to the gambling area. Eager to start betting, I finished the dinner in a hurry.
Then, I entered the gambling space. There were about 100 slot machines and a number of poker and roulette playing tables. I was fascinated by the slot machines and wanted to give it a try. Being a newbie to gambling, I decided to chip in a paltry sum of $250. Luckily, I made a few gains straight away. However, this got me hooked to it. I didn’t feel like leaving the place at all.
I kept playing for the next seven hours.
Although there were loses in between, in the end, I managed to double the $250 I chipped in. Like other gamblers, I was also served drinks multiple times through the night—maybe in a bid to keep me playing. When I finished, it was 5 am. I returned to my room and told my brother all about my first successful night of gambling. He was glad to hear that I earned money, instead of losing it.
I decided to spend the $250 I earned in the US and dashed off to a nearby shopping district.
Gambling is considered a social evil in India. But, I must say that the night I spent gambling in the Peppermill casino was one of the most unforgettable nights of my life. In fact, it was the most interesting part of that US trip.