Missouri casinos, players seek end of Slam

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Casino workers call it The Slam. It's that herd of gamblers released all at once onto a casino floor every two hours at boarding time, overwhelming change attendants, beverage hostesses and sometimes even the supply of slot machines. Casino patrons hate the lines, the waiting and the competitive jostling for a chair at a game. Robert Arnold, president and general manager of Kansas City Terminal Railway Co., told the Missouri Gaming Commission on Wednesday in Kansas City that he's one of those patrons. "When it comes time to relax and go out for entertainment, the last thing you want to do is stand in line. Is that entertainment?" he said. No, it isn't, agreed Alice Ledbetter of Independence. "I'm a small woman, a short woman," she said. "Sometimes you're in these lines with men who are 6-foot-7 Godzillas. I've had my toes stepped on, I've been kneed, I've been burned with cigarettes, I've had people sneeze in my hair." Annoying lines and The Slam may soon be a t

hing of the past. The Gaming Commission heard an hour of testimony from casino executives, employees and players who urged regulators to drop what they say is a bothersome, stressful and unnecessary requirement. An estimated 200 people attended a similar hearing last week in St. Louis. Only a few dissenting voices were heard Wednesday, the harshest belonging to the Rev. John Stein, communications director for the western Missouri branch of the United Methodist Church, which by doctrine opposes all gambling. "Year after year, the gambling industry has sought to remove the restrictions placed on them," he said. And, Stein charged, the Gaming Commission has acquiesced. "I find that offensive," he said. "You are my watchdog, but you're acting like a lapdog for the industry. Please do not do this thing." The commission, however, appears ready to abolish the boa rding time rule. In an interview Wednesday, commission Chairman Julian M. Seeherman said the industry had satisfied all of the commission's technical ! concerns about enforcing the state's $500 loss-limit rule outside the framework of two-hour gambling sessions. In recent years, casinos have switched from time-stamped paper vouchers to electronic swipe cards that monitor whether gamblers are attempting to exceed the loss limit. Larry Kinser, general manager of Argosy Riverside Casino and a spokesman for the Missouri Riverboat Gaming Association, said studies showed that less than 3 percent of casino guests played up to the $500 limit. Toni Smith, a Flamingo Hilton Casino security officer, said that if The Slam were eliminated, she and other employees could better weed out underage, intoxicated and known compulsive gamblers. Smith added that open boarding would ease traffic jams and unsafe driving by motorists hurrying to beat a deadline. Seeherman said, "I don't see any (hurdles) at all (to the change). T hat (swipe card) software is available and is already in use. It's terrific. ... We will try to come to a decision within 60 days." Eliminating the require

ment has long been a goal of the state's casino operators, who contend it frustrates tourists and puts Missouri at a competitive disadvantage. Those stakes grew even larger this week with news that Illinois lawmakers are considering abolishing river cruising requirements there -- including the two Illinois-docked boats that compete in the St. Louis market. Kinser said the change would not "substantially increase gambling by residents but would spur more visits by convention guests and tourists He said later that no one would lose his job because of the change. "As a matter of fact, we might have to add staff because we'll be activating cards for the full two hours instead of just 45 minutes each session," Kinser said. At one point during the hearing, Michael St. Pierre, general manager of Harrah's North Kansas City Casino & Hotel, showed a videotape taken last weekend of patrons lined up and entering his casino. While a few clearly were in a hurry, most were calm and orderly, which prompted Stein to say! : "I've seen bigger rushes at Worlds of Fun getting to the roller coaster." But the next speaker, casino patron Marla Yancey, told gambling foes to mind their own business. "It's my choice to gamble," she said, "and I wish they'd quit trying to push their beliefs on me. "We're not children, and we shouldn't be treated that way."

"I've had my toes stepped on, I've been kneed, I've been burned with cigarettes, I've had people sneeze in my hair."Alice LedbetterCASINO PATRON

"You are my watchdog, but you're acting like a lapdog for the industry. Please do not do this thing."the Rev. John Stein

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