Save us all time and money: Abolish markers

Eric Stefik, Las Vegas

Sunday, April 13, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s Friday story “His job is to get your debt: Don’t pay your casino marker and you could be prosecuted for a crime”:

It is certainly convenient to accommodate the casino industry by using the Clark County district attorney’s office to collect the bad gambling debt created by the use of markers, perhaps too convenient. It seems a little like having the mob to extend easy credit on high-interest loans, collected by breaking kneecaps, if repayment becomes too difficult for the desperate borrower.

Gambling debtors are threatened with criminal prosecution and confinement in a state penitentiary if they do not make acceptable arrangements for repayment and keep their commitment. Is this an appropriate use of expensive and limited prison space, not to mention the overuse of prosecutors’ time?

While there will always be scofflaws who fail to make good on debts, some of these situations would seem to be avoidable.

Addiction to gambling is a recognized phenomenon, with the potential to ruin families and reputations. The casinos would seem to be feeding into this process by extending loans to people who have already gambled away the money they had for that purpose. Is it too much to suggest to the gambler who thinks he is just one chance away from catching an elusive windfall that maybe it is time to walk away from the table?

Bartenders are charged with the responsibility to avoid overserving patrons who have reached their limit of drinks. In fact they can be charged with an offense if they sell a patron more drinks than he can handle. Why should casinos be enabled to pass on to local government the consequences of allowing patrons to gamble beyond their means? Banning markers seems like a reasonable alternative.