I have been reading reviews of casinos including The Rivers and Mountaineer. The machines are too tight? You've got to be kidding me! What do you think a casino is in business for? To give away money? I think not.

If one goes to the casino in any hope or expectation of winning (over the long haul), forget about it. Take what you can afford to lose, and expect to lose it. The "tightness" of the machines may determine whether your bankroll is gone in ten minutes or ten hours, but when the day is done, in the words of a certain fictitious casino manager Ace Rothstein, "In the end, we're the only winners. The players don't stand a chance."

So in terms of my review of The Meadows, when I win $400, the machines are loose. When I lose $400, the machines are tight. The choice is mine as to whether that $400 remains in my pocket or goes into the coffers of the casino. So instead of bellyaching, go and have fun with what you can afford to lose, or stay home and play Wii.

And for those who believe a casino will do itself in by having too tight a payout schedule, they'll still be serving their clientele while the rest of us lie in our graves. Good luck, wherever you choose to go!