The first time I made the connection between gambling and music was lying by the pool at the Luxor in Las Vegas, amazed to hear Bob Marley wafting from the vast array of hidden speakers, plus ZZ Top, REO Speedwagon, Journey and the rest of the rock and roll anthems that strike a nostalgic chord with the baby boomers. I'm not a successful gambler, but I do know a bit about marketing. With "Sin City" intent on becoming a "family" destination, it made perfect sense to make Mom and Dad feel comfortable by spinning their favorite oldies so they would keep feeding the one armed bandits.
Music is an important part of the casino environment, an extra added attraction to placate the losers, along with free drinks and cheap food. Both gaming resorts in Connecticut not only have live "cover" bands churning out the tunes nonstop, but also provide a canny mix of over the hill rockers to the extent that, when I see the listings, my first reaction is to assume the band members have squandered their fortunes to the point where they'll take any gig they can get. The casinos on the Strip are no exception, the most notable in my memory being a kick ass funk fusion group set on a stage in the middle of "Central Park", the huge main floor of New York, New York, with the slots tucked away between artificial trees and fake shrubbery. I still have a gray plastic microphone that I got from the Motown Cafe, a short walk through the "park" , further enhancing what the gaming gurus like to call the "casino experience" with a perpetual tribute to the power of soul. The other ironic aspect of this cultural shift is that while Vegas grew up on the slick sophistication of the Rat Pack, Dino & Frank & Sammy & Joey have been shoved aside by boomer favorites like Michael MacDonald, ZZ Top themselves and the other aging rockers still able to hit the road.
I experienced the linkage between gaming and music this past New Year's Eve at Rhode Island's own Twin Rivers. The massive open building was mobbed with revelers wearing ersatz top hats. Between the seemingly endless rows of nickel, penny and quarter slots and the central bar, management had planted a "cover" band, perhaps designed to keep the adrenalin up, belting out (What else?) "Don't stop BEE-LEEV- IN!" and the other Glory Days rock anthems while the patrons eagerly fed the machines.
Maybe it's time for a dose of reality in the casino mix. I think most people would appreciate Snoop Dogg's musical advice - "Got my mind on my money and my money on my mind- " before they bet the family farm. As P. Diddy points out -"It's all about the Benjamins baby!"
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