Shooting Galleries

I imagine most of us are familiar with the term Shooting Gallery.

Found usually in urban areas they are places where addicts, particularly heroin addicts, can go to shoot up in relative safety from police interactions. Fellow addicts will be there, used needles may be available, nodding off in relative safety is possible. Often its only for 'street dwellers' or those not far from it.

Wealthier addicts often shoot up at home or with friends.

I wonder if gambling parallels the advantages and disadvantages of shooting galleries.

Originally one had to go to Sin City's sawdust joints to gamble.

Later casinos went upscale but still offer a socially oriented 'buzz'.

Places such as Dotty's however are totally unlike a shooting gallery.

Dotty offers no social interaction, just a machine, a really nice chair a drink holder and an ashtray.
If you want to change games, you do it from your own seat since each machine has dozens of games inside it. No music, no 'buzz', no hordes of employees, no nightclubs, no groveling for comps.

Just as some druggies want to shoot up in private or with a few close friends, some gamblers want to gamble at their own machine without any frills or social interaction.

We often describe gambling as an addiction and I wonder if there are some basic genetic influences between those who seek a group experience such as in a shooting gallery and those who want a solitary experience such at a Dotty's establishment devoid of all frills and social interaction.

Now no one has to go to sin city or to a major casino.

Perhaps the ultimate 'shooting gallery' is Online Gambling. Your own home, your own friends, your own 'needle'. A solitary addiction.

I'm not going to say anything about good or bad, just wonder if genetics plays a role is such behavior or not.

I think it does. There are proven genetic links to alcoholism and other addictive behavior in families as well as shyness. I think these can certainly work together.

That being said, I don't think you need to go to a Dotty's to gamble alone. There are plenty of folks who go to large casinos and never speak to a human being. Even in bars and restaurants, you will find entire groups of people who supposedly are there to spend time with each other, but are only paying attention to their handheld devices.

True but they are still in what would officially be called a social situation rather than the clearly solitary Dottys and LocalSuperMarkets. They support the 'buzz', they just don't partake of the offerings, whereas at Dottys its pure solitary gambling with no distracting offerings of music, booze or teeming hordes.

While the experience at a Dotty's is more solitary than that at a large resort, I don't think it is completely without human contact. There may be a regular group that meets there, or the players may have a relationship with the attendant. I would be surprised if it was mainly genetic disposition that steered folks to a Dotty's vs a casino/resort. I think it is primarily location convenience, and the availability or non-availability of promotions at the casino (e.g., "early bird discount" or "senior day").

Quote: FleaStiff

True but they are still in what would officially be called a social situation rather than the clearly solitary Dottys and LocalSuperMarkets. They support the 'buzz', they just don't partake of the offerings, whereas at Dottys its pure solitary gambling with no distracting offerings of music, booze or teeming hordes.

They offer booze and many of them have regulars who socialize.

So do the people who go to Stage Door go there to drink cheap, do they go there to drink cheap and socialize and then gamble, or do they go there to gamble and drink and then socialize?

Change Stage Door to any of the VP bars in Vegas.

My point is everyone has their reasons to look for their escape. Your mileage may vary.

Where are the "shooting galleries" in Las Vegas?

Good places to avoid.

Quote: MrV

Where are the "shooting galleries" in Las Vegas?

Good places to avoid.

Las Vegas Metro Police maintain a searchable "crime map".

The Dotty's by me, on Sunset, is pretty social.