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Patrons lament loss of slot clubs

Frequent visitors to video game rooms say the order to close them did more harm than good this holiday weekend.

By JORGE SANCHEZ
Published December 27, 2005

INVERNESS - Customers of area game rooms say the state attorney's move last week to effectively close the businesses deprived them of an opportunity to spend Christmas Day with friends, enjoying a covered-dish potluck meal and having some fun playing video slots.

At Lady Jo's Game Room on U.S. 41 S at Eden Drive, the owners had planned to fix turkeys, with customers scheduled to complete the Christmas menu with various covered dishes. But the festivities never happened.

"We wanted to be open on a day where every place else was closed, so seniors would have a place to go," said Mike O'Gara, 61, owner of Lady Jo's. "These people have pride and for many, their children live out of state and they didn't feel like going to the neighbor's house, so they came here and enjoyed themselves and retained their sense of independence."

Among the customers who would have attended were Roslie Greenwell-Kilgus and her husband, Glen.

"We were charter customers," she said. "This was supposed to be a big day for the seniors. I guess about 250 would have shown up and they probably had to spend the day alone.

"What possible good was served by that?" she asked.

Lady Jo's owner O'Gara said his customers were loyal, because they could play video slots there without spending a lot of money, could enjoy free food and could visit with each other.

"We had area nursing homes sending people here on day trips, that's how popular it was," O'Gara said. "We were not taking advantage of anybody and we gave back to the community. I would see my customers at Outback, spending the gift certificates they won at Lady Jo's."

The video game rooms do not pay winners in cash; rather, they pay in gift certificates that are good at numerous businesses.

O'Gara said he met with Sheriff Jeff Dawsy around Thanksgiving after hearing rumors that the clubs were under investigation. He said he left the meeting feeling positive that he was operating legally.

But on Dec. 20, detectives and deputies closed down the county's six video game rooms. They delivered a letter from Assistant State Attorney Mark D. Simpson, which warned that they were using their video slot machines illegally and could face possible prosecution unless they stop.

"Now, I can't get anyone from the Sheriff's Office to even return my calls," O'Gara said.

The businesses that were closed were ULC Recreational Center 1, 299 E Gulf to Lake Highway (State Road 44), Lecanto; ULC Recreational Center 2, 1239 S Suncoast Blvd. (U.S. 19), Homosassa; Video Tyme Too, 4980 S Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa; Nick's Game Room, 5372 S Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa; Lady Jo's Game Room, 804 S U.S. 41, Inverness; and Lady Jo's Game Room, 957 U.S. 41, Inverness.

Similar warnings were issued in Hernando County.

O'Gara had closed Lady Jo's for the day on Dec. 20 to attend a funeral for a family member, and learned of the news after he returned from the memorial service, he said. The two video gaming rooms are named after his wife, Joan "Lady Jo" O'Gara. She said she got the nickname Lady Jo while working as a taxicab driver in Albany, N.Y.

Another video gaming room customer, Susan Merendino, 44, of Spring Hill, said she and her 76-year-old mother, Dorothy Roth, were frequent players at Spin-A-Mania Game Room in Spring Hill, which was also closed Dec. 20.

"My father passed away in 2002 and this was the just about only fun activity my mother had. She is always telling me "Now, at least, I have someplace to go and have fun,"' Merendino said.

She said they considered going to casinos in Tampa, "But it's too expensive. You can blow through a couple hundred bucks there in no time."

She said they played for hours for $10 or $15.

At gaming rooms such as Lady Jo's, the video slots play for pennies and nickels, O'Gara said. A typical play costs about 40 cents on a nickel machine, he said.

"People are not spending the rent money," he said. "It's like if they're going out to a social club and want to buy a soda and a hot dog. Here you get that for free if you play for a little while. It's the same difference."

The letter from the state attorney cited three Florida statutes that the gaming parlors were allegedly violating. The letter said the machines themselves weren't illegal, but that the manner in which they were being used constituted gambling.

"Based on my review I have determined that the "manner" in which the games were played by investigators in your business are games of chance which contain no significant level of skill," Simpson wrote in his letter.

O'Gara said he signed two separate two-year leases for the two Lady Jo's outlets in Inverness, and he's facing a financial hardship if he can't reopen. He opened in November 2004.

"I've met with the Sheriff's Office and tried to comply with everything to make it legal. When they said putting coins in the machine was illegal, we switched to debit cards," he said. "I just don't know what's going to happen, but I know a lot of people who counted on spending some time here having fun and visiting with their friends are real unhappy."

Merendino agreed, saying the cost of having fun there is a lot cheaper than at a casino or a cruise ship where gambling is allowed.

"It's not like they're spending the rent money. This is their "fun money,' Merendino said. "And you know what? My mother told me, "Hey, it's my retirement money. I worked all my life for it and I should be able to spend it any way I please."'

--Jorge Sanchez can be reached at 860-7313 or e-mail at sanchez@sptimes.com

[Last modified December 27, 2005, 02:15:08]