A friend of mine called and asked about my plans for the July 4th holiday. Filling up at Bucees and then heading over to the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles, LA. The family was in town, and since they love "going up the hill," (a homage to Black Hawk, CO)…why lie, I enjoy hitting the slots too, I told him.
"Don't do it," he warns me. Last weekend, he and a friend went to the Nugget. It was so packed there were wait-times to play. His opinion hit up the Delta Downs Casino. It's closer. Plus, since we planned on playing slots only, the extra drive time and the crowds could be avoided.
He didn't have to tell me twice. I mention it to the "fam" and off we went.
Oh, and with a final parting smidgen of advice, he warns, "make sure nobody in your group is sick because the casino is checking temperatures. If anyone has a fever, they aren't getting in."
Any other time, his warning would be ignored as being postulated by some doomsday prepper talking out of his bug-out bag. Still, these are the new realities of life during the Covid-19 pandemic. "No problem, we're good," I tell him, and off we went.
Directions
If you're coming from Texas, Vinton is the first town in Louisiana travelers reach after crossing the Sabine River, the border between the two states. Just north of town, you will find the Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel. This proximity explains why it's quite popular with people who can't wait to start playing the slots.
But getting to it is not easy. After making your exit, it takes about ten minutes of meandering through desolate roads highlighted by a "rough crossing." It can be daunting, especially at night. So I recommend first-timers stop at one of the gas-stations off Exit 4 and put the address in their GPS device. Since, I've already "bought the t-shirt," I just follow the signs.
Covid-19
After arriving, I immediately notice the front of the hotel was sealed off with the expectation of one lane, passenger pick-up/drop-off only. I used it to drop off the fam, parked, and then rejoined them.
As we walk in, a concierge is passing out masks, which I learn is not a requirement to wear one, but they strongly encourage it. Being we had our own, we politely decline. Next comes the temperature station my buddy was warning about. "Stand right there," the attendant directs me, and after a few seconds, he says, "You're good to go." Impressive, a full-body heat scanner!
"The only time a person can walk into a bank wearing a mask," said a Meme at the start of the shutdown.
And here we are, in a scene reminiscent of your favorite heist movie, with mask-wearers strewn about. I'm sure it has to be hell for security, but then again, "casinos aren't built with money from winners." Hence, I am not at all surprised they asked me to lower my mask to take my picture. In his words, "So they know who you are."
Casino
More often than not, my winnings at the casino are comparable to the number of fish I've caught over the years, nil. With this in mind, my plan is to hunker down for the next couple of hours at different slots hoping to find a rhythm, one, where I can play a while without dropping too much dough, i.e., play with their money.
For some unknown reason, today felt different, as if the odds were forever in my favor. If Clint Eastwood had asked me, "Are you feeling lucky, punk?" I would have said, "Yes, I do!"
Perhaps this newfound confidence came from wearing a mask. So I plop down at the first machine and insert a recently withdrawn one-hundred-dollar bill. Approximately ten minutes later, it was gone, I had blown through it. So much for feeling lucky, I guess.
Not at all deterred, I went to withdraw more money from the ATM. The machine wasn't working, so I paid a visit to the cashier.
The nice lady behind the plexiglass window tells me that in order to conduct any transaction, I had to sign up for their B Connected rewards program. I said, "fine."
After signing up and withdrawing the money, I went in search of that winning machine, which I did find.
Her name was Stars and Stripes, which was fitting for the holiday. She was beautiful but expensive. I take a seat in front of her and nod my head out of respect. When the server comes to take drink orders, I dismiss her with a wave. Nothing was to interfere with my pursuit. I insert another crisp one-hundred-dollar bill and play the max bet, three dollars a spin. Do or Die, baby!
Over the next hour, she and I would wrangle bare-fisted. Whenever she had me down for the count, I would stand up before the count of ten. At times, it seems like she got tired, which is impossible, but she tried and tried, but couldn't take me out. Then it happened, bonus spins, 15 to be exact. Yeah, baby!
Let it roll, I said, let it roll! After 15 spins, I ended up with $370 hundred in winnings, which I played down to $200 hundred and then cashed out. Mission accomplished, today was a good day. I "pushed" against the casino.
Food and Drink
If you need need to satisfy your hunger; more aptly, a respite from the action, there is a grill serving up hamburgers and the like. Or if you want to full-service, the casino has a sit-down restaurant serving up steaks in the main concourse. There is a buffet restaurant located upstairs too, but for obvious reasons, it is closed. We did think about grabbing a bite to eat, but since none of us were truly hungry, we decided to wait and have something on the road instead.
Racetrack
As a sports fanatic, I've been watching the Triple Crown - Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes on TV since I was a kid. Yet, I have never been to a racetrack. Watching horses run around a track doesn't grab my attention, nothing personal it's just not my thing.
However, before heading home for the day, we decided to have a look at the racetrack located outback. When we get there, we are pleasantly surprised to see a healthy-sized crowd in attendance. Unbeknownst to us, live racing was going on. Now I can't tell you if this a regular Saturday night affair or a July 4th one but figured that we might as well watch a race or two since we're already there.
Now if you want me to start lying to you ask me how the betting works, I don't have a clue in the world. Although I'm sure, it's not hard to learn. Plus, there are instructions on how to bet placed everywhere. But no, we're here to watch, which we did.
It was violent but beautiful.
They're off! If there was a race caller, I didn't hear him. The crack of the whip and the sound of hooves pounding on dirt as the horses galloped at full speed was deafening. The exhilaration is short but intense, somewhat comparable to two championship fighters going toe-to-toe until the final bell rings. I could feel the crowd's energy and shared in their jubilance after the race. I've always wondered what it was like to watch a chariot race at the Circus Maximus in ancient Rome. Today, as we celebrate our independence, I experienced it at the Delta Downs Racetrack at Vinton in Louisiana.
Verdict
I wholly-heartedly recommend spending the day at the Delta Downs. If horse-racing is your thing, it appears this venue is on par with some of the best in the country, albeit with cowboys hats the headgear of choice instead of fedoras. As for the casino, slots only - no table games, making it smaller than some of the other casinos in the region. As previously mentioned, this is the first "big" casino after crossing over from Texas. If you want to play quickly without driving to Lake Charles. The Delta Downs Racetrack Hotel Casino is the perfect day getaway.