Rural Ways Visits Vegas

In Las Vegas, I believe that it is possible to wager money on most sporting events. In fact, I believe that it is possible to place bets on individual performances within sporting events, like whether or not Derek Jeter will get a hit in the fourth inning of today's game. What I do not know is how to place the bet or collect my winnings. So, last night, as I wandered through a Vegas casino with one of my colleagues, I attempted to find out. I made my way to the sports betting portion of the casino and tried to follow the action. I don't know if it was the noise, the haze of cigarette smoke, or the free drinks, but I was unable to solve the mystery. There were dozens of television screens showing everything from horse racing to hockey; there were betting "windows" consisting of computer screens; and there were lots of people sitting there; but it was difficult to discern the winners from the losers. The participants didn't much like me looking over their shoulders either, and, after a couple of threatening glares, my colleague said, "Hey, we look like a couple of hayseeds. We'd better get out of here." So, we went—staggering through the maze, the din, the smoke, the slack jaws, and the half dark, looking for the door.