Gambling Has No Age Limit

By Justin Marr

You can usually find her sitting in a wheelchair, smoking a cigarette, and enjoying the ambient sounds of slot machines around her.
Beatrice Meads, an Onsted, Mich., native said the best way to pass the time is by dropping coins in the nickel slots at Soaring Eagle Casino.
“I’ve been gambling for about two years now,” she said. “I had never gambled before, but think I’m pretty much hooked now.”
In 2005, Beatrice moved in with her daughter and son-in-law, Ron and Sharon Bowen, to assist her in living.
Ron and Sharon couldn’t get Beatrice to gamble until recently.
“I would beg her to go with us sometimes, but she’s never been one to go out,” Sharon said. “Once she moved in with us though, we finally convinced her to go with us. It’s all history from there.”
The three make trips to Mount Pleasant once every two weeks.
The trio will leave early in the morning to spend most of the day gambling.
“Mom’s (Beatrice) bedtime is six-o-clock so we usually don’t stay too late in the evening,” Sharon said. “She tends to get a little drowsy, which is how I know it’s time to leave.”
Ron and Sharon have been to casinos all over Michigan and Canada, and try to get Beatrice to venture outside of Mount Pleasant.
After trying one other casino, Beatrice is convinced Soaring Eagle is the best.
“I’ve been to the MGM Casino in Detroit and I just didn’t like it,” she said. “It doesn’t pay out like the Soaring Eagle. Plus I just love Mount Pleasant and that area.”
The 82 year-old woman has been handicapped for six years and has never worked a day in her life. She’s had to find other ways to gain “casino money” because of it.
Fortunately for her that hasn’t been a problem.
“I have my social security check, I don’t want to gamble with that at the casino,” she said. “Everyday I give my son-in-law money and he goes to the gas station to buy me lottery tickets. I just save up the winners and cash them when it’s time to hit the casino.”
The most she has won is $360, which she can still remember clearly.
“I sat at this one machine for two hours,” she said. “I was down to my last few credits and I was suddenly in the bonus and $360 ahead. I was so happy I almost jumped, but instead we just left after that.”
Beatrice has been content with slots since she started gambling.
She said the tables or virtual games just don’t look as appealing or fun as the slot machines do.
There is one casino wish she has yet to fulfill though.
“Before I die, I’m going to see the Chippendales,” she said. “I’ve never been to a show before and all of my daughters tell me this is the one to see.”