Hmmmm.... I was going to stay out of this gambling aspect of the thread but I saw a post that needed some follow up.
Okay lets take it one by one:
I think all I'm trying to figure out here is how exactly putting Marvel characters on slot machines is in any way equivalent to pushing gambling on children?
My response to this is a question. How was "Joe Camel", celebrity use ads, and similar advertising responsible for getting children to smoke? (Uh oh, I hear the din of the usual suspects taking this question to task.) The threat was so bad, the federal government and outside interest spent decades limiting speech to keep kids from smoking.
How exactly are these children in a place where they can even see the slot machines?
Walking through any big casino in Vegas, kids are walking with their parents on their way to everything. Aside from the actual lobby portion of any major Vegas property, restaurants, arcades, elevators, escalators, and restrooms are located amongst the many "wheels of chance." You can sit in a restaurant as a child and watch adults playing these games. Heck, you can see out of the arcade windows. At the Native-American casinos, visibility of these games are no different.
Don't think the previous paragraph is relevant? It's also not limited to casinos. Ever been to the Vegas airport? Slots and video are mixed in the terminals and adjacent to all waiting areas. In fact, if you have a couple of quarters in your pocket while waiting for your table at Macayo's, you can wager them in the waiting area. When getting a pack of gum at the Circle K, you can use your change on the video slot behind you.
Honest question.
Honest answers.
Sidenote: Any casino I've ever been to also has Wizard of Oz, Batman, and Star Wars slots... should we not be mad about these properties "pushing" gambling on children? Why only hold Disney to this strange standard?
I enjoy games of chance. Some people have objections. On a Disney oriented website and discussion board, you are going to find the conversations focused on Disney. There are probably people upset that those other entities have diluted their brand but again this site is mostly Disney. I am sure you can still find people upset by the "designated hitter". They just might not relate it to Disney here, but I digress.
Some people that have posted here are focusing on the "family friendly" image that many divisions of the company hon and craft. Those folks might have "moral" issues also. Companies and their leaders still take "moral" stands to their betterment or detriment such as Chick-Fil-A.
Other people here have clearly stated that this clear hypocrisy, especially in Florida, is the thing that concerns them. This can be for business reasons, (read: Preventing competition from casinos while still benefiting by licensing IP. ) or concerns from stockholders that the value might take a hit if someone really focuses on Disney's hand in the "gambling cookie jar". There have been a myriad of explanations for concerns expressed by individuals.
Sometimes I really think that there is a lot of grasping at straws to find things to pick at the Mouse over. All it really seems to do is drown out the bigger (more important) picture of things that are actually flawed in the company.
People find value in different things. I completely agree that there are HUGE issues with Disney theme park operations in the United States. The company also has made some errors in live action and animation decisions lately. Ultimately, it seems, most of the blame for The Walt Disney Company's issues is in management. That box of rocks will get tossed in the river soon enough. (Maybe not soon enough for me.)
Personally, I do not gamble much anymore. I have other diversions that consume my "play" money. I have no problem with what people want to spend their money on.
I do have a problem in any loss of "value" with any part of my investments in TWDC. If they can successfully navigate the PR issues that could be associated with the "gambling" issue, so be it. I would prefer they not grab any third rail.
I do think Disney should stay out of gambling for all the reasons folks have stated above. Most especially this one:
*1023*
EDITED: For clarity...
