ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 24, 1996 TAG: 9608260038
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
Casinos to take plastic at table; critics cry foul
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - A losing streak clean you out at the blackjack table? Don't walk away. At Atlantic City's casinos, you will soon be able to whip out a credit or ATM card and buy more chips without leaving the table.
In a move harshly criticized by experts on compulsive gambling, New Jersey regulators have agreed to let casinos accept credit cards and debit cards for the purchase of chips and slot tokens.
``I don't see it as a big impact at all. It's a matter of convenience, not an opening of floodgates into a customer's bank account,'' said Timothy Wilmott, president of Harrah's Casino Hotel.
Currently, the only way to buy chips is with cash. There is no shortage of cash outlets in casinos: ATM machines, credit card cash machines and casino credit offices. But gamblers still have to get up from the table or the slots, walk to the machine and actually get the money.
Some Las Vegas casinos allow the purchase of chips with ATM cards but not credit cards.
Critics say the practice will ruin some problem gamblers and make even casual ones lose more than they want to.
``In the act of walking away from a machine and walking outside or into the lobby, it gives someone a breaking point. In some cases, it might give you the time you need to cool down and think about what you're doing,'' said Chuck Micciche, deputy director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.
- Associated Press
Bankruptcies
Five bankruptcies with business affiliations have been filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Western Virginia at Roanoke. Three of them are personal bankruptcies that the court listed as businesses because they have commercial connections and could be of interest to business creditors and customers.
Mine Products Inc. of Richlands, a distributor of mining products, filed for liquidation with assets of $25,000 and liabilities of $139,595.
Leslie M. Baldwin McClellan of Roanoke, trading as Mirrors of Miracles Beauty Salon, filed for liquidation listing assets of $15,251 and liabilities of $36,486.
Roger W. Coleman of Keen Mountain filed for business reorganization and protection from creditors, but filed individually and did not name a business. He estimated assets at less than $50,000 and liabilities at more than $1 million.
Sheila R. Shreve of Hardy, trading as Sheila's Klip-N-Kurl, filed for a wage-earner plan for repayment of debts. She had assets of $15,375 and liabilities of $30,751.
Robert L. Havens Jr. and Terri Thompson Havens of Pearisburg filed for a wage-earner plan for repayment of debts with assets of $21,336 and liabilities of $41,035. They own a truck farm, and Terri Havens is a self-employed baby sitter.
- Staff report
Blue Eagle lands postal contract
Blue Eagle Partnership of Roanoke has received an $81,696 contract from the U.S. Postal Service office in Greensboro, N.C., for construction work in Rustburg.
- States News Service
Toyota recalls Tacoma trucks
DALLAS - A potential structural flaw that could affect suspension and steering in Toyota Tacomas has prompted the company to recall 90,000 late-model pickups.
Labor expenses alone for the modifications of Toyota's best-selling trucks from 1995-96 could run as much as $30 million.
Only two-wheel-drive models of the Tacoma are affected by the recall, for which notification letters will be sent to truck owners before Sept. 1.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Medium: 79 linesby CNB