As of late, many seniors are celebrating their 18th birthdays. This milestone brings a variety of new privileges to these young adults, including the ability to gamble. A handful of senior boys are taking full advantage of this privilege by visiting casinos.

Senior Andy Johnson is one of many Red Knights that engages in gambling activities. He has attended multiple different casinos in the state of Minnesota, but his favorite is Mystic Lake. Johnson is fond of this particular casino due to its easy accessibility. “I like Mystic Lake casino the most out of all the casinos here in Minnesota…it’s 25 minutes from my house so it’s all good for me,” Johnson said.

Playing games and gambling money is not the only reason students are going to casinos. Having a good time with friends is the best part according to senior Easton Breyfogle. Winning money together is a great time and the fellas like to celebrate together. After every winning hand in Blackjack, Johnson stands up and does the Christiano Ronaldo celebration. This often gets him in trouble with the dealer, but he enjoys it too much to stop. “The best part about going to the casino is spending quality time with your boys. Even if you lose money, the time you spend with your friends is priceless,” Breyfogle said.

Gambling is not all fun and games; participants risk losing a substantial amount of money. Although Johnson has never lost any money at a real casino, he has lost hundreds of dollars at online casinos. Johnson believes that it is easier to lose money at online casinos, therefore he now only gambles in person. Despite these losses, Johnson has won a lot of money; his record win stands at 300 dollars. “I actually never took an L on the real casino, but I’ve lost a couple 100 [dollars] on the online casino a couple times, it is what it is,” Johnson said.

Blackjack is the most popular form of gambling amongst those who participate at BSM. This is due to the statistical odds of winning. Gamblers know that they have the best chance of winning money through playing blackjack. The second most popular game is roulette. This is less of a skill game and it involves more luck. Johnson prefers these two games because most of the other games at Mystic Lake are online. “I don’t dabble in any other games because the other games at Mystic Lake are online, and I don’t rock with that,” Johnson said.