Ban slot machines in Las Vegas grocery stores?
Why not?And while you're at it, go ahead and outlaw cars in Detroit and beef in Kansas City.
Don't bet on it.
Mayor Jan Jones has proposed a ban on slot machines in new grocery and convenience stores in this gambling mecca, eventually making it retroactive to existing stores - an idea not everyone supports.
"I think it would take a lot of profit away from local businesses," Las Vegan Julie Palmer said while playing a quarter machine at a local 7-Eleven store. "Most of the time I don't like to play at casinos. I'd rather stop and play while I'm shopping."
One of the attractions - or distractions - of Las Vegas is that you're never far from a chance to part with some loose change or big bucks. Slot machines stand ready in nearly every grocery, convenience and drug store.
They are in 2,000 retail outlets statewide - providing $15 million in state tax revenue.
Jones, who suggested the ban a few months ago, has formed a committee to study the issue and hopes to draft a plan that "doesn't cause a major revolt."
The mayor sees no contradiction in banning gambling machines in grocery stores while encouraging them on the glitzy Strip.
And forget the analogy of banning cars in Detroit.
"They don't sell cars in supermarkets in Detroit," she said Friday. "Ever see an assembly line in a Detroit supermarket?"