You bet, new campus group examines gambling

Money, sex, alcohol, Las Vegas -- all these things symbolize gambling for much of the American public. A new campus group, however, is looking at gambling in a new light. The Penn Gaming and Finance Club, which is led by Wharton senior Matt Stone and College senior Bill Cobb, views gambling as an industry rather than as mere entertainment. "Our main goal is to go to Vegas," said Stone Wednesday night at the club's introductory meeting. Stone also told the handful of students of the club's many other goals. "We want to bring in speakers from all aspects of the industry to share their experiences," said Stone. "We're also looking forward to taking trips to the race tracks and various casinos." Stone said he hopes to find speakers on a variety of topics that will help students to understand the gambling industry. He said that it is interesting to hear how different establishments are "dealing with strict state laws," and if the people involved will push for more lenient regulations. Stone also said he hopes to bring in a guest to address how the industry defends itself against bad publicity that connects gaming to chronic gambling and alcoholism. And he discussed the charity function that the club plans to hold. "We want to get casinos and businesses of the industry to donate tables and chips and we'll hold a casino night and then donate the money to a charity like the Ronald McDonald House," Stone said. Acknowledging that the new club might appeal mainly to Wharton students, Cobb said, that "We welcome anyone who is interested in any aspect of gambling." "A benefit of this group is the intimate contacts you can't really get in larger groups such as the Finance Club," Cobb said. "In our club, students have the chance to work one on one and meet many prominent figures in the gaming industry." The two leaders said they hope to gather a group of 15 students for the new club, and said it is a good way to meet other students and businessmen. "If you want to meet high powered people and network with small groups, come to our meetings," Stone said.