Florida Casino Pays 10 Cents Per Pound of Fat
An organization is granting the wishes of those who share my lifelong dream of getting paid to eat. In honor of Fat Tuesday, South Florida’s Gulfstream Racing and Casino is offering players 10 cents of complimentary gambling for every pound they pack in a promotion that shares the holiday’s name.
“If you gain 10 pounds, you get a buck in free play,” Gulfstream’s director of marketing, Michael Goldin, tells the Sun Sentinel. “We don’t care if they have lead in their shoes, or bring their purse up with them — and we round up.” They also serve up fresh batches of Krispy Kreme donuts to help put on some last-minute pounds.
This year is the promotion’s second anniversary. Despite fears of ‘Fat Tuesday’ lacking taste, last year’s promotion enjoyed great success.
“Last year, we wondered if people would do it, and we had some pretty big boys show up. People aren’t as shy as you’d think,” Goldin said.
The promotion is a tongue-in-cheek jab at the casino’s crosstown competitor, the Mardis Gras Casino.
“You know, they should really own Fat Tuesday because of their name, so we decided to create a parody,” Goldin said. “We wanted something people could have fun with.”
To further encourage this mantra, the casino gave away $500 in cash every 30 minutes from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and plans to dole out more of the same from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Fat Tuesday isn’t the only food-centric promotion in which Gulfstream will indulge. The racing and casino park will host a Gourmet Food Truck Rally on Saturdays February 25th, and March 24th. Though not as exciting as receiving money for pounds, Gulfstream paired up with Chef Ralph Pagano (of Hell’s Kitchen and Iron Chef) to bring together tons of tantalizing Miami food trucks and entertain guests with “chef-driven food truck events,” states Miami Food Trucks. The rally will kick off the track’s horse races on its respective days.
For those fortunate enough to be in the area, grab an extra slice of king cake and join Gulfstream’s festivities. It’s the best kind of calorie-counting.
