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Laughlin church service started in 1992
It's actually nothing new for church congregations to meet in casino space but this service takes place just feet from the buzzing slot machines
The Independent this weekend profiled a congregation that replaces church pews with slot machines.
Inside the 800-seat Don’s Celebrity Theatre of the Riverside Resort and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, just past the poker tables, rows of chairs fill up for a Catholic mass.
“We sometimes joke that we’re the only Catholic church that has valet parking,” Father Charlie Urnick, the longtime pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, told The Independent.
It actually all began in 1992 when about 500 residents petitioned the Diocese of Reno to send a priest to Laughlin.
From Erin Keller of The Independent:
Father John McShane began celebrating Mass in local casinos that same year.
As the congregation grew, services moved in 1996 to the Riverside showroom, where they have continued ever since.
St. John the Baptist Parish now has its own church building, constructed in 2003, about five miles from the casino, but weekend Mass at the casino draws larger crowds.
Parishioners often contribute to the collection basket in the form of casino chips or slot tickets, redeemed by volunteers affectionately nicknamed “chip munks.”
Weekend Masses continue to draw a wide mix of worshippers, from parishioners who prefer the visibility and accessibility of the casino setting to tourists who hear about it by word of mouth, including valet attendants from nearby resorts.
Unlike some religious denominations (i.e. the Mormons), the Catholic Church does not consider gambling inherently sinful, but it teaches that gambling must be practiced in moderation and without harming oneself or others.
While the Riverside Resort setup in Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino is probably the best-known example, there have been a few other instances of Catholic Masses and Christian services being held inside casinos or casino-owned venues.
In early Las Vegas history, priests occasionally held Masses inside hotel-casinos before permanent parishes were established nearby.
Several casino-hotels in Nevada and Atlantic City have hosted temporary Christmas Masses, Easter services, or interfaith worship for guests during holidays and conventions.
Some tribal casinos have hosted Catholic or Protestant services in conference centers for employees or nearby rural communities lacking churches.
Then there was the Covid pandemic in 2020.
A few Nevada and Louisiana casino conference rooms were temporarily used for socially distanced worship gatherings when traditional church seating was limited as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
What makes the Riverside/Laughlin situation most unique perhaps is that mass is held literally steps from the gaming floor.
“On a Saturday night, the first Mass always has an upbeat vibe,” Father Urnick said. “People are arriving for the weekend—they’re going to dinner or a show later, sometimes even in the same room where Mass is held.”
“The Sunday noon Mass is different,” he added. “People are checking out, heading home after Mass. But in between, a lot of people come and make a day of it.”
- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com
