8 Questions for Quack who filed Chuck E. Cheese Gambling Lawsuit

May 25th, 2011. By AbiK

Never thought “Chuck E. Cheese’s” and “Gambling Addiction” would live in the same sentence—or headline—but this, I believe, is what happens when someone who claims, in court documents, to have taken her children (ages 3 and 5) to Chuck E. Cheese’s numerous—got that? NUMEROUS—times finally wakes up and realizes what a fool she’s been, and subsequently, what to do? Many of us would just lay low for a while by sitting a sort of self-imposed shiva-for-shame (with all due respect for those of the Jewish faith out there)—you know, cancel a few playdates, that sort of thing. Not so Denise Keller. Her way to deal with self-loathing and mortification? Sue the source of it all: Chuck E. Cheese’s of course. So here we are…

The Defendant: Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants (I use the term loosely—they do serve food).

The Allegations: Some of the games at Chuck E. Cheese’s are actually illegal gambling devices and could foster addictive behavior in children. (At least that’s what Denise Keller, a mom and local real estate agent from San Diego, who’s sued CEC Entertainment—owners of Chuck E. Cheese’s—thinks.)

The Questions: As a mom—and one who’s been to a Chuck E. Cheese’s birthday party or two—I have some questions about this lawsuit. Particularly if I’m going to need to line up some psych assessments for my kids in about fifteen years—was Chuck E. Cheese’s the root of all evil in their lives?

See, it’s not like there’s been a causal relationship established between Chuck E. Cheese’s and gambling compulsion—like with Mirapex. And even though I was not a proponent of the Kill the Happy Meal lawsuit, I get it. There’s real harm if a lax parent feeds a child a steady diet of Happy Meals. So I’ve got some serious questions—8 of ’em for Ms. Keller regarding this lawsuit. Here they are:

1. How often do you take your kid to Chuck E. Cheese’s?

Please define “numerous”. My kids have gotten several birthday invitations for parties there. We’ve gone to two. One would’ve been enough. And for damn sure it wouldn’t have been because of any fear of gambling addiction.

2. How long do you stay at Chuck E. Cheese when you go?

Most birthday parties are in the 2-hour range. Two hours would not seem to be enough to create an addiction. And the guilt-driven affirmative RSVP to a birthday party is truly the only reason to set foot in a CEC.

3. Where is your child getting the money to pay for Chuck E. Cheese tokens?

If you’re your child’s Chuck E. Cheese ATM, then guess what? You’re the one feeding, creating and abetting the “addiction”.

4. You know they serve beer at Chuck E. Cheese’s, right?

And with good reason. Most parents are primed for a mug or two by the time the big rat comes out on stage. Particularly if the rat scares the crap out of your kid, as it did with mine. Forget gambling addiction, my child will need years of therapy to just be able to select The Tale of Despereaux on Netflix: c’mon sweetie, you can do it…hold the remote steady…steadeeee…

5. Isn’t gambling a game of chance—where you can also lose, and lose pretty big?

Chuck E. Cheese arcade games are not exactly games of chance. There’s more at risk when you pick up a “Chance” card in Monopoly. And it’s not like you can win big either—big for a child being a trip to Disney World with a DSi and an unlimited supply of Dunkin Munchkins for the ride. All that’s lost when a kid goes to Chuck E. Cheese’s is the cash mom or dad has laid out, along with mom or dad’s sanity. Gambling Nick the Greek style requires chance, and putting something at stake.

PS—My favorite quote from the filing is one that basically equates Chuck E. Cheese ‘gambling’ to hard-core visions of James Caan in “The Gambler”; it says that arcade games at Chuck E. Cheese’s “create the same highs and lows experienced by adults who gamble their paychecks or the mortgage payment.” (San Diego Union Tribune)

Trust me, it takes a lot more than some Skeeball spitting out a few tickets for my kids to experience that kind of a “high”. 

6. Does your kid really have any long-term attachment to any Chuck E. Cheese prize “won”?

Unless I’m missing something, tickets that you can also purchase for 1¢ each can’t really be redeemed for much. When a few hundred tickets will net you a pack of gum and a whistle, well, if that’s incentive for your kid to go back and ‘try his luck’ again, here’s a tip: save what you spent at Chuck E. Cheese’s, give your kid $5 and head over to Five Below. Thank me later.

7. Are you also suing: boardwalk arcades, local carnivals, church Bingo nights, school 50-50 raffles, or Nintendo Wii?

Just asking. Seems if there’s a Chuck E. Cheese lawsuit, the finger can be pointed in a whole bunch of directions.

And lastly, and only because online gaming is big in legal circles right now…

8. Is there some Chuck E. Cheese’s online gaming site that the feds are looking to ‘take down’?

To be fair, there is the Chuck E. Cheese Ticket Blaster. Online. I just played it myself. And, while I suppose it could be addictive, it’s a pretty lame game all around and the risk is far greater that you’ll get carpal tunnel syndrome than any gambling addiction. Also, there’s some fine print: “One Free Ticket Reward print out can be redeemed per child per day.” Not exactly much incentive to gamble away—Box Tops, HGTV’s Dream Home, and a gazillion other online contests do the same once-a-day-only schtick for grown-ups. And have they made you hop in your car and hit the Atlantic City Expressway? Doubt it. And another thing, CEC Ticket Blaster is free—so no risk of losing anything either.

While I’m no fan of Chuck E. Cheese’s—I cannot misdirect my disdain for it; and, I realize that the place has its merits and there are those—adults and children alike—who enjoy the ambiance as well as the food. So my take on the gambling lawsuit bit is that it’s a crock of you know what.

I have some other questions too—maybe some not fit for print; but I’ll await any responses to these first. And if there’s anyone out there with a gambling addiction that’s been medically diagnosed and proven to stem from Chuck E. Cheese’s, hey—we’d love to interview you and your doctor!

Tags: arcade, CEC, Chuck E Cheese, Chuck E Cheese prizes, Chuck E Cheese tokens, Compulsive Gambling, Denise Keller, Gambling, gambling addiction

This was posted on Wednesday, May 25th, 2011 at 3:28 pm and is filed under Consumer Fraud, Emerging Issues, lawsuits . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.