Performer Jillette tells G2E gambling’s not for him but everybody should have right
Comedian-magician Penn Jillette promised the organizers of the Global Gaming Expo that he would refrain from profanities and blasphemy during his opening-session keynote address Tuesday.
For the record, the boisterous talkative half of the Penn & Teller team didn't drop a single f-bomb, nor did the avowed atheist bring up religion to a gathering of gaming industry insiders at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
His talk won't be confused with previous keynote speeches by national media members and gaming industry figures, either.
Jillette raised a few eyebrows when he acknowledged that he does not drink alcohol or favor games of any kind, including gambling. He said that all together, he has probably wagered about $100 in his lifetime.
"I don't enjoy gambling, but I also believe everybody who wants to gamble should be allowed to do so," Jillette said.
Welcome to the 2011 G2E.
Jillette told the audience he was a Libertarian politically and believes in individual personal freedoms.
"I'm a big fan of what you do," he told casino executives.
Jillette did compare gambling somewhat with the risks associated with magic tricks in his long-running act at the Rio.
For example, Jillette displayed a memory act using a high-powered nail gun and real nails. If he had forgotten the pattern the nails were loaded into the gun, he could have shot a nail through his hand rather than a piece of wood. He also juggled fire torches and shattered whiskey bottles.
Then an audience member asked Jillette about the only U.S. Patent that he holds.
Gaming equipment manufacturers own hundreds of patents for slot machine features and casino management tools. So the audience grew interested -- until it heard the patent is for a sex toy.
"It's the only patent of its kind," he said.
Jillette also told the G2E crowd he and his magic partner, Teller, were looked down upon by fellow performers when they came to Las Vegas after a run on Broadway in the mid-1990s.
He said Las Vegas offers them a freedom to try out new acts and tricks that Broadway producers won't allow.
"The casino owners don't care at all what we do," Jillette said. "They have complete trust in us. Las Vegas is the most creative stage in the world."
