Michael Jackson
US casino, Golden Casino, have announced that they'll be offering a special slots tournament to commemorate the life and times of Michael Jackson. The tournament, which is set to run throughout August and end on the 29th (Jackson's birthday) will offer a $15,000 prize pool, with $5,100 of this going to the overall winner.
Golden Casino's tournament has been accepted without comment and apparently seen by players like Maggie Frenz (unfortunately, we can't find any details about this elusive Maggie) as "a fun time for anyone who loved Michael Jackson's music."
However, when we read the news of Golden Casino's commemorative tournament, we couldn't help but feel a tinge of distaste. The question we wish to pose in this blog post is: Is it appropriate to celebrate Michael Jackson's life and music in this manner?
Golden Casino isn't the only one who is seemingly, as we rather basely put it, "cashing in" on Michael's death. The BBC reported that at the recent New York memorials, street vendors were desperately printing up Jackson related merchandise. The BBC interviewed one Dean Powell, who suggested he would stay up all night printing extra merchandise if he had too, as the "stuff...is selling like hot cakes."
Similarly, the day after Jackson's death HMV, the UK music retailer, moved all of their Michael Jackson records so they were prominently displayed in-store. Unsurprisingly they soon sold out of all of their Jackson records.
So, why is it then that retailers, whether they are massive UK companies, or humble street sellers, are able to flog Jackson merchandise and not seem like they're cashing in, whereas Golden Casino's tournament seems inappropriate?
Well, one reason is that in order to successfully celebrate Michael Jackson's life, you have to win the tournament. Otherwise you're simply handing over money to the casino. Even though retailers have been trying to "cash in" on Jackson related items, you're also buying a part of him. Whether it's his records, or a t-shirt adorned with his face, buying Michael Jackson merchandise feels like you're supporting the artist's family during this difficult time.
Could it also be that casinos still haven't shrugged off the image of being morally in a "grey area"? After all, just like HMV they're providing a service: You pay to enter their Michael Jackson tournament and, in the process, you're celebrating Jackson's life and music. Yet, for some reason, it doesn't seem right that an online casino is offering a tournament related to a man who supported charities and other campaigns.
At the moment, we can only see one resolution to these moral conundrums. If Golden Casino really doesn't want to seem like they're cashing in on Jackson's death, then they should donate a portion of the proceeds to 1 of the 39 charity organisations Jackson supported. These included charities such as the American Cancer Society, Childhelp U.S.A and The Sickle Cell Research Foundation. We contacted Golden Casino earlier to see if they are planning on donating part of the tournaments revenues to one of Jackson's many charities, but they have yet to comment.
So for now, we still retain our slight tinge of distaste over the thought that Golden could be Casino cashing in on Michael Jackson's unfortunate and untimely death.
