1c. Re: Ageism and Casino Promotions.
Senior discounts and "extras" are so omnipresent that they would be very difficult to wipe out. The same goes for all other "discriminatory" benefits, such as ladies' nights at the bar (no entry fee, or discounted drinks), and on and on.
The only way to correct these actions is by not patronizing the establishments that have them - both when the promotion is active, and when it is not -- and being sure to let them know your reason for doing so, and being sure that message gets delivered to the right person(s). The other approach would be litigation, which costs too much and is not a certain thing (but just filing a suit would probably end the "promotion", since fighting it is expensive too).
Sometimes a protesting patron can get the discounted benefits, too. I think anyone can order a kid's meal at any restaurant, even if it is labeled "under 8 years old", and probably can get the reduced-portion items that are often offered for "seniors".
I think I've even heard of men getting the free admission or discounted drinks on ladies' night if they insist.
I would think that one could ask for the same promotions as seniors are offered when visiting a casino, and perhaps successfully threaten them with a suit until they give it to you.
The proper way for an establishment to get around this is by membership-benefit promotions - e.g., if you are a card-carrying member of AARP, you get a discount (and usually the same discount is available to card-carrying members of AAA). Such discounts are routinely offered online by hotel chains, and their policy (sometimes not enforced) is to then require you to show your membership card to get the discount. Discounts associated with memberships in various organizations are often negotiated by those organizations to benefit their members and to encourage patronization of the establishments that offer them to members.
Membership-based promotions can be ALMOST the same as age-based ones, but it is a fine line that I think is OK to use.
Of course, the membership itself is discriminatory - you can't join AARP until you're fifty (except by lying about your age, I don't think they require any proof).
The only question then becomes how to approach a casino that offers a "silver card" to seniors, sort of a free senior membership, and then gives promotions for the silver card, which makes it a no-fee membership-based-but-discriminatory offer.
But in the end, I think if a business discriminates, the best thing to do is to boycott it, as long as others are offering reasonable similar services to you.
And to make sure they know you're doing it, and why.
--BG
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