Posted on 06/22/2002 1:50:51 PM PDT by dighton
A casino that encourages gamblers to play noughts and crosses against imprisoned chickens has been attacked by an animal rights group.
Since last month, gamblers at Casino Aztar in Evansville, Indiana, have been queueing to pit their wits against one of the 15 chickens in a money game of tic-tac-toe.
The chickens - which work in one-hour shifts - sit inside a box and place their marks on the board by pecking a touch-sensitive computer screen. The winner receives £3,300 or some maize.
But this week a “cruelty caseworker” at the local branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) wrote to the owners of the casino demanding the “Chicken Challenge” be ended. Peta says it has received “many calls of concern” from the public.
“Some callers are concerned about the poor quality of life for the chickens kept in tiny boxes,” they wrote. “Others are irritated by the message of disrespect conveyed by the ‘game’, and still others are outraged by both.”
The casino insists that the chickens are well fed and enjoy the best of care in a smoke-free, temperature-controlled environment, and each when off duty has its own individual cage, strewn with fragrant cedar chips.
“It’s a much better life than some chickens are subjected to,” said a spokesman.
The casino added that since the game started on June 1, only one contestant has yet managed to outwit the chickens and win the $5,000 jackpot.
I wonder if PETA would have a problem with the tightrope walking rabbit?
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