When I first agreed to do this blog, which was intended to be a snarky cynic's take on the news of the day, never in my life did I imagine I'd spend so many words on Atlantic City.

Unfortunately, it's oftentimes just too easy.

Today's "for instance" was in our morning roundup, and involves an effort by the Golden Nugget to reclaim $1.5 million it paid out in a mini-baccarat game, saying improperly shuffled cards stacked the deck against the house. Notably, the casino is not saying the vendor that provided the cards needs to ante up — rather, it expects the winners to turn over the money.

Apparently, the Golden Nugget also is in talks to purchase a bridge in Brooklyn.

I suppose the casino's operators are taking "the house always wins," a bit too literally here. In fact, the hubris/stupidity on display here could level the house to its foundations. Can you imagine having a great night at the casino, then having a lawyer call you the next day demanding you return your winnings, because the cards weren't shuffled properly? Now that it's happened once, don't you think players will be wary of that going forward?

And more importantly, what about the people who managed to lose at the tables when that incident happened? Anyone think they're going to get a check in the mail?

With New Jersey's casino gaming monopoly long gone, competition is as ferocious as a starved bear in a room full of kittens. This is the kind of publicity casinos can't afford, because it gives people another reason to take their business not just to another casino, but another state, and all the "Do AC" ads in the world won't convince them otherwise.

Come to think of it, maybe this is why the "Do AC" campaign doesn't mention gambling: "Do the right thing! Do the wrong thing! Do everything! Do forfeit your casino winnings before you leave!"

I'm even more irreverent on Twitter @joe_arney.