Man, 88, spends most days at new game room

George Buhrts. who will turn 89 next August spends every weekday playing the digital arcade slot machines at the new Lucky Horseshoe on Lee Blvd. Shown with Buhrts is Julie Beck, manager of the Lucky Horseshoe. Photo by Mel Toadvine
George Buhrts of Lehigh says he’ll be 89 next August and there probably isn’t any better place to be than at the new Lucky Horseshoe gaming room 5600 8th Street West in Lehigh.
“I love coming here. It’s a lot of fun,” Buhrts said as he began playing on the same machine he always sits at. “It’s my lucky machine,” he smiled.
The Lucky Horseshoe is the third gaming room in Lehigh and just opened last month. It actually faces Lee Blvd and is a few blocks from the actual boundary of Lehigh and Fort Myers.
“At this location, we draw a good crowd not only from Lehigh, but from Gateway and the other new areas that are close by,” said Mike Cook, owner of the new gaming room.
Those who like to sit down at a digital slot machine and play can win gift cards to places like Publix and Wal-Mart and Visa gift cards. Florida law prohibits payoffs in actual cash.

Shown in the middle is The Lucky Horseshoe gaming room's manager, Julie Beck. With her are the two women who work at the new gaming room in Lehigh. They are Bobbie Rich and Lacey Hooker Photo by Mel Toadvine
“The people can take their cards to either publix and Wal-Mart and buy gift cards to restaurants and all sorts of places,” Cook said.
No money or chips are involved in playing at this new popular gaming room. You purchase a card with so much money on it and the car is inserted into the digital arcade machine of your choice and you sit there and take your chances.
“Some have hit the jackpots,” Cook said. “A lot of people, young and old come to play at the Lucky Shoe. We have a lot of senior citizens who enjoy coming and spending hours here,” Cook said.
The Lucky Horseshoe is decorated throughout the two rooms in an old western style. There are two real horse saddles in the room, which have been used by the owner and the manager. On the walls are pictures of men who have been wanted in the Old West.
When you first go in, you have to pause so your eyes will get used to the dimmed light. You feel as if you are in a casino on a cruise ship.

There's always food and refreshments for those who go to the new Lucky Horeshoe gaming room on Lee Blvd. Shown is Julie Beck, manager. Photo by Mel Toadvine
And they have food, all the food you can eat, potato chips and other snacks and hot dogs throughout the day. And Cook says they are nights when they hold catered meals for their players, and it’s all free he says.
Of course, he would like for you to stay a while and sit down at one of the 56 machines that line the walls.
The gaming room is becoming a new type of entertainment and is drawing a lot of people from games like Bingo throughout the community.
And it’s different than going to the casino in Immokalee.
“We’re like family here,” Cook said. “We get to know our players who come in over and over and each day someone new comes in,” he said.
You can’t go into the gaming room unless you’re 21 years of age however, that’ Florida law. No children can play on the digital casino type machines.
Julie Beck, the manager, is usually there to help people and take care of the cards they buy and she doesn’t mind showing newcomers how to use them in the machines and how the slots work.
The Lucky Horseshoe is open seven days a week. From Monday to Thursday, hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; on Friday and Saturday, hours are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and on Sundays, it is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
On Friday night between 5 and 7, they offer catered meals. Just last week they had spaghetti and pasta salad dinner. They have had an ice cream social and on Jan. 31, they plan a Wing Dings night. There will be drawings for all who attend. And it’s free.
“It’s going to be fun,” Cook said.
The Lucky Horseshoe has two employees – Bobbie Rich and Lacey Hooker. The manager of The Lucky Horseshoe is Julie Beck.
“We have a lot of fun here,” she laughed. “We have regulars and we get to know them really well. Many of them come in almost every day. Then we have a lot of folks who come in from the nearby pizza parlor and they spend a few hours here playing the machines.
“It’s a good clean way to pass the time away, and who knows, you probably will win some nice gift cards,” she said.
Cook said he didn’t know why the post office gave them the address of 8th St.
“That’ really behind us. We are facing Lee Blvd. on the right when you enter Lehigh. We’re in the same shopping strip center where the tattoo parlor is.
“We’re not hard to find, but people should not be confused with our mailing address. Again, we’re on Lee Blvd., and not too far in after you cross over that Fort Myers boundary,” he laughed.
- Shown in the middle is The Lucky Horseshoe gaming room’s manager, Julie Beck. With her are the two women who work at the new gaming room in Lehigh. They are Bobbie Rich and Lacey Hooker Photo by Mel Toadvine
- There’s always food and refreshments for those who go to the new Lucky Horeshoe gaming room on Lee Blvd. Shown is Julie Beck, manager. Photo by Mel Toadvine