My name is Jocelyn Leathers, and I like to think of myself as a storyteller in a world where luck, risk, and strategy collide. I never imagined I’d end up writing about casinos, the glimmering world where people chase dreams and dollars under neon lights. But life has a funny way of leading us down unexpected paths, and my journey to becoming a casino writer has been anything but straightforward.
I grew up in Reno, Nevada, a city where casinos are as common as corner stores. My family wasn’t into gambling—my dad was a schoolteacher, my mom a nurse—but casinos were a part of the background of my childhood. I remember driving past the big, bright buildings as a kid, always curious but never really seeing them as more than an adult playground. It wasn’t until my college years that I really got to understand the allure.
I majored in English with dreams of becoming a novelist. I was the type of student who stayed up late, not just to study, but to people-watch in the campus coffee shop, imagining stories for every stranger who passed by. I loved the idea of capturing lives and emotions in words. But reality came knocking after graduation, and with bills to pay, I found myself working at a casino marketing agency. It was supposed to be temporary—a way to save up for a few months and then move on. But somehow, I got hooked.
I started with marketing copy—flashy slogans, punchy ads—but what fascinated me was the psychology behind the games. There was something deeper there, something raw about the way people interacted with luck, risk, and each other. So, I pivoted. I started writing about the industry from the inside out, diving into the stories of gamblers, dealers, and casino lifers. I learned that casinos were far more than just places to lose or win money; they were stages where human nature played out in full.
Over the years, I’ve written about everything from the evolution of blackjack to the intricacies of poker strategy. My favorite stories are the ones that reveal something unexpected—like the way casinos use lighting to influence players’ moods or how certain games draw people with very specific personalities. I started adding my own stories into the mix, too, drawing on my time working in the industry, on my late-night conversations with players, and even on my own experiences with risk and reward. Each article I write feels like piecing together a puzzle, unraveling the mysteries of why people keep coming back to this world of chance.
Now, my days are spent writing, reading, and researching everything there is to know about casinos. When I’m not at my desk, I’m often traveling, scoping out new casino destinations, talking to people who know this world inside and out. I feel like I’ve found my niche, a space where my curiosity meets my love for storytelling.
Through my writing, I want to give people a glimpse into a world they may never truly see. Casinos might seem like places to play games, but to me, they’re theaters for human behavior, showcases of thrill, joy, disappointment, and hope. And I love being the person who gets to tell those stories.