B L A C K J A C K

New Saint Andrews College (NSA) is a ministry of Christ Church, Moscow (Douglas Wilson, pastor), and in 2001, Christ Church hired one of their elders, Dr. Roy Atwood, to become the dean of NSA.

In the fall of 2001, Dr. Roy Atwood’s son, Ethan, opened a blackjack casino in his garage. The casino was a fully operational gaming facility equipped with books, chips, wet bar, free alcohol, a secret doorbell, casino trappings, credited money from the house, and a $100 betting-limit per hand. In addition to violating state laws, such as dispensing alcohol to minors, the casino violated federal statutes, including a handful of racketeering laws. The casino’s patrons were all members in good standing at Christ Church; many were students at NSA.

Felonies and misdemeanors aside, NSA’s curriculum did not, and still does not, include “how to” classes in blackjack or card counting. Nevertheless, Dr. Roy Atwood has remained safely insulated from accountability, firmly ensconced as the proud dean of NSA. And on April 28, 2002, in a front-page story in the Lewiston Morning Tribune, he even had the nerve to brag that New St. Andrews College is “the only wet campus on the Palouse.” Wet indeed.

From: “Ethan” <eatwood@hotmail.com>
To: brett—@.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 3, 2001 7:45 PM
Subject: cards

Brett,

I had an idea. We would like to do black jack again. —— would like to be the dealer. We decided to make it more worth your while, we will use three decks, and get enough people so as to try and ensure you come out ahead. I thought for the overhead you could just let me use my next rent as your front. I would front the cash for — as dealer, and any losses, should there be any would come out of my rent to be paid to you. We figured that the problem before was the lack of cards meaning that people could then do a small amount of counting, with three this would not be as easy.

Give me your thoughs. [sic]

Ethan [Dr. Atwood’s son]

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