I think I was addicted to gambling before I ever made a bet. It was as if the gambling gene was always there, laying dormant inside me, waiting for me to crack the door ever so slightly. When I finally got my first taste, one life ended and another began. Gone were the old passions of my youth: fishing, cooking, movies, sports, girls. In their place and as powerful as any drug: dice, cards, bookies, and casinos. Okay…girls too. I never really gave up girls.
I fear there will be a lot more folks like me over the course of the next few decades. The ubiquitous nature of gambling: casinos in every state, online poker, internet casinos, and more addictive casino-like lottery games…all lead to one great big mess of a gambling society. Never before in the history of our nation has it been so easy to gamble. Moreover, gambling has never been presented to our youth in such a cleverly packaged, mainstream way. You though Joe Camel was a tough adversary in the battle to keep kids from smoking? Wait till your kids or your brother, raised on Nintendo and computers, get their hands on the latest offerings from your state lottery.
These new lottery games, meant to be played around the clock in bars and restaurants, aren't the quaint lottery games of old. In order to compete with the increased competition for your gambling dollars, the lotteries have created new gambling games that look and feel just like the ones played in casinos. Unfortunately for players, these new gambling options come with a steep addictive price tag and a long-term effect on our culture too powerful to contemplate.
I was nineteen the first time I ever went to a casino. I had to drive three and a half hours to make my way to Atlantic City, the closest casinos to my town. That was nearly two decades ago. Since then, casinos have popped up all over the nation, poker rooms are everywhere, and state lotteries are in forty-two of our fifty states. Just try not to find a place to gamble these days. It's harder than you think. If you want to gamble, you surely don't have to take a three hour drive. If you've got a modem, you needn't leave your living room. The entire modern gambling industry is a rigged game, tilted in the houses favor, addictive as hell, and geared to take from you everything it can steal: your money and your soul.
Gambling in our culture is no game. And, it's just getting worse.
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Comments: 17
I think gambling is like any other addiction. Some people can smoke an occasional joint, take an occasional drink, or place an occasional bet — and never get addicted. Others can't. What may be in their genes or their personalities that cause it is yet to be determined. And whether we can or should legislate against all possibly-addictive activities is a tough question. It certainly didn't work with alcohol. And our government's efforts to prevent drug addiction have been disastrous, resulting in more crime without solving the problem of drugs.
My father gambled for a living. He wasn't addicted. It was a profession and he worked hard at it — and he made good money at it. But he taught me to never gamble unless the odds were in my favor. That is why I am very much against state-sponsored gambling. The odds are worse than terrible and to have our governments encourage people to throw away their money on the remote chance of hitting it big is certain to result in more addictions.
I am pleased for you that you got your addiction under control, as I am pleased for any addict who triumphs over addiction. I remain ambivalent about what course of action should be taken to protect individuals from becoming addicted to anything.
Interesting take on my post. I think you'd really enjoy my book. To say the least the book doesn't take the postiton that casinos and gambling are bad. To the contrary, in some ways (especially the last chapter which takes place in Atlantic City) it details the love I have for gambling. At most it contemplates moderation in gambling, something I found hard to pull off for many years. I gambled too much. I loved it too much. these days, with a little distance, I have no problem with the casino life. I look forward with great anticipation my annual trip to Vegas. I'd walk through fire to get there. It's my favorite weekend of the year. But, back in the day, I was going to AC far too much and it got to a point where it was less and less fun and more unhealthy for me.
What the book discusses at length is my STRONG belief that state run lotteries are a terrible influence on our culture. When you and I walk into a casino, we know what we're up against...It's a casino after all. They want your money and they make no bones about it. That's fine. I too am a VIP full comp guy. I know the game and have no issue going there and having my fun. But, the state lotteries hide under the pretense of being a government run entity. And, moreover, they do all this hardcore advertising telling their own state residents to gamble and not to worry about it because....it's for the children (education etc). I have a big problem with that.
The states sell tobacco and alcohol too but they wouldn't dare advertise those products in the way they do with the lotteries. Ask yourself why......
I hope you have a blast in Tunica. Hit it big and come back to tell me about it.
Cheers.
I read your article about gamblinng and felt a kindred spirit. The first trip we took to Las Vegas was something else! The lights, the games, the glamour, the glitz! All I can say is wow! I could have lost the deed to my house but my husband had more going for him! He let me play and play but I won, lost, lost, won,won, lost,lost lost! I still love to go and play but only an alloted amount! It is an addiction and I am glad to say that I can control it. I do not really gamble only just play the slots for a short period of time. I am glad that my family and friends and of course God is more important to me that the thrill of gambling. I can see where it would be so easy to just lose it all. I am glad that you got a hold on your gambling and that your priorities are in the right place. God Bless you!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17932922
Enjoy...
a cautionary tale.
Here's an interesting article I came across earlier today ... thought you might be interested:
Addicted gambler files $20 million casino suit
BTW, I think the story is rather humorous in a way. Just another example of people not wanting to take responsibility for their own behavior!
Thanks for the comments. It's nice to hear such interesting feedback.
Mary Ann-- Please let me know what you think of the book. I'm always curious.
Cheers.
I used to be addicted to gambling - it's a hard one to slip out from under.
Lottery winners are just an obvious example of how deep down the worm hole so many of us in this culture are when it comes to gambling.
Remember, the book is the furthest thing from preachy. In many ways, I still love gambling and I don't sit there and say that it's all bad. I try to have a lot of fun with the issue. I hope you give it a read. please let me know what you think, okay?
Best.
Best.
We used to do lottery tickets, but when we decided to start living our lives for God, we realized that we needed to be better stewards of our money.