Gambling is an evil thing

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I really should have known better.

Last time I went to Vegas I stayed in a nice hotel, but as per usual, it had a casino attached to it. And typically, to get to the hotel, you need to go through the casino and, sometimes, get lost.

That's where my excuses end.

I ended up playing the tables the last time I was there. I thought I was playing the odds. But I didn't confess the truth to myself - the house always wins! Before I knew it I was $40 down, in a matter of minutes. It could have been far worse, but still, more fool me. I was actually chasing a debt. It was a compulsion. I have (I hope) learned from the experience and now make a point of learning the direct route to the hotel, no temptations.

Gambling is an evil thing.

 

[Meglen]

Gambling isn't inherently evil. It's risk vs reward. If you have the means to gamble and lose than it's no big deal. If you gamble while not having money to lose than you really shouldn't be staying in a hotel in Vegas attached to a casino.....

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Gambling isn't inherently evil. It's risk vs reward. If you have the means to gamble and lose than it's no big deal. If you gamble while not having money to lose than you really shouldn't be staying in a hotel in Vegas attached to a casino.....

There is a school of thought that gambling can become a vice at a psychological level. It's why many countries air adverts over being "gambling aware" offering outreach to those who are addicted to it and advice to keep gambling safe.

 

[BrianL]

If you were only down 40 bucks when you walked away, that's not so bad. I've played a little, usually enough to get a buffet comp, and if I lose I jsut consider it the cost of entertainment/food. I usually get upset at about 50 bucks myself, but I've been able to play for a couple of hour on that. I haven't been in a long time as it's not something I just love, but it can be fun ocassionally.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Last time we were in Vega$ to visit family we stayed at a hotel with a casino. Next time we'll stay in nearby Henderson at a regular hotel without a casino.

 

[fla4fun]

I think it depends on whether a person has addiction issues. You can gamble responsibly. The secret is to set a limit and stick to it. My aunt used to gamble with some friends at a local casino. They went once a month, and she set a limit of $20. If she won anything, that went in her wallet, and she didn’t gamble it. Sometimes she came home with some money, sometimes she lost the whole $20 and won nothing. Her reasoning was that it was no different than spending the evening taking in a show, and probably cheaper.

I know there are people susceptible to gambling addiction, as people can become involved in other addictions, and this method of play would not work for them. It’s true that there are people who are unable to set foot in a casino without the desire to gamble taking over their life, and I hope anyone with an addiction will find their way to treatment. But I don’t feel gambling itself is evil, just as the other things people can become addicted to aren’t evil in and of themselves. It’s how the person reacts to the gambling, medications, smoking, etc., that can be a problem.

 

[_19disnA]

If someone is opposed to gambling, choosing Vegas as vacation destination doesn't seem wise to me. Gambling for most adults is simply a form of adult entertainment much like you might spend money on a concert, Broadway show or various types of live entertainment. If you set a limit that is within the range of what you can afford to lose, then I don't see any problem. If you are gambling with the intent to double your money so you can pay the rent/mortgage or similar expenses, then you have an issue that needs to be addressed.

 

[DLgal]

I think it's fun. I usually win several hundred dollars. It helps to play games where the odds are more in your favor. I take out a set amount of money before the trip, and put that cash in an envelope. That's all I will spend. Any winnings get put into the hotel safe while I'm there.

But I don't have addictive tendencies either. I can see how it can be very bad for those people.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

We have a casino trip every now and again to one of the Philly places. I bring $100, and when it's gone it's gone. When I win a bit I print the ticket and put it in my pocket- and I never put a ticket back in a slot machine. And that's another thing; I only play slots, and penny machines at that. That way I can put a twenty in and play for a while on it if I feel like it. When we're ready to leave I cash in my tickets and that's that.

I only bring the cash, never a credit card so I'm not tempted to hit up the ATM. I usually either win a little bit or break even.

 

[Biff88]

Here's a different way of viewing gambling. It's essentially the same concept as insurance, except that nothing bad has to happen to you in order to collect. In both cases, the "house" takes small amounts from a large pool of people, and then takes their cut for organizing the system, and then pays out larger amounts to a relatively small group.

In any case, I agree with those who say it's just another form of entertainment. And if you go to a movie or a ball game, there's no chance that you're going home with more money than you had when you left.

 

[MillauFr]

Exactly. Gambling in Las Vegas is no different than buying insurance. You are gambling.

 

[fly girl]

Gambling can become an addiction for some, but that doesn’t make it evil.

I love to gamble. Do I go often? No. Do I set a daily limit? Yes. Do I stick to that? Yes. Do I spend more than I can afford? No.

And I most certainly look at it as entertainment. I could plunk down hundreds on a show, concert, heck even dinner & a movie! Gambling is on that same playing field for me.

 

[Mysterian]

I haven’t gambled in twenty plus years, but even then I only put in $20 and called it quits when the meager winnings ran out. It’s not evil, and you can be addicted to things that don’t require an ID, like most video games. Game much, Nea?

Tell it all to Donahue. “OoOo I’m a game addict!”

 

[Lilsia]

I look at gambling as every other form of entertainment. I have a budget of what I am willing to spend and once that is gone, I am done. Anyone who lacks the self control should admit that to themselves and stay away from gambling.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

On the one hand, everyone knows going in the odds are not in their favor. It's not like the casinos are playing 3 card monte where you have no chance to win and it's a scam. So if you lose all your money, it's kind of your own fault. That said on the other hand, the one arm bandits are designed with bells and whistles and whatever to stimulate the senses and get you hooked. And casinos pay lip service to gambling addiction but let's face it, they're like the please drink responsibly adds. HAHAHA yeah right. My biggest thing was lottery after lottery was passed in state after state on the guise that well, it isn't like real gambling. No. It's worse. Because with casino gambling, it was the state just allowing it. With a lottery, it was the state endorsing it and either running it or hiring out a company to do it for them.

As for Vegas yes there are other things to do. But gambling is king. If you're not going to gamble and you don't like the shows, uh probably there are better places to go.

The most sociable game is craps imo. When a table is hot there is nothing like it. Most of the time you hear partying and carrying on it will be at the craps table. But you have to know how to manage your bankroll, what bets to make, and if you're going to get scared and quit the rest of the trip only 40 bucks down, it may not be the game for you because you might not last too long.
On the other hand if you're the type that chases losses and doesn't bet well, craps is REALLY not the game for you. You may end up losing a ton of money.

The game with the best odds if you play it right is Black Jack. But playing it right really feels like work to me rather than having fun.

Used to be your chances of seeing a celebrity were pretty good. But they all have private tables and high dollar rooms now for them. Gambling on the Vegas Strip is expensive these days and the free bees don't flow like they used to. But compared to the price of a concert, especially since very few get in at list because of ticket brokers, uh it doesn't look so bad any more. You can find cheaper places off strip to gamble or places like Tahoe which are cheaper and more laid back. Plus Tahoe is beautiful and there are lots of things to do other than gamble both summer and winter if you're an out doorsy type.

 

[JLTraveling]

My grandmother was very proper, and gambling was a huge no-no in her book. On a family reunion retreat, a few members of the younger generation, including myself, decided to hit the local casino for a few hours. Grandma was not pleased.

We decided to play a little joke on her. When we got back, we told her we had won big. And Grandma fell to her knees praising the Lord!

When we confessed we had actually lost, she snapped, "I told you it was evil."

None of us are big gamblers though. The few in my family that gamble at all do it occasionally and always set a limit somewhere between $20 and $100. I just see it as paying for entertainment, and I've been known to make 20 bucks last for a couple of hours, which isn't too bad in my book.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I remember sitting at a roulette table, not actually gambling, just watching, and there was this gent who was palming $50 bills, one after the other, into the centre of the table, just betting on a few numbers at a time. Occasionally, he won big and everyone was ecstatic. But more often then not, he was just saying buh-bye to his cash.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Never been a gambler. Zero interest.

 

[RamblingMad]

I do wonder how many people will get divorced post Draft Kings.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I was born in Reno. My parents were dirt poor, jus trying to make ends meet as young families do. For fun they used to go to the (very cheap at the time) buffets, eat the food and watch the gamblers. This was before ATMs, so they would watch couples go to the pawn shops, pawn some of their belongings, go lose it at the tables, repeat. Just really dumb no matter how you look at it.

Years later, I HATE Vegas and only drive through it to get to much better places. Gamblers on their way to and from Vegas on the road are the worst - just really self-centered. It all gets a hard pass from me.