Gambling is an evil thing

[GAN]

There’s a reason why it’s called Lost Wages…I mean Las Vegas

Yeah they really messed things up when they did away with the coin machines and went to electronic -no more slipping those counterfeit coins down the slots

 

[xipotec]

Half the people who watch professional sports wouldnt be watching them with such interest unless they had money on it….

 

[_19disnA]

Paying out in those paper tickets made the smaller denomination machines possible (penny, nickel). I can recall in Vegas when the nickel machine ran out of coins you might sit for 30 minutes waiting for an employee to come by and refill it. While penny slots are misleading since the min bet is more like $.50 and up, it still makes more sense to get a paper ticket you can then put in some other machine or cashout when leaving. No more waiting in line at the cashier to turn in your bucket of coins.

Gambling done in moderation is just a form of adult entertainment. Some spend the same amount watching a live concert while others have more fun gambling at the casino. Drinking to excess is a problem with some people, but I don't consider alcohol evil either.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

I love casinos and visit one on average of once a week. Bags are packed for an overnight tonight, as a matter of fact.

I get that some people don’t see the entertainment value of it and I’ve seen first hand the addictive nature of it, but it comes from my travel budget and I’ve never gone on a trip and come back with more money than I left with unless a casino is involved.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Good thing we give our money to our Disney addiction .
I used to have a really serious Disney addiction and would go to DL and WDW every month flying from the middle of the country (Kansas City Heartland ) .
Problem solved when I moved to Celebration … haha
I did buy stock in DraftKings but that was maybe $100 ,
And Disney $100 .
Thats my limit! Game over !

 

[kdonnel]

I love Las Vegas. I can't really explain why since neither my wife nor I are drinkers or gamblers.

We might have a drink a day each and wager $300-$400 over the entire 3 to 4 day trip. Often times in the first 5 minutes we might be up $50 and quit for the day. We will never win big but will also never lose even the money we brought to lose.

But we love to go and always have a great time.

We also take a trip to North Carolina 2 or 3 times a year to visit Harrah's Cherokee. The trips are planned around shows at the Event Center there but we always spend some time gambling.

I have always wanted to get a hand pay but my gambling style probably precludes that possibility from ever happening. The closest I have been was our first ever trip to Las Vegas. I was playing a nickel slot and won $125 on a spin. Rather than spit out 2500 nickles a slot attendant showed up and I got a handpay, but I don't really count that as a handpay. I want a handpay with tax forms.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I'll usually put 80 cents in a penny machine. If it's "loose" and paying out I can get the winnings up to $50 or $60 from a twenty before cashing out. It's all in good fun for me, but I get where the 'gambling is evil' comes from, even if I don't agree with the sentiment.

There are always people at a casino-and I'm just talking slots here because I don't play table games-sitting blank eyed in front of a machine tapping the spin button and clearly not having fun, but chasing a loss. If I ever found myself thinking, 'one more spin and I'll get that back,' I'd stop...but just as with anything addictive, there are people who cannot. This doesn't make gambling itself a big evil thing. My father's side of the family is loaded with alcoholics, so I drink very rarely so as not to tempt genetics. I live with two smokers who fully see the way they schedule their days around cigarettes and still can't stop. I never picked up a cigarette.

I guess what I'm trying to say is in moderation, gambling can be a fun way to pass an afternoon. Don't bring more money than you can afford to lose. We have a trip planned for April, and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[DCLMP]

Casinos are cunning things. They will do EVERYTHING in their power to get you in, keep you in and get you addicted.

Pleasing smells. Calming colours. Cunning floor plans that you get lost in. No clocks. No doors or windows. Helpful staff. Loud "success" noises and lights. Free drinks and food. The list goes on. All to get you in and addicted.

Pleasing smells????... you must love the smell of cigarettes, body odor and cheap perfume. I lived in Lake Tahoe for a couple of years and visited Reno and Las Vegas a few times. Walked through casinos many times without betting a dime. We'll probably go to the Indian Casino to bet on the Super Bowl...one and done for the year. Only doing it to make the Super Bowl more interesting to watch because I don't like either team.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I guess I'm lucky because my addictive tendencies don't go toward gambling, alcohol or drugs. If I know I'm going to gamble I set myself a limit and when that's gone, it's time to move on.

We just got off a cruise and we might've spent some $ at the onboard casino, but it was so repulsively choked with smoke that we not only avoided it but also the areas around it (extending a deck above and below).

 

[Uncle Coaster]

What cruise line was that, @Praying Colonel?

 

[GAN]

I guess I'm lucky because my addictive tendencies don't go toward gambling, alcohol or drugs. If I know I'm going to gamble I set myself a limit and when that's gone, it's time to move on.

We just got off a cruise and we might've spent some $ at the onboard casino, but it was so repulsively choked with smoke that we not only avoided it but also the areas around it (extending a deck above and below).

C'mon... you left us hanging! The only thing left is women(or men) -right?

 

[sam_gordon]

What cruise line was that, @Praying Colonel?

I know Royal Caribbean has casinos on it's ships.

 

[Praying Colonel]

What cruise line was that, @Praying Colonel?

Norwegian Escape. The casino was on Deck 7:

https://www.cruisemapper.com/deckplans/Norwegian-Escape-878/deck07-1406

It was relatively close to the main dining room on Deck 7 and the atrium area in Decks 6-8. It was oppressive in Deck 7 midship and traveled to the decks above and below. We could even smell it on Deck 5, though it wasn't as overpowering there.

We probably wouldn't sail again on Escape or a similar ship with that configuration if there was smoking allowed in that area.

C'mon... you left us hanging! The only thing left is women(or men) -right?

DW may be reading this....

My main vice: I'm on something akin to a permanent diet.

 

[bsmcneil]

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.

Do you honestly think that people who struggle with addictions simply aren't self-aware about their control? Such a weird take.

 

[bsmcneil]

Couldn’t the same be said for;
driving a car, (typically no)
sex, (yes)
dating, (maybe)
MOUNTAIN biking (typically no)
boating (no)
smoking (yes)
drinking. (yes)

just asking for a friend

What would it look like for someone to be addicted to driving a car or biking? Do you mean can anyone have unhealthy attachments? Sure - but this thread isnt about the the 7 things you listed so why bring them up?

 

[disneyseniors]

I'll usually put 80 cents in a penny machine. If it's "loose" and paying out I can get the winnings up to $50 or $60 from a twenty before cashing out. It's all in good fun for me, but I get where the 'gambling is evil' comes from, even if I don't agree with the sentiment.

There are always people at a casino-and I'm just talking slots here because I don't play table games-sitting blank eyed in front of a machine tapping the spin button and clearly not having fun, but chasing a loss. If I ever found myself thinking, 'one more spin and I'll get that back,' I'd stop...but just as with anything addictive, there are people who cannot. This doesn't make gambling itself a big evil thing. My father's side of the family is loaded with alcoholics, so I drink very rarely so as not to tempt genetics. I live with two smokers who fully see the way they schedule their days around cigarettes and still can't stop. I never picked up a cigarette.

I guess what I'm trying to say is in moderation, gambling can be a fun way to pass an afternoon. Don't bring more money than you can afford to lose. We have a trip planned for April, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Your family sounds like mine. My husband's dad was an alcoholic, and he never missed a day of work or took a vacation. But he drank a lot. My husband does not drink at all. I used to have a few drinks for fun with the girls after work or a special occasion, but I dont' anymore.
My brother smokes and is securely addicted. He doesn't care. He must smoke a cig every 45 minutes or so. He coughs and has chest congestion but won't stop - can't stop. His clothes and house smells like smoke. He got addicted back in the day when smoking was everywhere (in the 60;s) in ads on tv, on tv shows like the Dean Martin show, and so cheap. I tried it once with high school girlfriends to look "older". A pack cost 25 cents in a machine at the drive in threatre, and no one asked our age. It was awful and I decided not to smoke and still don't. But those ads got a lot of people back then addicted. They made it look sophisticated and wonderful (never mentioning the side effects down the road). Lifestyles were different back then, and everyone smoked!
Now they are paying for it with lung disease and other problems.

Back to gambling, LOL. Like I said before, I do like to gamble once or twice a year as a social event with my Mom where we stop on our way to the casino to eat, take our time, rest in our room, eat at a nice restaurant for supper, watch the shows, play bingo and gamble. All on what we can afford only!

 

[RamblingMad]

The worst thing is that lots of celebrities/big companies worldwide promote gambling/betting. Hate such behavior.

Lots of advertising for Draft Kings. Gotta keep the poor poor.

 

[GAN]

Lots of advertising for Draft Kings. Gotta keep the poor poor.

I agree it’s terrible. And I’d quit if I ever stopped winning. I discovered I have a knack for picking NFL games against the spread. I’ve never been a “gambler” so I wager small amounts and play in a couple pools for money …but it’s good for a grand or so a season over the last 15-years. I think there were 3 years I didn‘t end up ahead. I say it’s luck but I do have a method…

 

[cedricandsophie]

I love blackjack or 3 card poker. I set a limit $200 to $300 and then play for a couple hours. For me it’s fun. I’m generally lucky enough to walk away with sone money left or even more if I get a good hand.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I like gambling. I also know I have addictive traits. I do not participate in gaming very much with the exception of spending $4 a few times a months getting TWO draws for Powerball for Sat. I might visit a casino ( 30 miles away ) once a year but I haven't been there since pre pandemic.
Now I have a friend who is a gambler. If we go out to lunch she wants to go somewhere she can drop $100 into a slot machine. I do not participate! I have witnessed just how lucky she can be. I have been there to see her literally win $200/300/400 in a matter of minutes. The last time I went to casino with her was over 10 years ago and I will not ever again because it's un-nerving to see her win win win, because I know I will lose lose lose. I figure she doesn't tell me the times she loses because no one wants to ever admit that.