Gambling is an evil thing

[Cogswel_Cogs]

The only gambling I do now really is Fantasy Golf and Football. I won the last two football leagues and do okay in golf online.
I don't play much but I obsess analytically over the golf and have come close to really big pay days a few times. I do feel its much better bet than playing powerball and some of the prizes are $Mil and up.

Couple of weeks ago I hit for $500 and this week I broke even, though one team I would have killed with but Colin Morikowa withdrew on Sunday with back spasims.

The other online gambling is sick with the way you can just keep betting mid game.
Drive a lot of people into a problem(IMO). Glad I avoid that.

 

[Princesca]

I don't know that I would use the word evil, but people definitely need to understand that casinos are for-profit businesses. This means that most people lose more than they win, or they wouldn't still be in business. Is the world better off having casinos? I would say no. Is there a net benefit to humanity from casinos? Also very much no.

We've been discussing this a bit as we have been learning more about cruise lines, and one person I was listening to made the very valid point that ONE reason DCL costs more than other cruise lines is that they don't have a casino as a revenue stream. Given that casinos also generally encourage people to over-drink (and then also act over-stupid, in many cases) and smoke, which I'm highly sensitive to, the lack of a casino on DCL will continue to be a huge tick-mark in the plus column for me.

 

[Lilsia]

I don't know that I would use the word evil, but people definitely need to understand that casinos are for-profit businesses. This means that most people lose more than they win, or they wouldn't still be in business. Is the world better off having casinos? I would say no. Is there a net benefit to humanity from casinos? Also very much no.

We've been discussing this a bit as we have been learning more about cruise lines, and one person I was listening to made the very valid point that ONE reason DCL costs more than other cruise lines is that they don't have a casino as a revenue stream. Given that casinos also generally encourage people to over-drink (and then also act over-stupid, in many cases) and smoke, which I'm highly sensitive to, the lack of a casino on DCL will continue to be a huge tick-mark in the plus column for me.

That is exactly how I feel. I have allergies to cigarette smoke and Disney is as safe of a ship as I can get on because I can typically avoid the smoking areas. With allowing smoking indoors, the smell reaches much further than people realize.

 

[TheodoreMcmillan]

Well, it can be a slippery slope, and it's easy to get caught up in the excitement. It's great that you've learned from your experience and are now taking steps to avoid temptation. Remember, the house always has the edge.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I don't know that I would use the word evil, but people definitely need to understand that casinos are for-profit businesses. This means that most people lose more than they win, or they wouldn't still be in business. Is the world better off having casinos? I would say no. Is there a net benefit to humanity from casinos? Also very much no.

We've been discussing this a bit as we have been learning more about cruise lines, and one person I was listening to made the very valid point that ONE reason DCL costs more than other cruise lines is that they don't have a casino as a revenue stream. Given that casinos also generally encourage people to over-drink (and then also act over-stupid, in many cases) and smoke, which I'm highly sensitive to, the lack of a casino on DCL will continue to be a huge tick-mark in the plus column for me.

The benefit is entertainment. Same benefit as a concert or a movie or a sporting event or fireworks.

 

[DLgal]

The benefit is entertainment. Same benefit as a concert or a movie or a sporting event or fireworks.

Exactly. You are paying money to play a game for entertainment. It's no different than paying money to watch a sporting event, concert, movie, etc.

Gambling is fun. There is nothing evil about it.

 

[_19disnA]

And the difference between going to a concert/sporting event (or even Disney) vs a casino is the chance you come out ahead. Like most other things in life that adults might enjoy, if someone is opposed to gambling, they shouldn't go to a casino. Adults who do enjoy gambling get to choose how to spend their entertainment dollars.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Interestingly enough, most online casinos here in the UK are fielding extensive "safe gambling" adverts, announcing that they have lifeguards in place for comfortable gambling, including time limits, betting limits, time outs and more.

 

[DisneylandFreak2013]

As a statistician, I will never gamble. The odds are never in your favor! It looks fun though.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

My favorite slot machine. I never lose and I get to hear the clang clang clang.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I have a trip to the casino in Philly planned for this month, as a matter of fact. I only take what I have budgeted for. I leave my debit card at home so I'm not even remotely tempted to use one of the ATMs should I tap out early. I play only the penny slots, usually 80 cents a game. We stay for about 4-5 hours, and my money always seems to last me at least that long. We enjoy it, but then we're not addictive gamblers. Just about everything under the sun has a group of people who can't handle it, doesn't make it evil.

 

[DLgal]

Drinking and gambling come hand in hand with each other

How so?

I like to gamble. I don't really drink. I might have one drink a month, if that. I'm the person in Vegas at the tables with a bottle of water.

Some people can do things in moderation.

 

[gerlinch]

You bring up an interesting point about moderation. It's true; some people can enjoy activities like gambling in a balanced way, just like how you prefer a bottle of water over a drink when you're at the tables in Vegas.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Well I have addictive tendencies (I smoked avidly until I had a stroke; oops) but I doubt I’ll ever understand the mindset of gambling money. I worked too hard to give it away.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

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.

I think just about anything can be come a vice if overdone. But bravo to you for overcoming it. When casino gaming became legalised in my former hometown, suicides, foreclosures, and bankruptcies rose dramatically. While I don't think it's evil per se, it has more harms than benefits in my opinion.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

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

THIS is where it's a huge problem. Like the old smoking ads, the commercials for DraftKings at the like make gambling and sports books look cool and attractive. And you know where it's growing? College campuses. The NCAA released a report in May that said 67% of college students gamble acc. to their survey. This should be alarming.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

Well I have addictive tendencies (I smoked avidly until I had a stroke; oops) but I doubt I’ll ever understand the mindset of gambling money. I worked too hard to give it away. View attachment 803145

Do you say that about anything you don’t find value in or just gambling?

For example, I feel like I worked too hard to give my money away to watch a romantic movie, but I at least can understand the mindset of someone who finds entertainment value in it.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Do you say that about anything you don’t find value in or just gambling?

For example, I feel like I worked too hard to give my money away to watch a romantic movie, but I at least can understand the mindset of someone who finds entertainment value in it.

Just my inner thoughts on the topic expressed out loud. What others do with their time and money is their affair.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

Just my inner thoughts on the topic expressed out loud. What others do with their time and money is their affair.

Understood. I was curious on how those thoughts compared to your thoughts on other topics. Thanks for responding.

 

[texaslover]

I gamble - it's what I would consider entertainment with the added bonus of making money . I get free rooms at the casinos nearest me because I signed up for their reward programs and visit monthly. I have gone and lost all the money I brought to gamble and gone and won $13,000 in the second machine I played. I never bring more than I want to lose for entertainment and leave my debit card at home in case I'm tempted by the ATM lol. I've used my comps to spend girls weekends at the pools, go to concerts, get free gifts, and eat for free in their restaurants. Just like anything else it can be abused but it is essentially another form of entertainment. I just feel like the chance of hitting something big makes it more exciting than a night out or expensive steakhouse - but of course everyone is different and entitled to their idea of fun!