Gambling: Risky Lifestyle or Harmless Diversion?

It's Not What You Do but Why You Do it that Changes Gambling from Game to Serious Risk

Linda Miller, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jan 30, 2006 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

I stopped at the 4-Way truck stop (4-Way Truck Stop, I-80 Exit 352, US 93 N Wells, NV. 9835 775-752-3336) because I was tired and needed to eat, they have a restaurant there, and fueling facilities, and slot machines. Gambling was the last thing on my mind…my "risky lifestyle" was driving long haul truck across the United States on somebody else's schedule. But on the way from the fuel desk around to the Restaurant I had to go by the slot machines and I plopped in a spare coin and poked the button just on an impulse.

Holy Moly ! The bells started ringing, the lights flashing, the coins clanging into the tray….. One nickel, so much commotion! I, being the unimaginative sort, and also darn tired and not amused by the possibilities, gathered the heap of coins into my little shoulder bag and just went on into the restaurant for a good meal, then out to my truck for my eight hours. End of gambling story for me.

(Nevada gambling laws : http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/Nevada/ )

But that is not the end of the story for some people. For some the excitement is a siren song luring them into increasingly risky behavior and they seek it out on all levels at every opportunity. In 1973 a commission that was to study gambling in the United States began their report with this observation: "Gambling is inevitable. No matter what is said or done by advocates or opponents of gambling in all its various forms, it is an activity that is practiced, or tacitly endorsed, by a substantial majority of Americans." Commission on the Review of the National Policy toward Gambling-1976 p.l. Retrieved from http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/03/Chapt1.html 12/28/05. A click on this link will bring you to a long, detailed and scholarly discussion of gambling covering the history of gambling in the United States, Lotteries, Indian Gaming, legal gambling, illegal gambling, economic impacts, political influence, and affect on crime.

Gamblers are thought by some to be erratic, irresponsible and to have impulse control issues. For some gamblers that is probably true; knew a guy who inherited a handful of money when his mother died. $58,000 big bucks and he could have used that to improve his health or his living conditions. He was suffering from emphysema and lived in an old ford econoline van with a bunk in the back. But instead he drove straight to Las Vegas from upstate New York and proceeded to the casino. When he had gambled his way down to about $10,000, he left and wandered the highways of the west coast until his death about two years later. He always had gambled as far as I know. He told me great stories about big wins but none about losses. I am not sure the losses fazed him much but the wins did, the playing did, and the social atmosphere did. There is an old saying that if you want to collect a small fortune to retire on by gambling, the way to do it is to start with a big fortune and gamble your way down to it. I think my friend did that. I know $58,000 is not considered much of a fortune by many but in some circles it is an enormous amount. Maybe he couldn't deal with the possibilities. But I think gambling was just an extension of life and he was able to take big risks with money (which did not hurt physically) when he could not bring himself to take physical risks like mountain climbing, or motorcycle racing.

That is only one aspect of gambling however and it is important to note that gambling seems to be one of the innately human activities that is universal. It can be found in all cultures and in every continent. Dr Felicia Cambell has postulated that gambling can even serve a useful function to both the gambler and to society at large. She looks at the pull of gambling to some nearly pathologically introverted people as an effective therapy to get them more involved with life. She also discusses the need to relieve tension and grinding drudgery in some work and living situations in order to avoid psychological pathology. This article is well worth reading and places us all within the gambling framework. Find a reprint of the article The Futurist by Felicia Campbell,1976, at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/gamble/procon/future.html Retrieved 12/28/05

Some people actually seek vacations revolving around gambling. It gives a sense of engagement and life control to decide whether to "take a chance" or not. It heightens a sense of hope and focuses the attention of the player on something outside the office walls or the hospital corridors for those fighting chronic illness.

For information on Nevada gambling vacations check http://nevada.casinocity.com/

There is a different kind of thing that goes on with poker players. I do not mean the high stakes guys or the Texas hold ï¿½em players on television. (although I know a guy who wants to get involved in that scene also!) I am talking about the Friday or Saturday night games in the kitchen over at Fred's house, or the Wednesday night standing date for the cards at Lou's bar and bar-b-que. The guys there have a fully engaged sense of asserting some kind of superiority over their buddies.

My friend George tells tales of pretending to have had a drink or two too many and sitting with half closed eyes appearing to be not paying much attention and losing small amounts until the other boys are nudging each other and chuckling at his condition. Then finally, he bluffs until the pot looks good and he always wins substantial amounts. His Buddies never catch on that he is playing them, even when they lose the biggest hands to him week after week. That's the game……see how long you can make the guys believe you are incompetent while thinking how incompetent they are. Hmmmmm. Now I have to think that over. This seems like a game, but is it really a lifestyle? I think it's a harmless diversion, but in truth, there is some of the risky lifestyle George lives apparent in the game. George is a prison guard. It is his job and his life to not provoke some dangerous criminal by overly zealous attention all the while knowing exactly what that person and every other person in his sphere of influence is doing. A gamble to keep order, stay on top of the activities and control the social atmosphere "inside" is actually being extended to the game with the boys on Wednesday nights.

For more gambling stories go to http://www.professionalgambler.com/stories.html

Risky lifestyles are a gamble with your own life or the lives of your loved ones even while they are a diversion from the inanities and banalities of life. It depends on who you are and why you gamble….the harmless diversion implies safe game playing. The risky lifestyle implies a need for challenge, dominance or adrenaline fixes. So if you are the primary breadwinner for a lovely wife and six beautiful kids you probably do not want to engage in physical risk like arctic exploration. The consequences of "losing" would affect other people. In that case the risky behavior can be transferred to gambling where a loss can be made up with several hours of overtime at work. But some people get in over their heads and gamble too much. It is in fact the equivalent of sailing into the face of a hurricane. There is no way to recoup losses within gambling activities. I feel compelled to mention that there are places to get help if you fall into those problem gambler categories. http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ ï¿½

There are some top gambling destinations for those on a vacation: Check out the possibilities at : www.nlgsolutions.com ï¿½ Or choose your vacation destination for the other attractions and then look for casinos or gaming resorts on the web for that place. Ask your travel agent or call your hotel and ask what is available before you go.

Published by Linda Miller

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Casino Gambling, Play like a pro in 10 Minutes or Less by Frank Scoblete www.texasholdembooks.nethttp://www.gamblersbook.com

Holy Moly ! The bells started ringing, the lights flashing, the coins clanging into the tray
the excitement is a siren song luring them into increasingly risky behavior
ï¿½Gambling is inevitable it is practiced, or tacitly endorsed,by a majority of Americans

gambling seems to be one of the innately human activities that is universal. It can be found in all cultures and in every continent

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Gambling: Risky Lifestyle or Harmless Diversion?

It's Not What You Do but Why You Do it that Changes Gambling from Game to Serious Risk

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