The allure of gambling.

bobcat

bobcat

Well-known Member
Location
Northern Calif
Casino lights flicker enticingly, casting a kaleidoscope of colors that pull you in. Their grand entrances are always adorned with glittering chandeliers and plush carpets, it's difficult to bypass one's notice. You are made to feel like a VIP as your senses are titillated.

Could this be the night when lady luck pays you a visit, and promises a memorable night of excitement and fortune. It's intoxicating. You are greeted with warm smiles from the staff and sometimes complimentary drinks as you wind your way through the labyrinth of gaming tables and slot machines, each one designed to capture your attention and keep you playing, while clocks are mysteriously absent.

Somewhere in the ignored chamber of your mind you know the odds are stacked against you, but the thrill of a big win could be life changing. Subconsciously you know the purpose of all the glitz and glamor. It's a carefully crafted illusion designed to part you from your money, one bet at a time.

Nonetheless, it's fun, so why not. So many just enjoy the prospect of winning, whether it's sports betting, horse racing, or slots. The next morning you may wake up with a betting hangover, but tonight it's party time at the roulette wheel.
 

Muskrat said:
I gamble. But I am under no illusions as to what is likely to happen. My father was a gambler and repaired slots in reno back in the day…he taught me well.
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Yeah, I think it is designed to build excitement and anticipation that something big could be just one pull away. The sights and sounds are somehow mesmerizing, and participants just hope they will be the one that fortune smiles upon. You never know.
 

No need to even go near a Casino now to gamble..it's all there online and on TV etc...adverts everywhere for it, which I think is terrible...Having been married to a compulsive gambler, I can assure anyone who is addicted to gambling that they make the lives of everyone around them a complete misery
 
hollydolly said:
No need to even go near a Casino now to gamble..it's all there online and on TV etc...adverts everywhere for it, which I think is terrible...Having been married to a compulsive gambler, I can assure anyone who is addicted to gambling that they make the lives of everyone around them a complete misery
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Addiction, as Holly has experienced to her cost, affects all those around the addict. Gambling has never had any sort of attraction, the next big winner will never be me, you need to buy a ticket or place a bet, just not in my DNA.
 
If you’re looking for live or online gambling, Hawaii isn’t the state for you.

Lawmakers have held a strict anti-gambling policy here since statehood in 1959. In practice, this means virtually all forms of betting, including online gaming in Hawaii, sports betting, casino gaming, and daily fantasy, are all prohibited. The only exception to this rule is poker, but these games can only be social in nature, with no money changing hands.

Although the Aloha State has held its anti-gambling position since it was integrated into the Union, this doesn’t mean things can’t change. Just as other regions have seen the benefits of live and online gambling, legislators in Hawaii have explored possible regulation over the past decade. But for now, nothing has materialized and all forms of betting are banned.

I have 100% no interest in gambling. We don't need the social problems or attracting the criminal element. Nevertheless one of the favorite destinations for Hawaii citizens to take vacation is Las Vegas. For some that's the only place they will ever go. But don't worry there are still otherwise a lot of things you can do here, even get married or honeymoon. You won't miss the gambling.
 
It is an allure. Luckily one I don't have to worry about. I've never been to one of the local casinos. Not yet anyway.

But Las Vegas is fun. Haven't been in almost 25 years. When I have gone (after paying my hotel on the credit card prior to the trip) I take cash. It was my spending money for everything including gambling. I've always come back with some of that cash still in my purse.
 
I went to Las Vegas for the first time after turning 21. I brought about a weeks pay with me for food, entertainment, and some gambling. My gambling pattern was bet, loose, bet, loose, bet, loose. Repeat over and over again until I lost most of my money. I did not find that fun. I spent the next day and a half at the pool watching the gals show off their new bikinis. That was free and fun. But, with no money I could not do much more than watch. This experience cured me of any desire to gamble other than penny ante poker with buddies.
 
Just was hearing about online poker games. You may be playing against a ‘team‘ who are sitting at your table. They can have a whole room of people who are part of this scam.

The other problem is that you may be playing against bots.
 
Muskrat said:
My father was a card counter back when they had two or three deck shoes. He was pretty darn good. Ran a card room for years later in life….
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I was a croupier at Western Australia's only casino, in my time we had an 8 deck shoes, cutting about a deck and a half as standard.
Most croupiers admired card counters, the house did not. When a known card counter was at our table we were told to inform them that 2 specific rules applied and to have them confirm that they understood. They had to be playing every hand or they would be restricted to the table minimum for the remainder of the shoe, which was usually deeply cut when they were playing.
Croupiers before shuffling machines had their own 'shuffle signature' which inevitably affected the card sequence. Sometimes a good player could hardly win a hand while at other times it was hard to do anything wrong. Often a pit boss would put a replacement dealer on a table to change the shuffle signature.
@Muskrat might elaborate, but card counting assigns a plus or minus value to a card and the counter tracks the flow of cards. When the count reaches positive 16 the remaining cards are in the player's favour. I think it was Jady Davis who wrote the book on card counting.
Card counters are usually identified by surveillance watching replays of their betting pattern.
Casinos cost a lot to run and they're financed by losers.
 
bobcat said:
Casino lights flicker enticingly, casting a kaleidoscope of colors that pull you in. Their grand entrances are always adorned with glittering chandeliers and plush carpets, it's difficult to bypass one's notice. You are made to feel like a VIP as your senses are titillated...............The next morning you may wake up with a betting hangover, but tonight it's party time at the roulette wheel.
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That's a fair summary of the psycho dynamics of gambling, at least the ones cultivated by the casinos, I think. I lost control of my drinking years ago, before I gave it up, so I like to think I understand addiction, but I have never been able to understand the addictive lure of gambling. I've met compulsive gamblers in AA meetings, but could not relate to them at all.
 
Brookswood said:
I went to Las Vegas for the first time after turning 21. I brought about a weeks pay with me for food, entertainment, and some gambling. This experience cured me of any desire to gamble other than penny ante poker with buddies.
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You may have been lucky to lose that much on the first try. Lesson learned.
 
Don't gamble, drink, or have the slightest interest in any of the "enticements" offered in the world of casinos. Never been in one but pass by Foxwoods in Conn. regularly when visiting family. None of my close relatives gambled, drank, etc. when i was a child.
Live in a different world than many of you but "have at it" and enjoy it, if it's to your liking. :)
 
Not my bag either. Never bought a lottery ticket, spent a day and a half in Vegas without even playing any slots.

I did get dragged to a regional casino once, and I played a few slots but only out of utter boredom. Didn't do a thing for me. Bet on horse races a few times but only as part of a couple of workplace group excursions. Interesting process but a few bets were plenty.

Table games and Keno and such interest me even less. I saw enough to last me forever. About as enticing as flushing money down the toilet.
 
My ex was a gambling addict. She spent about $4-5,000/year just on lottery tickets, never mind what she was spending on off-track-betting for hour after hour. She took off from work to gamble, and she lied about everything and anything. The only time I could trust her was when she was standing in front of me. I have no idea how many credit cards she had. When it came down to me or gambling, I was toast.
Personally, I don't gamble. I'd love to win millions, but the thought of losing 25 cents- OH NO!!!!
 
My mom liked to play the slots when she came to visit. I would play a little with her. I haven’t played since she died over 15 years ago. We are going to Vegas in June as a family trip and I might put 20 into a slot machine.
 

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