The Winning Hand: West End Times Article - August 15, 2009
Gambling: An ugly word that conjures up images of smokey underground poker rooms, guys that haven't changed their clothes in days, warm beer and loan sharks abundant.
Gaming: A new, and glamorous word that conjures up images of fine dining, beautifully appointed casinos and a new and acceptable lifestyle of the millennium.
The truth: We as a society continue to chase the elusive dream to make money, and to live a life of fantasy, which, may, in fact, find us in trouble. We are, in fact, too smart o subscribe to those theories. Gambling is, and should be, a harmless pastime strictly for enjoyment.
Gaming/Gambling is a heinous, horrifying and addictive pastime that has ruined peoples’ lives, killed the family unit, helped the rate of suicides climb drastically and have put people’s dreams and hopes on hold, possibly forever.
You CANNOT win at gambling.
When this statement resonates with one’s mind and is clearly understood, we as a society will be in much better shape mentally, physically, morally and certainly, financially.
Sure, playing poker with the guys (and women) and buying the odd 2 dollar 6/49 Loto ticket is fine. It’s like buying and snacking on the odd chocolate bar. But it’s not OK 5 at a time!
Moderation is the answer. Everything in life is about moderation.
Your greatest strength is you. Use it. Don't abuse it! Know what you are doing and the end result of what may happen.
Gambling is as old a pastime as playing cards themselves. When fun turns into destruction, lying, cheating and night-time sweats, there is a problem.
Anxiety and all that comes with it, isn't worth the temporary high that is associated with gambling. It just isn't.
There are no windows in casinos so you don't know what’s doing outside. There is a cooler than average temperature inside the casino to keep players more awake and eager to play. There are garish and plain, old, ugly, and busy carpeting to ensure people don't look down but see the tables and machines continually and make you want to play. There are slot machines (VLTs) that make a sound in the musical key of "C" which is scientifically known as the most pleasing sound to the human ear. There are coupons for dining that cost players 50 bucks to play and lose so they are entitled to a 4 dollar free hamburger. The "high-roller" (definition: those who risk far more than the average and who inevitably lose far more than the average) who is given a "free" weekend valued at anywhere from $1000 to $2000 providing he/she plays a couple of hours a day, and drops $3000 to $5000 or more. Great!
Six hundred dollars for a diet coke. Does this make sense?
Truth is, I am jealous. The marketing and sales team for worldwide casinos do a fantastic job of getting bodies into their buildings. The only problem is, among many, is that families end up losing their homes, children go unfed, marriages breakup and college funds go depleted. But hey, isn't gambling fun?
Gambling isn't going anywhere. It’s an approximate 30 billion dollar industry in Canada alone. Stop pointing fingers. Stop blaming. Stop the bleeding hearts. Start educating, the gambling uneducated population. What we have learned about cigarette smoking the last 25 years, we must learn about the pros and cons of gambling.
Do Canadians like to gamble? You bet.
