Gambling...It’s Not Always Fun

The Winning Hand: West End Times Article - October 10, 2009

Picture the setting: It’s Friday mid-morning, you just hung up with your sweetie from work, and you’re planning the beginning of your weekend. You’ll be meeting another couple for dinner, and then, with or without your better half, you’re planning a 10:00 PM arrival at the Casino de Montréal. You were in a great mood all day...it’s Friday! All the troubles of the week will soon be gone, and the anxiety, or rather, the anticipation, of an evening at the casino warms the cockles of your heart.

Fast forward 10 hours as you slowly pull up to the Castle of Greed; The Building of Bouillon; The Mecca of Money; or, as realists like to call it, a Place to Piss Away Your Money, A.K.A. The Montreal Casino. There are more smiley faces in the valet area than at the Woodstock concert; More happy faces than at a Wal-Mart head office meeting. Soon, the miles and miles of smiles begin to sour.

Eventually, an hour or 2 into your evening, your hopes, dreams and wishes of a lovely weekend have already turned to dust as you somehow have managed to again prepay your provincial tax by losing at the casino. The first chapter of your weekend has already put you in a bad mood and we haven’t even hit Saturday! Look at the body language and smiles of those getting out of their cars about to walk in for the evening, and then look at those in line waiting for their cars to be brought back to them by the car jockeys. It is simple: Smiles get out of the car, whilst frowns and crappy moods are going home.

Do you ever wonder why there are 3000 slot machines that take your money? Do you ever wonder why there are 90 Black Jack dealers, Baccarat dealers, PaiGow Poker dealers and Roulette Spinners, but only 5 cashiers? Do you think something is lopsided? It is obvious that Lotto Quebec takes in far more money than it gives out. It is such an easy premise to understand and such a hard premise to figure out why we don’t understand it. The worst that could happen at a movie is that you’ve wasted 30 bucks on 2 tickets and popcorn. The worst that could happen at a restaurant is that you’ve wasted 100 dollars and you won’t be recommending it to your neighbours. Numbers show (Quebec government statistics) that 80% of those that go to the casino or who are lottery ticket buyers are the same people. They go day after day, week after week and month after month. Why then, do people partake in something that is so self destructive?

The activity of gambling be it in lottery form or going to the casino is considered by the government to be entertainment. This is a misnomer. If the above statement is true, here are some questions: If you go see a movie that you don’t like, was it entertainment? If you go to a new restaurant and you didn’t necessarily enjoy the food, did you still have a nice evening? And more specifically, if you have gone to the casino and lost money, did you have a nice night? Now, seeing as how far more people lose than win, does that mean far more people leave the building unhappy versus happy? And if so, why is gambling entertainment?

Gambling, it’s not always fun.

The Oldest Addiction Grabs The Elderly

The Winning Hand: West End Times Article - September 5, 2009

Never mind about the Kings and Queens...what about the Bubbys and Zaides?

Never mind about the Jacks...what about the Yunkles?

Never mind about getting a Straight??...what about standing straight?

And never mind about getting a Pair??...what about eating a pear??

Last week we talked about Youth Gambling.

This week, let’s talk about Senior Gambling.

Seniors are the fasting growing groups of gamblers...even ahead of students and/or teens (according to CNN). Between 1974 and 1994, the percentage of seniors grew from 20% to a whopping 50%. According to the same sources, gambling, all and any forms such as bingo, horse racing, or going to the casino, beats out shopping and golf combined as a preferred social activity.

How could Loto Quebec and its Montreal Casino have the audacity, the shame, the nerve, to actually arrange shuttle buses to pick up senior citizens from Montreal area senior citizen homes and take them to the casino for ‘hours of fun and excitement’. If the senior citizen homes work amicably with Loto Quebec to arrange for these outings, they too, should be embarrassed and in total shame. I can tell you first hand, categorically and without a doubt, from speaking to local bank managers, that seniors on a regular basis, have been cashing out RRSPs, taking out RIF money, and withdrawing cold hard cash so that they are ready when the shuttle bus comes a calling. Once again, Loto Quebec and its casino marketing team are in brilliant high gear. They provide transportation to and fro, free and/or discounted meals, special rewards and assorted prizes that attract the older individual.

The seniors live in a world of isolation, loneliness and boredom. The casino provides a distraction to these said people.

Imagine certain casinos send birthday cards as if Loto Quebec really cares when it’s their birthday.

Seniors, as a whole, do not understand addiction, and more often than not, are shy and/or ignorant to seek help.

Again, as with any gambler, the tell tale signs of seniors with gambling problems may be loss of interest or participation in the homes’ activities, boredom, blocks of time unaccounted for, possessions missing, or a general change in their attitude and personality.

What seniors fail to realize is that when their money is lost through gambling, it is almost impossible to replace, as they are no longer, as a rule, in the active work force.

Our federal and provincial governments have a public responsibility to prevent seniors from losing their life savings, as they have a responsibility to be public watchdogs against adolescent smoking.

Gambling can easily become a problem to some people later in life as a result of losing a loved one or a drastic change in health. The senior relies on gambling as a way of dealing with any and all problems and instant gratification.

All of the above makes for, in my opinion, a horrible cocktail, as a way to pass one’s remaining years.