Gambling in your PJ's...’cause you're gonna lose your pants anyway!

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

It’s another blustery, wintery, Canadian January, early in the morning. 3:00 AM early! You just can’t sleep, especially after the guy on the radio says "to expect a HIGH of -23°C later in the day. AAAHHH!
What would Air Transit charge to land a plane on my street, pick me up, and take me off to Cuba? Alright, a guy’s allowed to dream, huh?

How about this one; Grabbing your wallet, running downstairs to the basement, closing the door behind you and booting up the ol’ family computer.

Why such excitement? Why the sudden rush??

Because in seconds you’ll be in a virtual casino...while still wearing your PJ’s!

Welcome to INTERNET GAMBLING!

No I.D. is required. There are no line-ups or smelly guys sitting near you. Having a credit card is mandatory and having a secret password is too, which will open the door to one of 1000's of online casinos; a process which only takes a minute or 2 to set up and become a member, if you aren’t already a member of 1, 2 or 10.

The terms internet gambling and online gaming are one and the same.

It is just another avenue to gamble and LOSE hard earned money.

As online shopping was to the retail business, online gambling is to the casino business.
It is just another way to suck your money out of your pockets; another way to make it easier NOT to stay away from gambling. Again, another brilliant idea from the boys over in the marketing department.

The American and Canadian governments have tried their damndest to put stopgaps and laws in place to have online gaming tagged as illegal, but even if so, the majority of online gaming houses reroute their sites offshore (which now makes it legal) and then directs right back to both Canada and The States. Talk about a loophole, huh?

As recent as early September of this year, A U.S. Court Appeals court upheld a federal ban on Internet gambling, but the ruling has allowed each state to at least, for now, have more say on the matter. The bottom-line is that another form of gambling is here to stay.

The United Kingdom has recently claimed their gambling addiction cases have approximately doubled the last year, citing online gambling as the main culprit. Australian authorities have claimed similar numbers. South Africa claims to have a massive increase in their compulsive/pathological gambling cases as well, directly as a result of the online gaming industry.

One of the worries that gambling counsellors, therapists or other professionals in the gaming world have about Internet gambling is that you CANNOT use cold hard cash when betting, thus forcing the player to use credit cards that may often be ‘maxed out’, or to use the account (should there be plus balances) in the said Internet casino, and always knowing that you can play and bet and play and bet...’til your card is dry, and your back is wet!

At least, if you’re trying to quit smoking or drinking and you have no cigarettes or booze at home, you cannot smoke or drink virtual drugs.

Internet gambling...what’s next?

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.