Teeing Off: It's a Gamble
Courtesy of The Henry Rollins Show
I've never gambled in the classic sense. Never pulled the arm of a slot machine, don't know how Black Jack works, wouldn't be caught dead on Poker Tour and can't be bothered to put a dollar on black 47. I don't understand the compulsion to gamble, why anyone would take their hard-earned -- or whatever way their money comes to them -- and hand it over to a stranger.
There are literally millions of people in America who do not share my view and spend hundreds of hours and millions of dollars gambling in casinos and online like never before. I remember when gambling was something only tough guys did in movies but now it seems that millions of Americans are willfully gambling away their earnings, thus insuring them a broke-ass future. Gambling has become a mainstream pastime. It went from the casinos to seemingly everywhere else and the demographic has widened and now there's children with gambling debt.
What is the attraction of throwing your money away? Why are so many college students getting addicted to online gambling? Shouldn't they be studying? Whose money are they gambling with? What amazes me is that people can't wait to divest themselves of their earnings. Casinos don't even have to try, people are willing to pay to lose their money! In Las Vegas, they can't build hotels fast enough to stem the flow of incoming suckers. Why are people so eager to go into debt? I don't get it. Perhaps I spent too many years working for minimum wage and being broke to throw it away in a few minutes. The final irony of America might be that the freedom that was so hard-won might be the very thing that is the country's undoing, one hand at a time. Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?!
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Gambling works on many levels, but it has become more prominent within the last decade, especially with certain countries, or states, issuing legislation that only enables and/or encourages gambling.
I can't speak for the types of legislation in the US, as I'm Australian and live in Australia, but the reasons why people gamble are the same the world over.
Initially, I viewed it as one of those isolated habits, or something that could be isolated, but after living with a former partner (who was a compulsive gambler), I realised that there was more to it (in his case, and that of his social group) than hitting the big time. Many of his friends, for example, would win big on blackjack or slot machines, and they'd be back at the casino or leagues club, the following day.
My view of it would change by the day. On some days I'd see it as being similar to a sexual outlet of some kind. On other days it took a peer pressure thing, but on a social scale or larger scale, it also reflects society (economies, short-term relief, and more importantly, escape). A lot of men don't go hunting, or fishing anymore (the environmental issue, the political incorrectness, and other new social norms); they look for the easiest escape route or, as I tend to think, have the easiest route forced on them, whether it be gambling, or any other outlet that doesn't facilitate human relationships. Slot machines, as one example, are anti-social, but casinos don't care about that, they want the money.
There have been interesting research papers parallelling, or using rats to model the behavior of gamblers, where rats were trained to press a bar to obtain food, and it was found that rats given random rewards (such as those obtained via slot machines), pressed the bar the most (were more fanatical), so on one level, it does indicate a form of operant conditioning.
henry,
for some reason i alway think you should play the lead in "the pat tillman story." just a thought.
i'm sure you would love it and be great at it. and i think someone would like to cast you in it. the feng shui of it all is powerful.
brother in arms, out.
I agree 100%. But, if I may be so bold, I think Henry might be above something like that as it would be seen as exploitation. I dunno, just a thought. Yeah, Henry, you'd be perfect for that part.
On "gambling": It depends on what your definition of gambling is. Poker players the world over, myself included, don't consider playing poker as gambling. Its a game of skill. However, there are always the fish out there. You know; the suckers whose cash is always up for grabs. These people gamble no matter what game they play.
What about day traders? They gamble every single day. And the stakes are so high that when they lose, they lose all hope along with their life savings (not to mention other's life savings). When those guys lose they jump off the roof.
Gambling is as old as prostitution. It ain't goin anywhere anytime soon. Like war, gambling has become part of the human pysche. I don't know, I think it's a power thing. It's that feeling that when you win you've conquered the world (or something damn close, else why would people do it compulsively?). It's like the mountain climber who dares to brave the himalayas and Mt. Everest. There's the ultimate gamble. And the ultimate rush.
Mr. Rollins, why people gamble is in the same category as why people eat spicy-hot food. Neither is good for you. I don't know, but I have done both most of my life. A previous poster talked about the high of winning big, but most people who win turn around and give it right back to the casino!
I quit gambling after losing my stake twice, within 20 minutes of entering the damned noisy hall of greed. I miss watching the roulette wheel spin, as they are beautiful pieces of machinery, but I don't miss the croupier's curved stick collecting my money and scooping it into a hole.
I could ruminate further, but I have to go to the store; I am almost out of habanero sauce and chinese mustard.
There's a difference between compulsive gambling, competitive card playing and a "dollar and a dream" lottery tickets.
If I am spending my savings trying to "get lucky", then I am simply throwing my money away. If I am playing cards for money, I only have a problem if I lose too much (see above) or become addicted. And if I am buying a couple of scratch-offs or lottery tickets a week, spending a dollar or two to give me the chance to dream of winning big isn't wasting my money.
In my opinion, if a couple of lottery tickets makes someone happy or if a few friends want to get together to play cards, as long as they aren't pathological about it, what is the problem? It's still not as much of a rip-off as my college tuition or my subprime mortgage loan.
Two points:
1) Gambling can be a hobby just collecting expensive garbage (stamps, coins, cards, spending your money on stereo equipment, or golf, or ski trips, or deep sea fishing. Every year I bet on NFL football through a bookie and over the last 6 years there is only one year that at the end of the season I lost money. I have never made a huge amount of money (usally between $500 and $2000) and the one year I lost $625. If I was addicted I would think that by betting a lot more I can make a lot more and potentially get myself in trouble. But I am not addicted so do not villify what gambling and associate everyone who does it with people who suck at it and are addicted to it.
2) Every decision you make in life is a gamble. Leaving one job for another. Buying a house, buying a stock, getting married. People in this country lose a lot more money by making bad gambles with these type of life decisions then they do pissing away $600 in a casino.
I go to Vegas once a year to mostly indulge in the wild night life. I live in CA and having to go home at two just sux.
But I must say that playing blackjack, getting to know some kind strangers at the table, "free" drinks is just fun! Blowing off steam. And I never take more than 500$ to gamble with cuz, yeah, I'm poor too. As long as its done in moderation, whats the hurt?
Gambling is nothing more than a rather expensive hobby. Can it be addictive? Certainly, but so can any number of other activities, including eating, video gaming, smoking/drinking, and even blogging. Each has it's own costs and rewards. Really, gambling is just a small part of a larger problem: overspending. Many people are addicted to buying things that they don't need, be those items experiential or actual products. This is just my experience, but I know far more people who have gone into debt simply because they like to shop than those who have gone into debt because of gambling. Is there really a difference between playing one too many hands of online poker and adding one too many items to your saksfiftha
The other problem with how we view gambling is that people are sent an entirely mixed message as to whether it's immoral or not. Governments and Churches have raffles and lotteries, and within many states, gambling is immoral in most cities, but perfectly moral in other cities. According to New Jersey, you're a criminal if you gamble in Brigantine, but not if you gamble a mile away in Atlantic City.
Maybe people love gambling because they want to feel like they've won- people gamble with money, their relationships, their health, etc. and they do so because there's a chance they may win. Maybe the chance of victory outweighs the fear of loss. Maybe they feel they're getting away with something. Could be the only chance they'll have to feel successful. who knows, just a theory, I really don't get it either.
Some people ________ responsibly for pleasure, while others get hooked and go way overboard.
Drink
Gamble
Use drugs
Hire prostitutes
etc.
Take your pick. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean you should vilify it. We offer help for those who get addicted and leave the rest alone, as it should be.
All gamblers I have met are running on the adrenaline from their last win, whether its $5 or $5,000. They will always talk that up and when you ask them how much they 'invested' they look at you blankly. Most of them don't even know how much the 'yield' is on their gambling!
Henry,
In order to understand the gambling compulsion you must first experience the adrenalin/
It's all downhill from there.
I never had the real urge to gamble a lot but I do like blackjack because it's skill not chance but I mostly go to the casinos because of the fantastic buffets, and the outrageous architecture (Las Vegas) not necessarily for the gambling.
Gambling does not equal going into debt. That's absurd Henry. I gamble and I have no debt. I have never been wealthy. Never will be. People are in over their heads with debt because they spend beyond their means and are actively encouraged to do so. Gambling may be part of that for some of them, but certainly not all (or even the majority).
Some enjoy it and some are addicted to it.
I never understood how people could lose control by taking drugs.
To each their own.
I have been a degenerate gambler for over 50 years. It is an emotional disease with no cure. Compulsive gambling means financial, mental, and personal ruin. The only way to deal with it is to admit powerlessness. Then, one must start going to Gamblers Annoymous meetings. Even then the success rate is very low. Thats because compulsive gamblers use gambling as the nourishment of their life. It's a simple but very complicated problem. You just need to quit but the demons will not let you.
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Posted August 23, 2007 | 10:22 AM (EST)