Why do people gamble?

Partly a defence mechanism, just like television. If people don't gamble they'd have to find something else to do. And then I suppose one can blame all people, for not organising so that no one has to become bored enough to want to gamble.

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@Thomas33,

Funny how they always advertise Casinos with young beautiful people having the time of their lives, not the reality: retirees using walkers and oxygen tanks.

http://www.meninbet.com/images/casino/casino-history.jpg

https://tgc-cache.s3.amazonaws.com/images/uploads/articles/gambling.png

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I've opinions on this, but I'll need to start at the beginning of the thread to catch up. I might have already posted..

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@Banana Breath,

Are you opposed to gambling?

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@Banana Breath,

Quote:

Funny how they always advertise Casinos with young beautiful people having the time of their lives, not the reality: retirees using walkers and oxygen tanks.

That is also how they advertise church.

http://www.marketfaith.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/worldview-and-worship.jpg

The difference is that at least with gambling, you have fun giving over your money... and you sometimes get something back.

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@maxdancona,

I just checked...

From what I see in a quick search, Americans lose more money to Churches each year than they do to Casinos.

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Ok, I read up.
I knew nothing about it when my father and I and his agricultural film crew stopped in Vegas on the way from Iowa to California for an overnight stay. I was seventeen and watch my father win and then loose it all. I knew our family circumstances, on the dire side re money, and I take his effort as deep hope which he likely knew better than, re betting.

I've been to Vegas with a group of friends since, and I spent a single quarter on the slots.

I've been to Vegas with my husband and spent nothing but for our hotel bill and meals. Except that I sprung for film to photograph the strip at night.

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@Banana Breath,

Banana Breath wrote:

From a psychological point of view, I'm wondering what primitive part of our reptilian brains is fed by gambling... it seems to exist throughout history in most cultures, so I suspect it appeals to a fundamental aspect of human nature.

Its the thrill of failure. In the wild when we were not secure from predictors there was always a fear that you could be attacked by animals or rival tribes.

So when people gamble they get nervous and when they win their body receives some dopamine and this process becomes addictive.

It also caters to laziness. Its easy to sit at a table or a machine and use your current (wealth) funds to attempt to make more. That's the theory anyways even though the house is statistically stacked against that from happening.

Its silly really when you look at the size of casinos and their overly extravagant surroundings that they make more money than they lose.

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@Thomas33,

I view it as a tax on people with a poor understanding of probability and poor impulse control. While I won't go out and picket the local casino, I find it sad to see elderly folks gamble away their social security checks.

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@Banana Breath,

Banana Breath wrote:

I view it as a tax on people with a poor understanding of probability and poor impulse control. While I won't go out and picket the local casino, I find it sad to see elderly folks gamble away their social security checks.

And what is church a tax on? There are a lot of people who are scammed into handing over their social security checks to church.

At least gambling provides a little fun.

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@maxdancona,

Clearly this is your little bugaboo.
We could point out that the music is better in most churches than in most casinos... but I'd prefer not to take your bait. Just because there are questions about gambling doesn't mean that people should go to church instead.

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@Banana Breath,

I am just arguing that every argument that you and others are making against gambling can also be made against people going to church.

People get sucked in, they lose their money, and they are never as happy as they were promised, they are motivated by a promise of great reward that isn't real.

Whether it be church, or the casino, it seem to me that people should be allowed to choose for themselves what they think will satisfy them.

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@maxdancona,

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@Banana Breath,

Strangely, that is what I think of this entire thread, Banana Breath, well before you came by to pile on.

To each his own.

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No idea why people gamble, it has never grabbed me.

I went with some folks to Atlantic City once and couldn't wait to depart. It was one of the most boring days of my life.

Played poker for money once, I won but had no interest in playing for money again.

Lottery tickets are a waste, I haven't bought in years, when I did it was here and there. Same goes with raffle tickets.

Then again, I do gamble on the pages of life... Sometimes do better at it than other times. Then again, all of life is a gamble.

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@Sturgis,

Likewise; I enjoy investing a bit in stocks but I don't consider that the same thing. You're purchasing a unit of value, a piece of a functioning company, and have information, about their products, management and the economy for instance to inform your choice. Gambling on the other hand intentionally removes all of those possibilities to have a chance at winning through intelligence, preparation, timing, etc.

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@Krumple,

Quote:

Its the thrill of failure

This makes some sense, but there's a part that I don't understand. I understand the idea that risky behavior is thrilling, it's similar to thrill of getting away with something illegal such as shoplifting, and the fear of getting caught (failing), but one would think that in gambling, given that the odds are stacked against the player making "winning" in the long run is virtually impossible, that the habit of failure should stop being attractive at some point.

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@Banana Breath,

I take it you all re think this is a routine thing, and that was not so re my father.

I gather that is routine.

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@ossobucotemp,

I don't really know. I don't have much experience with gambling. Nobody in my family gambled and it never attracted me. The few times I've been talked into a "friendly game of poker" even with penny stakes, I absolutely hate losing. I don't know what clicks to make it suddenly attractive for someone who never really had an interest before.

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@Banana Breath,

Banana Breath wrote:

Quote:
Its the thrill of failure

This makes some sense, but there's a part that I don't understand. I understand the idea that risky behavior is thrilling, it's similar to thrill of getting away with something illegal such as shoplifting, and the fear of getting caught (failing), but one would think that in gambling, given that the odds are stacked against the player making "winning" in the long run is virtually impossible, that the habit of failure should stop being attractive at some point.

Its only around 1% - 2% odds in favor of the house. So if you run big numbers like ten million dollars dumped into a casino by patrons, they take 51% of that and give back 49%.

So people do win but humans are inconsistent over time. If you asked an addicted gambler to start a log on how much money each time they gamble as wins and losses, they would see they are negative over time but if you just asked them without the data, they would claim they are ahead.

This is why a compulsive gambler never quits. They believe they are the "special" winner who has beat the odds.

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