Reader Comments

Great Lottery 3334951183253121113

by Susanne Jacquez (2025-08-21)


Let's start with a definition. What is gambling? Gambling is betting on a thing that may or might not happen in the foreseeable future. Once we gamble, we take a risk, choose an uncertain outcome, and bet on it. Gamblers bet on casino games, horse racing, and sports where the result can not be predicted with certainty. Some people will bet on anything. Remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer bet on the arrival and departure times of airplanes at a new York City airport?

How is gambling distinctive from buying stocks and bonds? Stocks and bonds are thought about investments and not gambles because we can reasonably expect to come out ahead within the long term. They can be risky although not in the same sense as gambling.

How is gambling different from buying coverage? As we buy insurance, we have been betting on an issue that may or may not happen down the road. We don't want to take the risk which it will happen, so we pay someone else (the insurance company) to take the risk for us. As we buy homeowner's insurance coverage, one example is we are betting our house will burn down and the insurance coverage company is betting it will not. (Of course we hope we won't win this bet.) This isn't gambling because the risk may be calculated. The insurance company uses all kinds of statistics to analyze the probability of our house burning down and fixes the premium we shall pay accordingly.

Individuals have gambled since ancient times. Conversely, society never approved of it since it was labeled an attempt to get money without doing work for it. Society thought that hard-work should pave the way to financial success. It wasn't until the late 1960s that states (except for Nevada which had legalized all forms of gambling earlier) started to run lotteries to raise money for worthwhile causes.

So why do we gamble even though we have been unlikely to win within the long run? We gamble for the excitement of the uncertain outcome. Some gamble to try and make their financial dreams come true. Some people gamble for entertainment or enjoyment, for example a night out with friends at the casino or possibly a bingo game for a charitable organization or a lottery ticket. Some think they can beat the odds and make a living out of online gambling agency. There are men and women that gamble given that they simply love the challenge. They look-at gambling as a game of skill or problem-solving and they are sure they may win. Some like the environment or the thrill of a possible big win, or the adrenaline rush of taking a chance. Casinos allow us to socialize and pass some time. You will find no clocks in a casino; we lose track of time; we forget all our troubles. It's like a therapy session! If we are timid, we can go to a casino and boldly take chances.

Occasional gambling could possibly be a relaxing type of entertainment but be careful not to get addicted. Addiction may lead to obsession. You could lose control and become so fanatical that you could ruin you life or suffer other catastrophic consequences. So if you gamble, make sure to set limits and keep to the limits you've got set.



ISSN: 0278-5307