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If you gamble regularly and lose money regularly, it's very likely it's addiction that's bringing you back. It's hard to be a "healthy" semi-regular losing pla
by hoopd 11y ago
If you gamble regularly and lose money regularly, it's very likely it's addiction that's bringing you back.
It's hard to be a "healthy" semi-regular losing player, the ones I can think of off the top of my head are people with good jobs who hit the casinos a few times a month as a social event and lose what they would have spent at a bar anyway. They may drop $500 each per month, but the problem gambler may drop $10k in a week. It doesn't take many problem gamblers to get to 90% of the money coming in.
- icebraining 11y agoWhy do you say it's hard to be a semi-regular losing player? Besides the millions who player in lotteries (which is not the same, granted), my experience is from Spain, where many bars and coffee shops have slot machines (like this[1]) and you see lots of people playing for 5-15 minutes and then leaving. [1] https://marroturismo.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/tragaperras.jpg https://marroturismo.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/tragaperras...
- hoopd 11y agoWow, that picture is not something that happens in the U.S.! I think it's hard to be a "healthy" losing player because there aren't many good reasons to keep doing something that's costing you money when the whole point of the activity is to win money. But I suppose if you're always within 5 minutes of a slot-machine that changes things a little. Here in the U.S. gambling is heavily regulated so unless you live unusually close to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, a Native American reservation, or other small areas where it's legal it takes a lot of effort to get to a casino. I don't really know but I'd guess that most people here are an hour or so from the closest legal gambling, and there are even states with zero legal gambling. edit: look at the map about halfway down this page, it's out of date but sums up gambling access in America pretty well: https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional-economist/july-1994/emlaissez-le-bon-temps-rouletteem-letting-the-good-times-roll-on-riverboat-casinos https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional-economist/j...
- getsat 11y agoThere are slot machines in convenience stores, restaurants, and airports in the state of Nevada (and not just near Vegas).
- juliangregorian 11y agoIt happens in some states. I was in Montana several years ago; nearly every gas station and restaurant seemed to have one or two.