Gambling
After reading this post you are going to know more about me than you probably would ever want to know. However some of the reasons for doing this blog are 1) letting people know the "real" me; 2) a self-therapy session to help me work out some of my issues; 3) a chance to vent about, talk about, think about, etc. things that I need to discuss. I realize that the readers of this blog is a very small audience (mostly family and friends) so it doesn't bother me to put personal stuff on here.
The reason this is relevant is because of a couple of recent news stories of two professional athletes that have recently publicly announced their gambling losses and their problems with addiction.
John Daly is a PGA golfer who has struggled with many addictions over the course of his career. Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship (one of golf's four major tournaments) as an alternate that was allowed to play because another golfer backed out the day before. He has since won another major (British Open) but has become more know for his off the course antics. Daly has been married four times and has struggled with alcohol addiction throughout his career.
Daly recently released his biography in which he claimed to lose between $50-$60 million dollars in gambling over his lifetime. He spoke of one incident in which he lost $1.5 million in one day playing a $5,000 slot machine.
Charles Barkley was a professional basketball player (turned commentator) who revealed his own gambling problems after hearing about Daly's. Barkley admitted to gambling losses of around $10 million dollars. Barkley justified his losses by saying that he could afford it. He did however say that if he didn't get it under control that it could lead to his downfall. But he also said that he didn't think he had a "problem".
I give you this background to help you understand my thoughts on gambling. Because this blog will someday be a de facto journal I will hope that my kids or others that read this don't lose respect for me (if they ever had any in the first place). Please note that I have made mistakes, but have taken actions to have them corrected. You would think a person would learn their lessons by listening to wise counsel or learn from the mistakes of others, but I've found that sometimes I have to learn lessons through my own experience (mainly because I'm a slow learner). I know this looks like I'm setting this up to make it look more spectacular than what really happened. Once you here the details I'm sure you'll be pretty underwhelmed. It's just not that juicy or exciting.
First of all, I recommend never to participate in gambling. It is a no win situation. The draw of gambling is closely related to greed and adrenaline. Greed comes into play because you think you've found a way to make easy money. The adrenaline comes when you win. However the lows quickly overtake the highs and even when you win the high doesn't last long. To make it more clear, gamblers are never satisified. If you are winning, you think you can always win more. When you are losing you think you have to make it back. There is never a point that you reach where you feel satisfied and complete. You always feel this need to try it again. Hence the addiction of gambling.
Logically gambling makes no sense. It's no secret that casinos have the edge in every single game that can be played. Most of the edges are slight, like 52/48 in favor of the casino. That's why you can win on the short term, but the longer you play the law of averages will work themselves out. Mathematics just aren't on your side. Some casinos tout that they have 98% payback on their slot machines. That's the equivalent of going into a place of business and giving them $1 and they give you back 98 cents in return for nothing. Yet you walk into any casino and people are sitting down and feeding those machines. Thank you for your $1 here's 98 cents. The lights, buildings and glamour of Las Vegas weren't built on people winning. The look of The Strip should be testimony enough that you can't win.I have felt the highs and lows of gambling.
I have no idea if I've won more or less than I've spent. Keep in mind that I was pretty small time. The first bet I ever placed was $3, meanwhile the guy next to me was betting $300. The reason I was always able to survive a financial disaster is that I eventually left town. There aren't many casinos in Provo, Utah. One thing that was evident to me is what I called "the pull". When entering an establishment I could feel "the pull" to sit down and play. Sometimes I succumbed and other times I didn't. In the past few years I made the choice to not participate anymore. Since then I've been in casinos and always feel "the pull", but the temptation is becoming less and less. It just doesn't seem worth it anymore. Too much to lose for very little reward.
Since President Hinckley gave his talk on gambling in the Priesthood Session a couple of years ago, I've tried to stay away from all forms of gambling. I have walked away from a fantasy league that had an entry fee and quit doing the March Madness office pool (this is the toughest thing I've had to give up). Strangely enough I still watch poker on TV sometimes mainly because the various strategies of the game intrigues me (not the money). Poker has been an up and coming phenomenon in the last few years which is why Pres. Hinckley specifically addressed it in General Conference. The other phenomenon is online gaming. If you don't have a casino nearby you can find one in one click. That has never been a tempation for me. I would rather help some guy from Africa move millions of dollars to America via my checking account than give my credit card number to a gambling establishment over the internet.I must say that since I've walked away that I don't miss it.
Most people that gamble do so leisurely (like drinking alcohol) and don't get addicted or lose their families, but I can see how it could be something that could overtake your life. There is wise counsel to avoid trying to get something for nothing. It goes directly against God's plan. It is much more satisfying to reap what you sow, to earn what you receive. Gambling just doesn't bring that satisfaction.
The reason this is relevant is because of a couple of recent news stories of two professional athletes that have recently publicly announced their gambling losses and their problems with addiction.
John Daly is a PGA golfer who has struggled with many addictions over the course of his career. Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship (one of golf's four major tournaments) as an alternate that was allowed to play because another golfer backed out the day before. He has since won another major (British Open) but has become more know for his off the course antics. Daly has been married four times and has struggled with alcohol addiction throughout his career.
Daly recently released his biography in which he claimed to lose between $50-$60 million dollars in gambling over his lifetime. He spoke of one incident in which he lost $1.5 million in one day playing a $5,000 slot machine.
Charles Barkley was a professional basketball player (turned commentator) who revealed his own gambling problems after hearing about Daly's. Barkley admitted to gambling losses of around $10 million dollars. Barkley justified his losses by saying that he could afford it. He did however say that if he didn't get it under control that it could lead to his downfall. But he also said that he didn't think he had a "problem".
I give you this background to help you understand my thoughts on gambling. Because this blog will someday be a de facto journal I will hope that my kids or others that read this don't lose respect for me (if they ever had any in the first place). Please note that I have made mistakes, but have taken actions to have them corrected. You would think a person would learn their lessons by listening to wise counsel or learn from the mistakes of others, but I've found that sometimes I have to learn lessons through my own experience (mainly because I'm a slow learner). I know this looks like I'm setting this up to make it look more spectacular than what really happened. Once you here the details I'm sure you'll be pretty underwhelmed. It's just not that juicy or exciting.
First of all, I recommend never to participate in gambling. It is a no win situation. The draw of gambling is closely related to greed and adrenaline. Greed comes into play because you think you've found a way to make easy money. The adrenaline comes when you win. However the lows quickly overtake the highs and even when you win the high doesn't last long. To make it more clear, gamblers are never satisified. If you are winning, you think you can always win more. When you are losing you think you have to make it back. There is never a point that you reach where you feel satisfied and complete. You always feel this need to try it again. Hence the addiction of gambling.
Logically gambling makes no sense. It's no secret that casinos have the edge in every single game that can be played. Most of the edges are slight, like 52/48 in favor of the casino. That's why you can win on the short term, but the longer you play the law of averages will work themselves out. Mathematics just aren't on your side. Some casinos tout that they have 98% payback on their slot machines. That's the equivalent of going into a place of business and giving them $1 and they give you back 98 cents in return for nothing. Yet you walk into any casino and people are sitting down and feeding those machines. Thank you for your $1 here's 98 cents. The lights, buildings and glamour of Las Vegas weren't built on people winning. The look of The Strip should be testimony enough that you can't win.I have felt the highs and lows of gambling.
I have no idea if I've won more or less than I've spent. Keep in mind that I was pretty small time. The first bet I ever placed was $3, meanwhile the guy next to me was betting $300. The reason I was always able to survive a financial disaster is that I eventually left town. There aren't many casinos in Provo, Utah. One thing that was evident to me is what I called "the pull". When entering an establishment I could feel "the pull" to sit down and play. Sometimes I succumbed and other times I didn't. In the past few years I made the choice to not participate anymore. Since then I've been in casinos and always feel "the pull", but the temptation is becoming less and less. It just doesn't seem worth it anymore. Too much to lose for very little reward.
Since President Hinckley gave his talk on gambling in the Priesthood Session a couple of years ago, I've tried to stay away from all forms of gambling. I have walked away from a fantasy league that had an entry fee and quit doing the March Madness office pool (this is the toughest thing I've had to give up). Strangely enough I still watch poker on TV sometimes mainly because the various strategies of the game intrigues me (not the money). Poker has been an up and coming phenomenon in the last few years which is why Pres. Hinckley specifically addressed it in General Conference. The other phenomenon is online gaming. If you don't have a casino nearby you can find one in one click. That has never been a tempation for me. I would rather help some guy from Africa move millions of dollars to America via my checking account than give my credit card number to a gambling establishment over the internet.I must say that since I've walked away that I don't miss it.
Most people that gamble do so leisurely (like drinking alcohol) and don't get addicted or lose their families, but I can see how it could be something that could overtake your life. There is wise counsel to avoid trying to get something for nothing. It goes directly against God's plan. It is much more satisfying to reap what you sow, to earn what you receive. Gambling just doesn't bring that satisfaction.
posted by Scott's Blog at Thursday, May 11, 2006
4 Comments:
Your comments go along perfectly with the Simpsons episode where they build a casino and Marge develops a slot machine addiction. If more people watched the Simpsons, there would be less gambling addiction in the world. I am convinced at that.
I guess if you are confessing, I have to too. Once in Vegas, I played a 5 cents slot machine and won 5 cents. It was awesome. That same trip, you won some money and bought me a fun slushy drink. It was good too.
But in all seriousness, your comments are very inspiring. I'm impressed that you don't even participate in the little office pools. I don't know if I could give up Bingo at Rob's yearly work party. I don't have to pay to play and I enjoyed winning the $50 blackout that first year. I'm hooked.
Bingo at the office party isn't gambling if you don't pay to play. If you lose you are out nothing. In my opinion you are good to go.
I remember buying the slushy drinks at the Buffalo Bill casino on the State Line. I think we rode the roller coaster that day. Ironically the Buffalo Bill is where we stayed when we went to pick up Aubree. It was $12 a night.
The sad thing is that I have plenty of stories to tell. I always thought it would be cool to write a book about all the interesting people you meet at a casino. One thing about gambling is that it shows no bias. You see all kinds as all social classes participate.
We used to play poker in high school betting Skittles and then when the Skittles ran out, we'd bet the hot girls in our class. It was a good time. The funny thing is, 10 years later a couple of my buddies were serious online poker players. I don't if they reformed after Pres. Hinckley's talk. Which of course, makes you the man, Scotty.
I really liked your comments Scotty!! It reminds me how lucky I am to be your wife.
We all have lessons to learn in life and lots of times we have to learn them the hard way. It helps us grow but also I think it helps us have empathy for others. I think we show more mercy for someone who has gone through or is going through a similar situation. We also aren't as judgemental because we have an understanding.
A few months ago, my parents had Elder Holland come for Stake Conferene and they said he talked about how the Quorum of the 12's lives had not been easy and it helped them have an understanding of others and the trials they were going through.
I really think that's what this life is about....helping each other make it through instead of criticizing and judging them for their mistakes.
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