The Lure of the Casinos

Moralists argue that gambling is reprehensible, appalling, destructive and ultimately, evil. But when the word 'casino' is mentioned, it conjures images totally different from what the naysayer have in mind.

For people who are patrons, customers or ardent supporters if you will, casinos are havens, an institution of gaming and entertainment. For people who haven't been to a casino personally, they picture a place filled with bright lights, tall and sexy showgirls, the excitement of wagering and the clinking sound of hundreds of coins when somebody hits the jackpot in the slot machines. This image is what lures people into casinos; the imagined expectations make them stay a little longer. It is quite a mystery however, what gets them hooked.

There are quite a number of support groups who offer counseling for hardcore gamblers. These are the kind of guys who stay in casinos and gambling joints for long periods of time and risk more than they should.

They usually start off as casual gamers, you know - stable job, decent family, moderate drinkers…typical weekend warriors who have enough money to spare so they figure they'd risk it. They'll probably win a few hundred bucks every now and then and they'll think "Hey this is really great!" as their dosage for alcohol increases and their hours of sleep decreases.

Eventually they'll be seeing their family and friends less and less and be seeing casino dealers more and more. Finally, they'd be arguing a lot more frequently with the boss (mostly due to absences and overall inefficiency) until they get fired. Having no job will not deter them from continuing their gambling and may in fact encourage them more, maybe due to the thinking that "I won't be needing a job if I hit it big" or maybe because they simply have more time on their hands now.

This will enrage the spouse and their repeated arguments would lead to a messy divorce. The other party would of course gain custody of the kids making the gambler a total loser in life as we know it.

Alright, that is of course a worse case scenario and might just seem like an overused plotline of a bad movie but it does happen in real life. People do get hooked, people do mess up marriages and people do get fired from work because of gambling problems.

It may not be as vivid as what we see in television or the movies but, it does happen. There are no doubt people reading this article right now who know somebody or are related to someone who is a chronic gambler. Wanna bet?