What are your thoughts on gambling? (el naipe)

Question

Today's word is "el naipe". Since this word means "playing card", I thought I would ask a question about gambling.

For some, gambling is an enjoyable past time. For others, it can be a serious problem. I will share a bit about how gambling has touched our family a little later.

So for today, what are your thoughts about gambling? Has it been a positive, negative or neutral experience in your life?

Answer 1

My brothers are both gamblers.

One bets on the horses - he lives in a one bed rented apartment, doesn't have a car, and his wife comes to me regularly to borrow money for food.

The other one is a bookmaker - he used to take bets at the racecourses, but now he stays at home and and manages his website instead. They have a holiday villa in Spain and a mercedes.

There is a moral there somewhere!

Yes, definitely! - Issabela, Dec 10, 2009

Great answer, Sheila. - billy-jones, Dec 10, 2009

As they say, Sheila, you never see a bookie on a bicycle! - annierats, May 6, 2014

The house always wins. - 00551866, May 6, 2014

Answer 2

I go to a conservative church with a lot of anti-gambling people, and I just don't see it the same way they do. The issue isn't directly addressed in the Bible, and I think if it was that important it ought to be there.

That being said, I tend to be against gambling as a form of revenue for the state. Any trip to Las Vegas will leave you very impressed with what can be built using the money lost by gamblers, and frankly I feel sorry for people that lose large amounts that way.

I also can't quite get over the poor people at the convenience store that spend money they clearly don't have on lottery tickets. It is very unkind to say that lotteries are a tax on stupid people, but honestly that's not far from the truth.

I have to go to Las Vegas every year for business, and it's one of my least favorite places on earth, though I admit I've gambled some (with a strict limit like many others have said.) I think in 10 trips or so I'm about $30 ahead.

In summary, I don't think it's particularly immoral. But it's a very poor investment.

The religious objection as explained to me was that you are seeking gain for yourself at the expense of your fellow players which is not a Christian attitude. For you to win someone has to lose. - 0074b507, Dec 9, 2009

Yes, you can legitmately make this argument, but at this point it is a matter of personal conviction, not some "Thus says the Lord" from scripture. And it is equally not a Christian attitude to insist that everyone else lives by my personal convictions. - Goyo, Dec 10, 2009

Answer 3

If I may be frank, I think gambling is stupid. I do like casinos though, I eat at one for free nearly every Wednesday, but I never gamble. I win the lottery every week, because I never play, therefore I win $1.00 (or whatever a ticket is now) every week. Do the math, I've won hundreds. Gambling can be fun, I can see that, but so many people become addicted.

Answer 4

I'm another with a $20 limit only I've never been as lucky as aloshek. To me it's entertainment money. When we go on a cruise or are on vacation where there are casinos we'll spend one evening and that's it. We also like the horse track as my in-laws use to own harness horses but in 25 years I doubt I've spent more than $100 on that. Like anything else, moderation is the key and I feel bad for those who suffer the addiction.

That's the whole thing, it's just luck - aloshek, Dec 9, 2009

Of course, luck and entertainment. - Yeser007, Dec 9, 2009

Answer 5

I have only gambled once in my life. I went to a casino with my boss several years ago. We agreed, win or lose, we would only play $20 and then come home. I had no idea what I was doing and came home with $800! I don't think I ever got hooked on it because I saw several people who looked like they had lived in front of the slot machines for a week, thumbing through their credit cards to figure out which one to stick in the machine next. I feared the addiction too much to go back.

Answer 6

Gambling has been only positive for me. I play cards with my family for quarters, so it doesn't add up to much, but it is fun.

On the other hand, I feel really bad for families that have a member who suffers from any type of addiction, including a gambling addiction.

Answer 7

I don't have any strong feelings about an individual gambling within reason, but I am not in favor of states facilitating gambling and then counting on the revenue in their state budgets. It's a Cinderella story to hear about the person who bought one lottery ticket every week for 30 years and then hit the jackpot, but too often the story runs that someone used the grocery money to buy lottery tickets and never won the jackpot.

We always chuckle that my mother-in-law was addicted to "Bingo", and it is a cute picture of a harmless little old lady at her weekly games, but in many cases it's not as innocent as that.

Habiendo dicho eso, a ver si ganamos el gordo esta semana! (echando bromas!)

Answer 8

Some people are addicted even to the national lottery. Frankly, I feel sorry for them, just as for any other addicts, because their lives are completely out of their control.

Answer 9

delete

Answer 10

Aburrido y humoso Boring and smoky

?? - Yeser007, Dec 9, 2009

Answer 11

My husbands grandparents were heavily involved with gambling. After they arrived from Italy and settled in the US, they spent time each day "doing the numbers". This was a form of gambling that was run by the mafia.

As a result, his mom and her siblings became ultra conservative with money. They did not want their children to have to do without. When they were children, money meant for basic needs was squandered on gambling.

I know that gambling is innocent fun for most, but for those who become trapped by the allure of quick money, I feel very sorry.