This sick hobby (warning--quitting gambling rant)

[dominique]

I don't think so, but may be wrong.

Compared to alcohol addiction, a person may drink too much in a drinking environment, but not drink at all when not in that environment. That would not make an alcoholic, an alcoholic will search out booze.

If playing is not a compulsion and the problem only ecists IF a person happens to be in a gambling environment, it is easily avoided and doesn't make for a compulsory addiction, just a lack of self control in a certain situation.

Like you may eat way too much turkey at Thanksgiving, but you are not going too crave turkey every day and buy it daily at the supermarket.

Here the solution is to just not enter the environment where a loss of self control is likely. And there is no compulsion to do so.

It is the compulsion to engage in the activity that makes it an addiction.

Of course it could exist here and we just don't see it. Time will tell.

[Cynthia777]

I agree, Dominique. I don't believe that Mr. Van is actually addicted to gambling, particularly if he's been able to stay away from it since his last post. To someone who gambles online frequently..that is a long time.

Congrats to you Mr. Van on not only being able to stay away from it, but also your newfound (or shall I say revival (it was probably always there)) of your focus on your other and primary ambitions!!

[dominique]

Oops, somehow posted twice.

While I am here, congrats Mr. Van!

[Slotster!]

Great thread!

As a few people have mentioned, the difference between online gambling and real casino's is enormous in terms of money control/managing losses etc. Unless you have the self control of the Pope (or KasinoKing ) it's so easy to forget those little numbers in the corner are actually hard cash depleting at a frightening rate.

It hit home to me yesterday when I was playing one of those new 5 Reelers that are popping up in arcades here in the UK. I chucked three crisp twenty pound notes into the thing, and got really really annoyed at my 'loss' when nothing came in and I burned through forty in no time. The key though is what happened next. On my last twenty pound, I hit a nice reel win and a feature to take my balance to £160. I was so impressed with the win I cashed out immediately and wandered off, dead happy that I'd managed to turn my "big loss" into a profit and had cash in my pocket. Here's the thing - I REGULARLY burn through hundreds of pounds online, without giving it a second thought, or really appreciating what I've just spent. It's scary. Just the difference between actually feeding the notes into the machine, and typing the figure into some banking software makes all the difference.

Really made me think. That figure in the bottom left, it's real money. Pounds and pence. If I had to hand that over I'd be well pissed off - yet I'll gladly click away at the bet max button like a loon... Madness.

Anyhow... There we go. I'm gonna have to really try and imagine that balance piled up in bills in front of me from here on in - and how many LCD tele's, or mobile phones or laptops or watches I'm chucking away with the click of a button.

Best of luck with everything MrVan

[frufrugirl]

Great post Slotster and everyone else...I think what this thread is doing is just making everyone pause and think a bit. Reflection is always good!

[dominique]

Maybe keeping monoply money by the computer and shifting it to win and loss piles would be a good idea to keep visualizing things...

[KasinoKing]

Unless you have the self control of the Pope (or KasinoKing ) it's so easy to forget those little numbers in the corner are actually hard cash depleting at a frightening rate...

Hmmm.. Do you think the Pope gambles online....?

[GrandMaster]

As a few people have mentioned, the difference between online gambling and real casino's is enormous in terms of money control/managing losses etc. Unless you have the self control of the Pope (or KasinoKing ) it's so easy to forget those little numbers in the corner are actually hard cash depleting at a frightening rate.

"Real" casinos also try to convince players that chips are like fun money in order to get them bet more.

[cheekymonkey]

Great thread!
I REGULARLY burn through hundreds of pounds online, without giving it a second thought, or really appreciating what I've just spent. It's scary. Just the difference between actually feeding the notes into the machine, and typing the figure into some banking software makes all the difference.

Really made me think. That figure in the bottom left, it's real money. Pounds and pence. If I had to hand that over I'd be well pissed off - yet I'll gladly click away at the bet max button like a loon... Madness.

Only because deep into your thinking is the thought that you can win an infinite amount of money by playing slots online - by increasing the spin stake to ridiculously large amounts (e.g. £125.00 on Loaded - WTF!?!).

You cannot do this with an arcade or casino machine as it normally has a fixed stake or maximum stake of around £2 per spin - maybe more in certain UK casinos.

But yes, seeing your balance displayed as credits or coins on a screen is a bit deceiving as well.

[cheekymonkey]

Anyhow... There we go. I'm gonna have to really try and imagine that balance piled up in bills in front of me from here on in - and how many LCD tele's, or mobile phones or laptops or watches I'm chucking away with the click of a button.
:

Yuk! Waaaay too materialistic Slotster.

Sort it out!