Gambling-Period...

[4 of a kind]

I’m relatively new to this gamblers forum, and the only one I’m a member of. After seven months of pretty much staying current and reading all the threads I find interesting, I started to wonder what everyone is really expecting from online casinos, and poker rooms.

I understand the main objectives of this site which are several. In no particular order and only mentioning a few, of course one would be to police a very sensitive multi-billion dollar gambling market. This is the place where thousands of people come to share experiences good and bad with casinos. In many cases we become like the cops in the street reporting to the chief what we see, and in many cases expose crooks and robbers, and if proven guilty, put them behind bars. We tell jokes, learn about current events that concern and interest us. We make friends and share personal issues, along with getting help from people in the know. Of course I can carry on but want to get back to my original thoughts.

What is it that we really expect from gambling? I’ve been a gambler for over 30 years of all different forms, and feel I speak with authority on this subject. I realized early on that unless I hit a lottery or some other life changing win, I no doubt when all is said and done, was going to finish more then likely a financial loser. As long as I wasn’t being mislead or cheated (that I know of) I had no problem taking my lumps like a man, for the simple fact that the action and thrill of the bet could be compared (to a degree) similar to having an orgasm. I could tell you up this point in my life, although I do regret just like most anyone else would, all the money I lost and fortunately was able to afford. I had some of the best times of my life losing it. This is what makes a gambler a gambler. We also know that gambling is looked down upon by many, but we should only know what these groups of critics really do in their lives. I’m sure everyone has their own personal choice of what they enjoy doing. We here certainly know one of the things we enjoy doing.

At this forum we see all types of gamblers. Bonus seekers and abusers, five cent betters all the way up to what would be considered for online whales. Of course we all want to be the next poster getting congratulated for the mega hit, but in reality we also realize how hard and rare that is.

When it comes to online and the whole uncertain platform this whole online casino stuff is based on, (just read the million of negative posts about it) I still play online for one simple reason. I’m a gambler… I hit my share of $20k royal flushes, and random jackpots, so I know they could be hit. I might take some money out or just give it all back in the same week. To me it really doesn’t matter because sooner or later there going to get it back anyhow. But when I do hit I can assure you I’m having the time of my life giving it back.

I know going into it that gambling is rigged for the house, even if the site is straight up its rigged advertising up front it's in their favor. I don’t need a masters degree in math to tell you this. Online is online and it is what it is. Being robbed from is one thing and is exactly what CM is trying to protect us from. But realizing where you really stand is another. People that constantly complain of all sorts of bullshit probably enjoy the thrill but can’t afford it.

I've read or heard of the person that went to a casino for the first time, wins some crazy jackpot and never goes back remaining a winner for life. In fact not until joining here have I ever meet a person that can beat a casino for 8 years in a row and still going strong, until I read about Kasino King one of our own members.

I know exactly what I expect from gambling, and keep hoping I could strike gold like I did a couple years ago. I'm still having a ball giving it back, and maybe another strike can give me a few more free years of the thrill I enjoy, before I have to dig into my pockets again. But when that time does come I certainly must say I won't be surprised.

Yes, we all want extended time playing and a bang for our buck but.......

What is it you really expect from gambling???

[just play]

Before I answer your question, I would like to comment on this quote....

I've read or heard of the person that went to a casino for the first time, wins some crazy jackpot and never goes back remaining a winner for life.

Many years ago I worked at a convenience store as a cashier. At that time Massachusetts used to give out free coupons to purchase scratch off tickets, in one of our coupon mailers. (you know the kind for local pizza places and such) There was this one married couple, maybe in their 30's would bring in those coupons and scratch their tickets at home and bring back their winners another day and keep the money, never buying anymore tickets. Each month they would tell me how much they were up. They definitely were "winners for life" The lottery stopped doing that probably because they were losing money, and because a lot of people would steal those mailers from other peoples mailboxes.

Anyway to answer your question....What is it you really expect from gambling??? In no particular order, I expect good/friendly/intelligent customer service, online casinos that offer good bonuses or ND bonus just for being their customer and spending your money there, plenty of playtime (I don't necessarily care so much if I cash out ALL the time, but I DO want playtime, not to be done in 15 minutes) they of course have to payout without hastle, seeing/hearing people winning, a nice set up casino, casino reps that really listen to their customers wants, casino reps that get back to you in a timely manner (be it, email or PM)

My MAIN thing I would really want from an online casino is NOT to have a reverse period of more than a few hours. I don't like it, it serves no purpose except hoping the customer reverses and loses that money back.

And finally gambling in general....I want to hit the Megabucks

[hippo925]

i think the more you know about gambling, whether it be from educating yourself or from experience, the more likely you'll understand that it SHOULD be about entertainment. In an ideal world, people's expectations when gambling would be balanced between an understanding of the odds and the value of the cost for this entertainment from their discretionary budget. Of course, the world is not ideal and so people may play with money they can't afford to lose, or gamble without educating themselves about the games or odds, etc. As a result, expectations can be much more wide and diverse.

Someone who is very new to texas hold-em has a very different set of expectations when getting pocket rockets then someone who has been playing for years. The more you play, the more you realize that the odds are NEVER going to be significantly in your favor. Then the realizaton may hit that it really is because of the "entertainment" value. Unfortunately, the entertainment value can transform into an addiction and that is another topic since "expectations" when involving addictions can be extremely complicated.

My take on it is this: I expect gambling to provide me with entertainment that is a good value for my dollar. I expect to be treated respectfully and professionally as with any other business and i expect that the games i play are indeed fair and unbiased. Not too different from expecations that we all have regardless of the pastime or activity.

[GGW Laurie]

]i think the more you know about gambling, whether it be from educating yourself or from experience, the more likely you'll understand that it SHOULD be about entertainment.[/B] In an ideal world, people's expectations when gambling would be balanced between an understanding of the odds and the value of the cost for this entertainment from their discretionary budget. Of course, the world is not ideal and so people may play with money they can't afford to lose, or gamble without educating themselves about the games or odds, etc. As a result, expectations can be much more wide and diverse.

Someone who is very new to texas hold-em has a very different set of expectations when getting pocket rockets then someone who has been playing for years. The more you play, the more you realize that the odds are NEVER going to be significantly in your favor. Then the realizaton may hit that it really is because of the "entertainment" value. Unfortunately, the entertainment value can transform into an addiction and that is another topic since "expectations" when involving addictions can be extremely complicated.

My take on it is this: I expect gambling to provide me with entertainment that is a good value for my dollar. I expect to be treated respectfully and professionally as with any other business and i expect that the games i play are indeed fair and unbiased. Not too different from expecations that we all have regardless of the pastime or activity.

Ditto!!!!!!! Its all about entertainment and getting the best bang for your buck, so to speak, playing where you may get better bonuses, or maybe the playtime and customer service is better than a non personal casino, every player is different and will always have different tastes when it comes to gambling, the one thing in common, is fast payouts, if one should get lucky imo.............laurie

[bryand]

Had I read a thread like this several years ago when I started online gaming, my reaction would have been of disbelief. I mean, gamble only for entertainment??? But like Hippo wrote, the more you learn about online gaming the more real it becomes and the fantasy of getting rich slowly fades away.

[TOC]

Had I read a thread like this several years ago when I started online gaming, my reaction would have been of disbelief. I mean, gamble only for entertainment??? But like Hippo wrote, the more you learn about online gaming the more real it becomes and the fantasy of getting rich slowly fades away.

Gambling: "The act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning". No garantee online or land based casino's, lottery, scratch tickets, sports, horses and the list goes on. Play what you can afford and if it hurts move on. Entertainment, yes it should be but sometimes that term is thrown out the window although your luck could change and you'll hit the big one and then it's profit and entertainment. I've spent hours at land based casino's and said the same thing everyone says here about online casino's. If they'd just let me play for a while and have a good time I'd be happy, I just want some lasting entertainment. That's not the case at BM casino's either, believe me. It's gambling, some time's ya win and sometime ya don't. BM or Online, end of story...

[Balky]

My gambling career started when I was 12 years old. I was in town with a friend of mine and we bought one scratch card each. When I removed the covering coating on my card I saw 100 DM (to that time i lived in Germany), which was a considerable amount, especially for a pupil. Needless to say, that thrilling experience woke a huge interest in gambling inside me. Over 30 years have passed since then, and throughout all that time I participated in all possible forms of gambling and hazard, from roulette and blackjack in landbased casinos to poker and sports bettings online. Retrospectively I can say that I know very well about players expectations. Although I can only speak for myself, I think that every single player expects to achieve a big hit and leave the casino as a winner. In my opinion that is the only reason why we play. After some gambling sessions (mostly slots) I often told myself that it was cool because I had some thrilling time for my deposit and didnt lose too much. But lets face it. If a player wanted to just play and only enjoy watching the wheels spinning, he would play in fun mode. The thrill can only be triggered when real money enters the game. For my part, I love the thrill of gambling and dont want to miss out on it. That is however only possible with strict discipline. Some bad losses in the past taught me to keep control, to cashout when ahead, not to reverse, not to highroll and never to exceed my gambling budget. (Smartass Balky - I made it sound as if I never have deposited another fifty bucks after a desastrous short session). After a few awesome hits in spring (funny, when the luck kicked in, it happened in several casinos at the same time) I am still up this year for a considerable sum of cash. Thats what my expectations were or at least what I was hoping for.

Cheers Balky

[Mavin1]

"But lets face it. If a player wanted to just play and only enjoy watching the wheels spinning, he would play in fun mode."

Well said Balky

[vinylweatherman]

Gambling - only for entertainment

Most online casinos tell us this, but this is NOT what they are marketing to us. IF it was about "entertainment", then everything would be geared to extending our playtime, and high stakes simply would not be available, and progressives would have far more modest pots, won more frequently.

One important thing is to have the ability to play in another casino if I win a decent sum. In Vegas, I would simply cash in my ticket and walk up the strip (I did this on my weekend there in 2006). The online version of this is INSTANT payment of withdrawals, I KNOW it is perfectly possible, so any casino that offers less is doing so to PREVENT me from trying a competitor.

Next, CS that actually know what they are doing, and know how things work at their outfit. Most problems with CS occur because they have little or no idea how things SHOULD have worked, and this means they cannot see the proverbial hand in front of their face when it comes to resolving a simple query.

Online casinos need to offer various promotions to keep players interested, but they shouldn't "run before they can walk". Many do this, and run promotions that are beyond the capability of their systems, or CS, to handle. B & M casinos rarely do this (unless they spill your free drink down you, or forget to clean your free room). The casino/hotel I stayed at had a member's club, and unlike online casinos, it seemed the comps gained through play were at a decent rate - there was even a small ND bonus ($10 or so worth of slot spins, WR 1x)

If an online casino offers a promotion, it should be open for EVERYBODY, you should not be shown the door merely for having the misfortune to be born in a particular country. If in doubt, do what a B & M would do and ask for "ID at the door". This would be requiring players they were not sure about having to send their documents to verify they were not anything other than a standard "recreational" player.

Casinos that discriminate against a particular country soon see the error of their ways when the market changes, and they lose access to their previous supply of mugs. When a casino decides to pull out of a particular market altogether, such as when it got too much trouble for some to continue offering the service to US players - DO NOT TREAT THOSE PLAYERS LIKE $*** just because they are no longer a business asset. Unlike other assets, players have a memory, and are likely to remember getting treated like $*** when the casino wants to move back in to that market.

Fortunately, only ONE software group has treated the entire British nation like $*** (and the Aussies too by the looks of it). They have terms that are more than "overkill" for us, yet we are becoming a pretty BIG source of online gamblers for the industry due to our history of relaxed attitudes towards gambling since the early 1960's. I started when I was around SEVEN, on "penny arcades" at the seaside.

Unfortunately, casinos that get everything wrong can STILL attract players through the use of LIES, and MORE LIES. (Virtual Group). Unless a player knows what they should expect, they are likely to believe the lies for long enough for the casino to make a profit from them.
I would like to see PROPER, regulation so that these rogues get driven out of every jurisdiction they try to operate from.

[bakonlin]

My gambling career started when I was 12 years old. I was in town with a friend of mine and we bought one scratch card each. When I removed the covering coating on my card I saw 100 DM (to that time i lived in Germany), which was a considerable amount, especially for a pupil. Needless to say, that thrilling experience woke a huge interest in gambling inside me. Over 30 years have passed since then, and throughout all that time I participated in all possible forms of gambling and hazard, from roulette and blackjack in landbased casinos to poker and sports bettings online. Retrospectively I can say that I know very well about players expectations. Although I can only speak for myself, I think that every single player expects to achieve a big hit and leave the casino as a winner. In my opinion that is the only reason why we play. After some gambling sessions (mostly slots) I often told myself that it was cool because I had some thrilling time for my deposit and didnt lose too much. But lets face it. If a player wanted to just play and only enjoy watching the wheels spinning, he would play in fun mode. The thrill can only be triggered when real money enters the game. For my part, I love the thrill of gambling and dont want to miss out on it. That is however only possible with strict discipline. Some bad losses in the past taught me to keep control, to cashout when ahead, not to reverse, not to highroll and never to exceed my gambling budget. (Smartass Balky - I made it sound as if I never have deposited another fifty bucks after a desastrous short session). After a few awesome hits in spring (funny, when the luck kicked in, it happened in several casinos at the same time) I am still up this year for a considerable sum of cash. Thats what my expectations were or at least what I was hoping for.

Cheers Balky

you are a honest man,if only for entertainment I will play Play Station,no risk.