Survey - Does your significant other support your gaming habits?

[Darem1]

I thought it might be fun to take a survey of, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much support of your gaming habits you get from your spouse, partner, significant other, you get the idea. Where #1 would mean they are opposed to any type of gambling at all, #2 may mean limited lotto, a trip to dog or horse track once in a while is OK in their book, #3 would also include limited play at land based casinos, #4 would start to include on-line play (what we are all here for, at a minimum) right on up through a #10 which means that the two of you are fighting over using the computer to see who is going to get to gamble first and you have so much fun gambling together that if you don't look out you will be eventually selling the house and kids, etc. This scale is for THEIR perception of gambling. You could be on line twelve hours a day gambling but if, say, your significant other were opposed to all but the smallest amount of gambling you would say the support for your gaming is probably a #2. For example I would say a #3 in my case because although we go to the tracks and casinos once in a while my little on-line "hobby" wouldn't be looked on as a great idea. Forgive me if this type survey has be done previously, I am fairly new to this forum. Just thought it may be fun and make for a good discussion.

 

[Pinababy69]

I'd be glad to answer, but praise the Lord, I have no significant other, lol.

Interesting topic though, if people answer honestly.

 

[johnsteed]

***

Hmmm,


While I'm also single (for the time being), I have had girlfriends (long-term) who I had dated during my highest points of gambling online.


I think that they would have both qualified anywhere between stages #1-4. But here's the thing, I was excellent at never revealing how much I was playing online. In fact, I would rarely ever elect to discuss it with either one of them. I'm not sure that the "secrecy" factor is a part of your scale, because that may throw everything off kilter. Again, to be clear, they knew I was playing, but it never appeared as though I were ever actually playing.


I probably could never be with someone who's a gambling fanatic, which would mean something (I'm guessing) at about the #6-10 levels on your scale. While I do thoroughly enjoy playing, and have done so for extremely long sessions (at a time), I can't imagine what it would be like having two people hammering away on the computer every night. I'm also at the point now (and this would be going back to a few months now) where I realized that I needed to limit the amount which I spend gambling (financially and especially time-wise).


If I were involved with someone who was RIGHT into it now, that could be disastrous.


I know a married couple, that are quite content with BOTH being right into gambling, and openly (very open about it because that's pretty much all they do). As long as they're happy about their situation, all the power to them. I think that keeping my passion for a loved one seperate from other things (such as gambling) is the best way to go. The idea of gambling (surely at B&M casinos) is appealing and at times (gulp!) "sexy", it even offers tons of "drama" but it's hardly "romantic". There's something neat and tidy about keeping my gaming experience (within the forum and) within the walls of my apartment, AND away from others who are dear to me.


Certainly an interesting topic to cover "Darem1".


Steed

***

 

[PackerBacker]

My husband is 8 or 9.........he doesn't play online at all, but has no problem with my playing. He loves to hear if I have hit a big jackpot, but doesn't ask if I am losing. I think he's just happy that I am doing something I like, so he can run down to the pub without feeling guilty

 

[Mousey]

9 or 10

The family that plays together, stays together. While he's playing poker on his computer, I'm on my computer playing VP or slots at an online casino or cruising the forums.

Our favorite vacation is 3 or 4 (free) nights at a land based casino -- usually 3 or 4 times per year.

But we won't be selling the house or cats... We're very tight with our gambling bankroll. We enjoy gambling, but always stay within our limits -- that's part of the fun.

 

[The Watchdog]

Hell No

As a matter of fact I probably lost the girl I have loved the most in my life due to gambling...

Worst thank Crack this addiction..

 

[tennis_balls]

I'd be glad to answer, but praise the Lord, I have no significant other, lol.

Interesting topic though, if people answer honestly.

Road Trip to Toronto!!!

 

[Darem1]

Thanks to all who have posted so far

Thanks to all who have posted so far. One thing that I thought about - someone may think that I am making the online gambling somehow "worse" on the scale than the bricks and mortar kind, but that wasn't my intent. I guess that what I was getting at, and as someone did mention, is that you really can't hide going to a bricks and mortar casino unless you live in Vegas or someplace like that, ususally you will go as a couple. But online is different.
Sometimes one or the other will play without the other's knowledge, especially if the other person doesn't support your hobby, er habit. Keeo the comments coming, good or bad. When did they get casinos in Toronto? I lived in Canada in the seventies for a while but no casinos up there then.

 

[soflat]

4-5

My other doesn't like to gamble except the occasional lotto ticket or to play a few dollars socially in the slots with friends, but doesn't have any big problem with me going to a track or casino or paying a little online. I am a low stakes controlled gambler, so if I started to go crazy then that would be a problem.

 

[nafanny29]

My significant other eclipses my gaming online by a mile!!! So I get zero grief with my poker/casino fun whatsoever

 

[chuchu59]

8-9. My wife doesnt mind my gambling habits as long as I can spend some time with her each week watching movies or dining out and not missing on her birthday, wedding anniversary etc. If I look jaded after a hard day's work, she will cheer me up by suggesting we spend our weekend at the tables in Macau or the cruise ships. Simply cant find a better one.

 

[KasinoKing]

I thought it might be fun to take a survey of, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much support of your gaming habits you get from your spouse, partner, significant other, you get the idea...

Great question!

I think my missus must rate about a 7. She knows I do it (she's have to be blind & deaf not to know!), and I would say she 'tolerates' it mainly because she knows I always win. She's a money worrier and would give me no end of grief if I was losing!
I find it a little frustrating that she has absolutely no interest whatsoever in gambling - she never watches what I'm doing and does not even get excited at a big win. Like when I hit that Jackpot on Moonshine a few weeks back and was jumping around saying "I just won $162 off a 50c bet!" She just goes "That's nice dear. Do you want a cup of tea?"
But I can't say anything bad about her - she tolerates me being online an awful lot and doesn't make that much fuss about it really.

My biggest enemy is TIME! There is just not enough of it. I estimate I am online an average of 3-4 hrs every weekday evening, and up to 6-7hrs/day at the weekend. (My wife works shifts which gives me the opportunity to do my 'work' for long spells at a time).
Of this I would say about 40-50% of my time is spent actually gambling, 10 - 15% reading & posting on the fora (mainly CM of course!) and the rest of the time working on or researching for my website.
The lack of time is very annoying for me - with more time I could make more money and read more. For example, I have several new sign-ups I've been thinking of for about 6-months now - but haven't had time to do them. And their are quite a few big threads here at CM which I would like to read - but simply can not spare the time for that! (Hope to get to JS's one about Macgyver before the end of the month.. )
Oh well - I must get on now... I've work to do before she wakes up!!

 

[Pinababy69]

When did they get casinos in Toronto? I lived in Canada in the seventies for a while but no casinos up there then.

You know what? I can't say exactly when Darem, maybe 10-15 years ago. In the Toronto area, we only have the casino that is at the racetrack, Woodbine. However, there are two top-notch ones in Niagara Falls, which is about a one hour drive from TO. And another in Orillia called CasinoRama, which is maybe 1-1 1/2 hours from TO. I've never been to any of them, can you believe that? LOL....

tennis_balls....ha ha ha, you are a funny guy, lol.

 

[-z-]

If 10 is "fighting over using the computer to see who is going to get to gamble first" (a comical concept as we each have a number of machines at our disposal,) I would have to pick 7.

Ultimately, having never had a losing month, we often joke what about what I should use each years winnings on, trying to find a single thing that you could buy for $x. I'm the only one with the patience and interest and she's not really interested in 'wacky statistical math' and 'bizarre card combinations'... (both of which I find fascinating.)

-z-

 

[kirby]

I'd say a 7 or so. She knows I enjoy the challenge. As long as I stay on my small ($100/month) budget and if I occasionally win, so much the better. Would she ever gamble online herself? Definitely not. Land-based casino, no with any enthusiasm.

 

[venetian]

I have no one to tell me what to do and I LIKE it that way! A wise woman once said, "it would take a REALLY good man to beat having no man at all". I love to gamble and it would take a gamblin' man to win me.

 

[PackerBacker]

way to go venetian

 

[Darem1]

Thanks for all the participation

Thanks to everyone who responded. The answers were candid and very interesting. Looks like this thread has run it's course. From what I can tell we run the gamut from not having to answer to anyone regarding our gambling, to full and even eager participation by the significant other. I can tell by the answers that the happiest gamblers are at one of these ends of the spectrum. Those of us that fall in between would like our "other" to be happy for us when we win and console us when we lose, but since we don't have that level of participation from them,we have our other friends and also this forum. Remember, when you are here you aren't losing!

 

[mattysgirl]

Support

I cant give a 1-10, all i can say is my husband supports when he sees the cash lol took some of my win from 32red $300 of it on friday to the river boat, 6 hours later left with 31 bens, god those looked nice in my purse.

Needlees to say yeah he supports when i am making bank lol
was a great feeling yesterday to pay off bills, buy my family a pool ($650 later)
Gave a few gifts. So far all i have done for myself is spend $150 at a sallon.
On another note it was so nice to hear my husband say "good job you did what you said you were going to do with your wins"

mattysgirl

 

[jenn1381]

I can't imagine having to explain my gambling to anyone! I'm currently single, but even when I wasn't, my significant other either didn't know I was gambling or was here gambling with me. I have a job, I make my own money, and as long as all my bills are paid I'll do what I wish with the rest. Now, if I had kids that would of course be different. But, with the exception of a horrible bingo addiction that I am finally getting over I've never really went over my limit. I could never be with someone who wasn't a gambler as well. At the same time, I could never be with an excessive gambler, either. I need to know that my house is safe and our kids are taken care of before any funds are gambled away. (house and kids imaginary for now, lol).

For the time being, I am enjoying only having myself to answer to. However, sometimes I can be far more harsh on me than others would have been.. lol

 

[paul02085]

My wife has no problem with my online poker playing since it gives us a nice chunk of fun money each month. If i was losing money it would be the opposite, believe me. Sometimes when she sees something she wants she says get in there and start playing!. I love it.

 

[Jasminebed]

Significant other & gambling

I know this is an old post, but an interesting one. Back in the mid eighties when I was pregnant, I started going to bingo, as my other pasttime drinking in bars was not really an option. My ex and I made close to the same money, and we both had our own money to do what what we liked. He bought comic books & collectibles, played D&D and I went to bars & gambled. The only time he EVER gave me money to gamble was about 7 weeks before our wedding, & I must have been "grumpy", because he gave me 30 dollars & told me to go to bingo & get out of the house. I told him that if I won we would go to Jamaica for our honeymoon. I won the $1000 jackpot--- did not quite take us to Jamaica, but we got a week in the Bahamas (Freeport). Played my first land-based casino with two rolls of quarters while he went comic shopping, and won $100, and we went back to the casino all dolled up in our wedding clothes (I wore dusty rose, our daughter was an infant), where he promptly lost his $50 at BJ, but I played for about 4 hours & did my best to drink as much as I lost.

My other significant other ('94 to '07 when he died) bought lotto tickets & the big hospital lotteries ($100 tickets, with some luck), and I went on bus trips to local casinos. Nothing about 5 or 8 hours on a bus interested him, but comp'ed rooms & concert tickets & meals would be good for a jaunt a couple of times a year. I am almost certain he lied to me about how much he was losing, because my player status for comps always went up after a visit with him. His money, and his choice, nothing to do with me. He was not hurting financially, and this was a couple of times a year for him. I think I probably actually spent less on gambling than Jim, but a larger percentage of my discretionary income.

 

[NZmumof4]

My husband does not support it at all ...however he doesn't mind it if I win and then he wants to spend the money...so I dont tell him anymore as what he does not know he cannot spend.

I am moving to TX this year so I hope online gaming is legal there and there are land based casinos, I will go by myself.

 

[oyw7862]

single

and my family does not like my heavy gambling. so score 0.

My parents often suggest me I should buy share if I really enjoy risky.

I feel lucky I did not do that. see ASX worse than a casino.

 

[steinhaug]

My parents often suggest me I should buy share if I really enjoy risky.

As a sidenote there, I would not recommend anyone bying shares theese days. Looking at the current situation with the dollar, the potential of a global depression if the dollar collapses and such. What would truly be the best thing to do theese days is purchase some gold - and by that I mean real gold - not shares in the gold industry which is only paper money anyways.

For the OP, I would think it's only natural to devide gamblers into two camps - recreational gamblers and gambling addicts (sorry for that nasty word). Any gambling addict will usually bet over their heads and loose money, loosing is no fun, and I would expect nobody would pet their partner on their shoulder while loosing lots of money - which - let's be honest:

1. vacation
2. new car
3. bigger house
4. renovate parts of the house /apartement
5. a nice dinner
and so on

I for one would not be happy if my girlfriend (however I'm single) gambled away huge amounts of money while I still want that 55 inch plasma television for my Xbox360 to play gears of War, LOL.

Then again, what is happiness?

Being I belong to the compulsive gamblers camp, I find the OP question erroneous. I would rather say:

Is it based in reality to even expect your significant other to support your gambling habits? Is it even fair to expect anyone to support such a destructive habbit?

Reality check, usually no fun at all, LOL!