I think it’s an addiction, mostly.
I knew a guy who was quiet and diligent and the work social club had a poker game with a range of chocolates standing in for x thousand dollars. Good fun, right? Saw this dude’s hands start to shake a little and he said that if it wasn’t linked to real money then it was probably all right. The shaking stopped after a little and he got his composure back.
I didn’t see or ask much more than that, but it didn’t look like the gambling was fun for him anymore.
That’s the captive market these guys feed off- it’s an illness like alcoholism and bad, bad news. And sure there’s an in between where it’s light hearted and harmless.
But look at the way those other addictions alcohol and tobacco were advertised and compare it to the current model around gambling sponsorship and sport. It’s clearly not all fun from the dodgy way it’s promoted. EDIT- and in many countries it’s been illegal to gamble on many products up until very recently as well so that only fueled a generation’s slippery slope.
The result I remember from the cricket was when Brian Young and Shane Thompson hit test centuries in a massive partnership for a win. I think the doubts over that came waay too late to ruin the elation of that moment. Sorry, historical VAR. Ignorance being bliss and all that.
I knew a guy who was quiet and diligent and the work social club had a poker game with a range of chocolates standing in for x thousand dollars. Good fun, right? Saw this dude’s hands start to shake a little and he said that if it wasn’t linked to real money then it was probably all right. The shaking stopped after a little and he got his composure back.
I didn’t see or ask much more than that, but it didn’t look like the gambling was fun for him anymore.
That’s the captive market these guys feed off- it’s an illness like alcoholism and bad, bad news. And sure there’s an in between where it’s light hearted and harmless.
But look at the way those other addictions alcohol and tobacco were advertised and compare it to the current model around gambling sponsorship and sport. It’s clearly not all fun from the dodgy way it’s promoted. EDIT- and in many countries it’s been illegal to gamble on many products up until very recently as well so that only fueled a generation’s slippery slope.
The result I remember from the cricket was when Brian Young and Shane Thompson hit test centuries in a massive partnership for a win. I think the doubts over that came waay too late to ruin the elation of that moment. Sorry, historical VAR. Ignorance being bliss and all that.