Many people enjoy going to a casino and playing a few games. To those people, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little time and money to go out and have a good time. Others have their hobbies and entertainment; this is just another form of entertainment.
As far as it goes, there’s nothing wrong with that viewpoint. But we must be aware that as in many other things, there is a risk of becoming addicted to gambling. This risk increases the more a person thinks they have to win; or the more they put themselves in a position where they have to win. That can come about due to seeing their gambling as a way of solving financial problems; feeling they have to prove themselves; or the pride of just plain beating the system.
I had a friend who started going to a casino every once in a while, with his wife and another couple. It started off innocently enough, as a weekend getaway for the two couples. They would go to relax and enjoy themselves, establishing a budget for their gambling money, and seeing that expense as just another form of entertainment.
Unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way for my friend. He soon found that he’d lost all his budgeted gambling money. That wasn’t really a problem, as he had his debit card with him, and there was an ATM machine conveniently located in the lobby of the casino. He decided to just pull out a little more money, so that he could continue playing.
He never bothered to tell his wife what he was doing. They went to the casino about once a month, and every time, he was pulling extra money out of their savings. He was losing that money as well. Within a year, he’d lost their entire life’s savings. When she found out, he lost her and their daughter as well.
