Why do people gamble?

It’s a question that has  been asked many times over, often by people who are about to tear out their hair in frustration. Not all of gambling is seen as bad though, especially because gambling and taking risks  is simply an extension of human behaviour. Okay, so we know that gambling in general implies that you’re making bets, enjoying the games, and, hopefully, winning storms of money.

There are other reasons for gambling though, and they run a bit deeper than monetary gains.

For example:

It’s an escape; casinos are rife with colourful visuals, engrossing sounds and an overall sense of not being in Kansas anymore. In other words you have the distinct feeling of not being stuck in your everyday life as usual. Las Vegas is also in Nevada, for the uninformed (not in Kansas) and Royal Vegas is anywhere you want it to be, as long as your PC is plugged in and you’re online (which you have to be, since you’re reading this right now…) So, we gamble to become part of something else, to extend our otherwise garden-variety humdrum existence.

It’s a risk; but so is life. Seriously now, and all existential waffle aside, taking risks is another aspect of human nature, and quite a natural response which chimes in wonderfully with gambling. People bet on the off chance that their team, or their horse, or the next slot machine spin, will be the one that gets the win. It’s like dancing on the edge of a coin while it spins, really…

It’s social; whether it’s blackjack, roulette, craps or baccarat around the table in the brick-and-mortar casino, or busting those balls on bingo nights, gambling is a very social activity. Even the roaring crowds and the screaming fans at the horse races is social, and so we inspire ourselves by becoming one with those other gamblers around us, united around a common purpose.

It’s glitzy; the media does everything these days, and everything gets hyped up. This includes casino, which despite the relative overtures of negativity in the past, has always carried a sense of glamour to it. Why wouldn’t winning a massive amount of cash on the flip of a card, or the slow-motion reveal of the dice landing just right, inspire millions of avid watchers, to take to the casinos and gamble?

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