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79 Comments
- inactive, on 12/22/2008, -4/+40Biggest gambling arena ever? The Stock Market!
- pathouston22, on 12/22/2008, -2/+15Here, let me introduce you to a concept called "personal responsibility".
- gbudavid, on 12/22/2008, -1/+14I guess they will have to copy N.Y.then. tax soda pop
- IphtashuFitz, on 12/22/2008, -0/+13Maybe the feds should put $700 billion down on "Red"...
- inactive, on 12/22/2008, -0/+11and ipod downloads.
- dives425, on 12/22/2008, -0/+11I'll bet you 5 bucks gambling makes a comeback.
- inactive, on 12/22/2008, -0/+10It's thinking like this that led to prohibition. Just because some people have alcohol problems doesn't mean it should be banned for everyone. Be responsible. That pretty much goes for everything in life, whether it's driving or safe sex. There are a ton of things that are bad if not done responsibly.
If you don't have disposable income, then you probably shouldn't be going to a casino. Sort of like you shouldn't be driving if you're drunk. - censormagnet, on 12/22/2008, -0/+9CASINOS NEED A BAILOUT!!
QUICK! - Halgy, on 12/22/2008, -2/+10I had a fight with my pastor once about gambling.
He was all "you can't gamble",
and I was like "do you have a 401k",
and he was like "yeah",
and I was like "BURN, DEMON SPAWN, BURN!!! MUUUAHAHAHA!!!" - Sonan, on 12/22/2008, -0/+8"She's gone from suck to blow!"
- Jeez, on 12/22/2008, -0/+7so we are gonna bail out casinos?
- Akairenn, on 12/22/2008, -0/+7I'd rather keep the casinos; they're providing a damned great benefit to my state.
People like you frighten me. You wish us all back into kindergarten, where inept teachers would punish a whole class for the stupidity of an individual.
And - 'a few' responsible people - that's got to be the funniest thing I'll hear all day, I'm sure. Sorry, but responsible gamblers are legion compared with the neurotic few who can't comprehend that betting their rent isn't something one should do. - ngmcs8203, on 12/22/2008, -0/+6Who the hell are you to tell anyone that enjoys gambling that it's a waste of money? Some people call it a profession and have for decades.
- inactive, on 12/22/2008, -0/+6Some people have fun gambling at casinos. Besides, it brings tons of revenue to the states. If some people want to spend their disposable income on the lottery or at the casinos, that's their business.
- IphtashuFitz, on 12/22/2008, -0/+6Water IS taxed if you live next to many lakes/rivers. A nice water view is almost always going to make property value higher, which means higher property taxes.
- Fustigations, on 12/22/2008, -0/+6I may be going out on a limb here, but think it may be hyberbole to claim that "... is a nightmare to the families of the majority of their patrons." Gross internet negligence, personal stupidity, or trolling attemp: I'm can't know for sure. I don't gamble myself, but I do live in las vegas, and the city would be no more without the gambling... Not that I really care in the long run (after I'm settled down somewhere else) but I don't think gambling is the horrible thing you think it is...
- Halgy, on 12/22/2008, -0/+5That would be counter-intuitive. The number of people working for casinos isn't important enough to keep them afloat artificially. The only reason the government cares about them is that they provide tax, so spending tax money to get tax money doesn't make sense.
So yes, the government probably will. - Tehrab, on 12/22/2008, -0/+5Casinos were recession proof when gaming was rare -- back in the day when it was only in NV and Atlantic City. Now that (some version of) casino gaming is in nearly all 50 states, it becomes like anything else, just another piece of the pie.
- sdipaola, on 12/22/2008, -0/+5Gambling is mathematically an idiot's endeavor from the users side. It is a testament to mans irrationality that, when in the modern era we understood how probability works, that fools would still get suckered into gambling. Basically there is NO LUCK at all over the long run in gambling. Probability over the long run is dead accurate and completely accounted for by casinos ( the longer in your life you play the more accurate it is). Not only will you lose but you will lose exactly how the probability of what you play predicts - exactly- no if's - no luck - exactly -- eg. if you only play slots with a 60-40 advantage to the casino then over time you loses will eventually be exactly 40/60. So if you like to gamble for anything other than a quick in and out once in your life but over any length of time ( sampled over years of play let's say) you will lose guaranteed. But I am winning you say - again the more you play the more it will end up being the exact probability of your total games chances. Weirdly while we all know this to be true, people don't even all try and play games with the best odds. If you do gamble you'd imagine with the facts available to you ( and education) in 2008 that you would play the games with the highest odds possible ( where the casino has a 51 - 49 chance over you) but most people play sucker games. I wonder how many of you big gamblers know what the best odds are ( hint - there are a few - but craps where you always stay in and double your bet is one of good one - 25 or 50 cent slots are one of the worst.)
- harrisbradley, on 12/22/2008, -0/+5Last night's parlay of NYG -2.5 & Over of 40 says different
- o3man, on 12/22/2008, -0/+5Hey, the house has the advantage; can you win? Yes, but I wouldn't bet on it.......
- tmyprod, on 12/22/2008, -2/+7The lottery is only for those who are bad at math.
- americangenius, on 12/22/2008, -0/+5Air hasn't been taxed yet, that's all I can think of, Air
- SteaminTmann, on 12/22/2008, -0/+4I'm heading to Atlantic City soon, and if past experience holds true, I'll be contributing my share.
- punkcat, on 12/22/2008, -0/+4my mom says gambling is ebil.
- Halgy, on 12/22/2008, -0/+4Every hobby is a waste of money, but the government doesn't get 1/3 of your hobby. If you don't want the government to get the $500 share from my jackpot, fine.
- acknotSW, on 12/22/2008, -0/+4I personally think that gambling ones money is one of the stupidest things an individual can do, but some people seem to enjoy it. I'm sure a lot of people, many who probably gamble, would be horrified at how much I spend on golf during a season. It takes all kinds and most people know what they can afford to spend on entertainment which is all that gambling really is if done responsibly.
- uberpsycho, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3That's funny, I know people who are actually gambling more for the exact same reason....which is pretty silly if you ask me.
- inactive, on 12/23/2008, -0/+3I've played casino poker regularly since the late 1990s (except when it was easy to play online in the US), so I've met thousands of real poker players who play at relatively high stakes ($2/$5 no-limit with a $300 minimum buy-in). There are horror stories, yes... people falling asleep at the table, staying there until they've lost their life savings or they've won back their massive losses (always the former is what happens), people who tell you they mortgaged their house to get more poker money, people who talk about how they quit Gambler's Anonymous to be at the poker table that night.
But for every 1 of those people, I know dozens of people who play poker responsibly (they have a fulltime job and just play poker sensibly as a hobby) or who are pros who make money over time. There are people who blow their life savings buying crap at the mall or fast cars or other poor ways of spending all their money... gambling is just one of the ways to potentially misspend money.
Ultimately it comes down to personal responsibility, although I do think casinos arguably prey on the compulsive types. At least, when someone is obviously gambling irresponsibly, the casino's de facto policy is to ignore it and let the person continue. Of course, telling someone they're gambling irresponsibly is a very awkward thing... I know that in 10 years of casino gaming I've never mentioned someone's gambling problem to them in a casino, it just seems rude, even if your concern is reasonable. I suppose dealers and pit bosses, who often confront problem gamblers, just can't bring themselves to say "Whoa, don't you think you're being irresponsible?" to a total stranger, that's just outside of what people in American society feel comfortable doing. - inactive, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3My mom works for the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee. Sales are holding steady here.
- Halgy, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3I don't know; the $1400 bucks I won the other night is pretty sweet. Then again, I only got it because I lost (bad beat jackpot).
- eastwood24, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3Hooray for Casino Capitalism!
- maz2331, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3Blackjack is a blast, and unless you really suck at it, ends up being pretty cheap entertainment. It's not unusual to play $100 for an hour at $20 per hand, and still leave with $50 - $250.
- Halgy, on 12/22/2008, -1/+4I think you have it the wrong way around there: what is fun for the majority of their patrons is a nightmare for the families of a few people. Trust me, I gamble a lot and I know most of the regulars. We don't have a problem, it's just a hobby.
I go in assuming I will lose, but every now and then I walk out with some more cash in my pocket (I only play blackjack and poker; slots are stupid). Actually, I'm up over two grand on the year. Yes, a few people are stupid and gamble too much, but it is immoral to let a fool keep his money. - RumpleForeskin3, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3It's "The Lottery is tax for people who are bad at math"
- covertbadger, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3Yawn. If you bet in the right places (not casinos), gambling is a form of income for those who are GOOD at math. You need a bit of discipline, too.
- acknotSW, on 12/22/2008, -0/+3Reminds me of a friend of mine, he makes over 300k a year at his job and wins or loses 30k to 60k a month at the casinos. He can always tell you exactly how much he is up/down for the month/year. Once in March he told me he was down 87,000 for the year, but in June he was back up to near even.
The guy’s nuts as far as I'm concerned, but he loves doing it and can afford it. He told me once that he has a limit per year that he is willing to lose and if he ever reaches it, he will be finished gambling for the year. As far as I know, he has never come close to that limit. The last time I talked to him, his last 12 years of gambling has him down about 30k, nothing to him when you consider how many hours of entertainment he got out of that money over the years. - punkcat, on 12/24/2008, -0/+2my mom says if you ain't got nothing good to say don't say anything.
i'll be on digg all week, keep me posted about what your momma says. - staticfire, on 12/23/2008, -0/+2But I drive better drunk!
- staticfire, on 12/23/2008, -0/+2lmao
- staticfire, on 12/23/2008, -0/+2its soda..anyone who call is it pop is lame
- TVarmy, on 12/23/2008, -0/+2Still, unless you're really putting a lot of money on the line, you probably aren't going to make an incredible amount of money. Plus, if you make a mistake in your head then there goes your lead.
IIRC, there was one online gambling website that gave away about $100 for those who started an account, but you aren't allowed to withdraw that money until after you gamble it and you had to gamble it fairly soon or it would expire (Meaning, most are bound to lose some, and guaranteeing that most people will play for a while to get them hooked, thus netting the site some cash). Some armchair statisticians found that you could take a blackjack table and bet the minimum amount of money (near certain it was $1) over and over (more tries reduces the damage of the less likely bad hands and makes the results more predictable), playing 100 hands over 24 hours, so that you would earn that $100 plus your winnings. The winnings, of course, are $1-4 dollars, making this insanely wasteful if you put your own money in, but as a way to get $100 for free, it's not bad if you have nothing to do with your time over a weekend.
That procedure was designed in terms of a braindead process that one could do while watching TV or whatever, so you could probably bet more ambitiously if you wanted to and get better yeilds. Still, the results all even out to a third world salary in most cases. - SteveCUBE, on 12/22/2008, -0/+2Pop is only said out in Buffalo. Upstate and downstate say soda.
- harrisbradley, on 12/24/2008, -0/+2you are a nerd who probably doesn't know where a jockstrap goes.
- Spoomeister, on 12/22/2008, -0/+2All they need to do is provide payday loans and refinancing on houses.
- inactive, on 12/22/2008, -0/+2Well if we're really gonna be honest, blackjack is stupid just like slots is stupid. You WILL lose longterm.
- kinerry, on 12/23/2008, -0/+2Wrong, gambling is a countercyclical industry with a lag.
It's doing better everywhere but in vegas right now. Earnings are up all over in Iowa, I still make more as a dealer than my degree will earn me.
The only reason the big casinos are doing ***** is because of the expansion of the industry and their huge overhead expenses. - inactive, on 12/22/2008, -0/+2It's actually other customers cheating the customer, which is also alarming, but significantly different.
- Kallius, on 12/23/2008, -0/+2You are SO mistaken if you think there is no luck involved in gambling. Spout on all you want about probability, but some people are just inherently lucky and win over and over again. I am on the opposite side of this scale and have no good luck at all, which is why I learned long ago never to gamble because I ALWAYS lose.
Trust me from personal experience: luck is a genuine factor in gambling. Play the probabilities all you want, but some people just have inherent bad luck that skews those probabilities. -
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