The Eternal Lure Of Gambling
I just spent three days in the land of milk and money -Las
Vegas. There is something refreshingly honest about the place:
it's all about money and it knows it. It doesn't pretend to be
anything else.
No doubt some of the architects think that their work has some
importance of its own: the recreations of Venice, Camelot,
Paris, Egypt, and New York. Battling pirate ships and erupting
volcanoes aside, once you enter the themed palaces, they are all
the same: crap tables, blackjack tables, roulette wheels, and
thousands upon thousands of slot machines - all promising to
give you a fun time while you lose your money in the pursuit of
a possible fortune.
The lure of gambling has existed throughout recorded history but
has never gripped the millions who now participate. We play
state-sponsored lotteries, visit tribal and other legal casinos,
create special accounts for Internet gaming, bet the horses, bet
the dogs, bet on sports, fights, anything where we can catch the
excitement of beating the odds.
Moralists worry that a large percentage of those who risk their
money, are those who cannot afford to risk anything: the poor,
the unemployed, the minimum wage fringe who, at the best of
times, barely hang on to the basement rung of the economic
ladder. They argue that gambling should be a pleasant pursuit
for those who can afford to lose a reasonable amount, using the
money they have earned for purchasing excitement, entertainment,
and momentary escape.
Who's kidding who?
For the middle class gamblers who bet on the super bowl, the
derby, the occasional lottery ticket, or visit the casinos once
or twice a year, gambling is a diversion, a fun time, a little
bit of excitement sandwiched between the realities of career
advancement, building a nest egg, raising children, and doing
their civic duties. The thrill of a potential win is the lure of
proving their ability to compete, to come out on top, to better
their opponents, the pros, the odds, the morning line. It is a
personal challenge that can boost their self-confidence when
they win but has few negative effects when they lose because
their real self-image relates to the important aspects of their
lives, separate from their gaming ventures.
It is those who cannot afford to lose who become addicted to the
lure of chance. Stuck in minimum wage employment, without the
education, the skills, or the entrepreneurial savvy to work
their way up the social and economic pyramid, they see gambling
as the promise of a permanent way out, a tsunami that can sweep
them instantaneously to the top, an overnight millionaire. A
lottery ticket, a slot machine, a pick 6 wager, plays no
favorites. The poor, the homeless, the forgotten, the have-nots,
all compete with the rich and famous on an equal footing. They
become hooked on continued gaming because it is the only chance
of reaching the lifestyle they want to achieve.
A successful businessman wins a quarter of a million dollars and
it is nice: a bonus, a chance to splurge on new toys, the
opportunity to retire outstanding debts, or expand their company
with a welcome infusion of capital.
A working-class-stiff wins a quarter of a million dollars and it
is truly life-changing. A janitor, a gardener, a fast food
worker, a guard - with a windfall like that, they can turn their
back on the roach-infested slum apartment and move to a better
neighborhood or buy a small house and a new car. They can quit
their hated job, help their families, participate in the good
life they have only previously experienced as outsiders, looking
in.
The problem is that it is non-sustainable. Winning what seems
like an enormous amount of money seldom leads to rational
investment: education, skill upgrades, saving for future college
costs or business opportunities. Moving from nothing to
something, in an instant, is not an event likely to produce
rational planning. For those whose monetary and emotional needs
have never been truly met, immediate gratification is the
direction of choice. A lifetime of denial demands a certain
degree of self-indulgence when the means for it become
miraculously available.
Is it any wonder that a large percentage of lottery winners file
bankruptcy within five years of their win? The moves, the
changes, the life enhancements that substantial wins provide are
ephemeral.
In the short run, they provide an exciting exit from a black
tunnel. In the long run, such a win turns negative - because the
dream has become a reality, even if only for a brief moment,
returning to prior levels of existence becomes an even more
painful form of imprisonment.
The need to recapture that dream, and perhaps maintain it this
time if a mega-million prize can be snatched, keeps the gambling
industry thriving and the promises of dream fulfillment entice
us all, most especially the poor, into one more venture, one
more ticket, one more chance.