Myths and stereotypes surrounding gambling business: is gambling wrong?

It is common for people to create myths and stereotypes about different phenomena that they know little about or do not want to enter into. Licensed casinos are no exception — there is a lot of prejudice around gambling houses.

The Core of Stereotype

There is a rather persistent belief that casinos are limb of the devil and evil seeds, involving a man in heavy debt obligations, squeezing him or her dry, making sure that a customer plays to the last penny and does not even think to leave a gambling site with a full purse or, perish the thought, a big winning.

The moment one crosses the casino's threshold or registers in the electronic analogy — it's a start of troubles. Devastation and gaming addiction are guaranteed. And it is followed with a broken family, lost work and living place, crime wars, life on a powder keg, depression and, as a result, suicide or violent death.

But is it really so?

The Roots of Stereotype

This stereotype is generally common among third world countries, where the gap between the poor and the rich is too wide, and the middle class is either non-existent or in its infancy. A constant lack of money forces people to look for extra income. Casino serves them as one of the ways to resolve this problem.

People mistakenly believe that the casino license can easily and quickly enrich them without special effort. Undoubtedly, it is a reasonable opinion, and some individuals are incredibly lucky with that, however, this phenomenon is far from being massive.

Financially struggling players continue chasing for dreams by pumping per diem into a slot machine, raising bets, emptying their own pockets. If John from the neighbor's house was able to win several hundred grand last Tuesday, then I can do the same, and I just need to keep going.

What's Wrong?

In a civilized world, gambling has long ceased to be considered as means of earnings. Self-sufficient players of a sustainable social status visit licensed casinos for one purpose — to get away from daily routine and have a good time.

Such visitors know that they will keep certain sums in gambling. Well, you also have to pay for a ticket to cinema or soccer match and no one thinks it's weird or stupid. The entertainment fee is all right, and winning is considered as a nice bonus.

Traps and Pitfalls

In any of the exemplary societies, there will always be someone who is the black sheep in the family. It is good when these people dedicate their energy to creativity and do not waste it on self-destruction.

Ludomania becomes a curse for the second category of people. As a rule, it affects those having bad times. Misunderstanding within the family, lack of prospects, existential crisis, when years are already taking their own, but dreams and plans have not been realized. A man seeks solace in gambling, dipped the holiday atmosphere of casino license, replacing his real dull world with bright and lavish one.

"That could happen to anyone." "It's the fault of casino license, they plague humankind," stereotype believers would say. And they will be wrong. Global statistics indicate the opposite: players who are subject to substance abuse on gambling average no more than 1-1.5%.

In some countries this figure is higher, in others — lower, but the general trend is clear — gambling affects only individuals of addictive personality and who are in crisis. For comparison, the percentage of people suffering from alcohol dependence is much higher — from 10 to 15%.

Moreover, gambling is recognized as a disease in different countries and treated as drug addiction or alcoholism. Government commissions, commercial and charitable organizations direct their efforts to the struggle against ludomania by offering players effective recovering programs.

All gambling establishments are obliged to recommend such programs to problematic players as well as to provide online links and contact information of such organizers. Players receive psychological and psychosocial care, they are suggested with special programs allowing a self-exclusion from gambling resources for a specified or recommended period. Collectively, all of this produce positive results.

Summing up

• The stereotype, that the casino license is causing bankruptcy and game addiction is common in certain regions and segments of the population, are erroneous.
• Gambling is a problem, but only a negligible percentage of players suffers from it.
• It's not the best way to make up your financial condition by playing a casino, it would be better to find a job.
• Take a visit to the casino like a way of entertainment that you have to pay for, and then losing will be easier. Allocate a limited amount to the game and your budget is never affected.

Only after most gamblers accept these truths, the gambling will cease to be perceived as evil and begin to move in the right direction reaching all over the world.