Aros and gambling

[DeltaAro]

A continuation of the "aros and <vice xyz>" type of threads.

Are there aros who like gambling? Statistically they must exist. 😉

In a real Casino, if you play the right games like Black Jack or Craps and play them correctly, you get back ~99% on average. I only did that once (Holland Casino Utrecht). Of course for anyone not having a huge bankroll and not playing on and on, variance is the deciding factor. It's 99% but you might lose everything.

Slots OTOH: you get back 95% or less. I don't see the appeal because it's a lonely thing. Nobody else sees my bets. Gambling halls are just full of very silent and mostly sad people. Only slots I might play would be "lucky aro adventure", max payout if you get five aardvarks in a row.

Edited August 4, 2022 by DeltaV

[Nix]

I went to a casino once, and got the ‘try-out’ package for €35,-. I won €50,- at the roulette tables and I cashed those winnings straight away to buy my friends drinks 😅 So I’m not really much of a gambler. I did like observing the people at the casino, like the lady at the slot machines who was using 3 machines at once with a very grim determination. The Black Jack tables looked pretty intense too (lots of sweating)

9 hours ago, DeltaV said:

It's 99% but you might lose everything.

Yeah I’m not great at math, maybe that is why I don’t really like taking chances?

[Lovebird]

I despise gambling, it's overly romanticised in my country right alongside alcohol. In my country, most gambling advertisements are banned, except for sports betting ads as sports, specifically football is the #1 most popular sport, and the head company (AFL) heavily relies on advertising, alongside those who actually watch the game. So many sports betting companies will "collab" in order to get more views for both, the problem is, a sports betting app ad will play every 5-10 minuets leaving many fans of the game and non-fans alike questioning why a game that advertises itself as "family friendly" or "all ages"  constantly advertises an activity that is strictly adults only. If you head onto the 'official' subreddit for Australia, there will always be at least one person who asks "why aren't betting ads banned yet?" three times a week, and yet there has nothing has actually been done by neither state nor federal governments.     

Edited August 4, 2022 by Lovebird
grammar

[roboticanary]

I think the fear i have is that as gambling has gone online it becomes easier to hide from those around you, you don't have to walk to the bookies, you don't have people seeing that you are gambling. so if I got addicted to gambling, as a single guy living alone, with all my finances sorted by only me, I dont think anyone in my family or friend group would know up until the point i get kicked out of the flat. that thought really worries me so I guess I never want to get started.

I suppose I am lucky in that no-one in my family got me into gambling, but it really is something I intend to stay as far away from as possible.

[DeltaAro]

On 8/4/2022 at 9:13 AM, Nix said:

I went to a casino once, and got the ‘try-out’ package for €35,-. I won €50,- at the roulette tables and I cashed those winnings straight away to buy my friends drinks 😅 So I’m not really much of a gambler.

I was less lucky. I must have gambled away around €100. I mean, in my whole life.

On 8/4/2022 at 9:13 AM, Nix said:

I did like observing the people at the casino, like the lady at the slot machines who was using 3 machines at once with a very grim determination. The Black Jack tables looked pretty intense too (lots of sweating)

Yes the people there are really great for study. Fascinating. But it's only the very casual crowd who will notice you. The serious ones, they wouldn't register it if you stare at them for one hour.

On 8/4/2022 at 11:32 AM, Lovebird said:

I despise gambling, it's overly romanticised in my country right alongside alcohol.

So did you have any bad personal experiences? Most people don't have such a strong opinion.

Insurances are like the opposite of gambling. And insurance companies usually give back less than gambling for every dollar you pay them.

It's just regarded as mature to pay for reduction of variance. Dumb to pay for increase of variance. Seems to be some cultural bias here. In theory a well-adjusted increase in variance might be good (spices things up a little bit). 😉

Of course it sometimes stops being well-adjusted.

I don't know if gambling is the worst of the legal vices. At least it's not unhealthy (only indirectly).

But it feels like the most shameless. The other vice industries naturally tend play down the harms of their products (like public health or moralists inflate the harms). But they still deliver a real product. And don't just feed on empty hopes - which is the case for pathological gamblers, who even in debt still chase that "big win".

On 8/4/2022 at 11:32 AM, Lovebird said:

So many sports betting companies will "collab" in order to get more views for both, the problem is, a sports betting app ad will play every 5-10 minuets leaving many fans of the game and non-fans alike questioning why a game that advertises itself as "family friendly" or "all ages"  constantly advertises an activity that is strictly adults only. If you head onto the 'official' subreddit for Australia, there will always be at least one person who asks "why aren't betting ads banned yet?" three times a week, and yet there has nothing has actually been done by neither state nor federal governments

I'm surprised that they didn't do this. Australia always seemed like a country to me that has loads and loads of health and safety laws. E. g. mandatory bicycle helmet laws or bans of fireworks.

On 8/4/2022 at 11:02 PM, roboticanary said:

I think the fear i have is that as gambling has gone online it becomes easier to hide from those around you, you don't have to walk to the bookies, you don't have people seeing that you are gambling.

I also wonder how safe from manipulation online gambling is. It takes some criminal intent to manipulate a physical slot machine. But just screwing around a bit with the code? It can also be easily reverted leaving no traces.

On 8/4/2022 at 11:02 PM, roboticanary said:

so if I got addicted to gambling, as a single guy living alone, with all my finances sorted by only me, I dont think anyone in my family or friend group would know up until the point i get kicked out of the flat.

Don't think it matters much. Problem gamblers are very good at hiding their addiction from their family or partner. They secretly take on huge debts and the belated reveal of the magnitude of the problem comes like a bombshell.

On 8/4/2022 at 11:02 PM, roboticanary said:

I suppose I am lucky in that no-one in my family got me into gambling, but it really is something I intend to stay as far away from as possible.

I'm not so afraid of it. But there certainly is no reason to start.

[Guest]

I mean I'm underage but I do know how to play poker and blackjack

[dewy]

I haven't ever done real gambling since I never got the chance but I have always loved gambling in games... probably for the best so I don't really lose anything. Catch me breaking the bank in Fallout New Vegas with my maxed out luck stat.

[MondoBilby]

I’ve never gambled in a casino before, but I am a bit prone to gambling behaviour 😅 mostly at carnivals, I could very easily spend all my money on those lucky number games just for a chance to win a crappy low-quality plush toy that I could probably buy online for 5 bucks. Sometimes I get lottery tickets, but other than that, I don’t want to really get into gambling. Too risky 

[alto]

I have a distinct memory of my Mom playing blackjack with me as a child.  We both had a great time.  We betted on candy.  She told me that day that the reason people lose so much money gambling is that they don't know when to stop.  I've always remembered that.