UIGEA - The Battle Against Gambling

In 2006, the US enforced the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act with the intention of putting an end to online gambling. As a result, many online gambling sites stopped operating and abruptly closed their business to avoid facing severe action from the concerned authorities. However, the inept handling of this law has resulted in chaos. Several states and players are not even aware of this law, and the implications of not obeying it. Those who are well-informed of the law stopped patronizing online gambling, lest they should face prosecution. At the same time, many operators continue with their business without facing any issues right from January 19, 2009 when this law was enacted into legislation.

UIGEA, abbreviated form of Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is not being effective for the intended purpose, because of the confusion associated with it. There were two components of this law. One was to have a legal framework for operators of gambling sites, involving consideration of many different factors for granting them gambling licenses. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network was responsible for administering this part, while the other part involved categorizing of different games, and specifying the ones that would fall under the scope of the UIGEA.

It is not difficult to see how this law, intended to look after online gambling, went wrong. Because of its disorganized management, it led to a number of issues concerning online gambling business that seemed to have an uncertain future all at once. Because of this law, investors responsible for providing financial assistance to gambling sites started withdrawing their funds suddenly, for fear of going bankrupt. This caused many gambling sites to pull the shutters down on their businesses as they could hardly afford to bear the operational expenses. An increasing number of sites closing down painted a very depressing account of the future of the online gambling industry.

Additionally, more confusion emanated from the implementation of law in a handful of states only. It created a lot of confusion for the affiliates, as many failed to interpret its precise meaning. Many states were unsure if the legislation's intention was to ban Americans from online gambling or joining of gambling sites. In fact, the idea of having formulated law was to have an arrangement covering the entire industry for its streamlining and effective administration.

Players, on their part, stopped playing online games, being uncertain of the consequences. This further affected the business of online gambling. Introduction of mass education campaigns did not really serve their purpose of educating the masses; their impact was not to expectations because of the ambiguity in the law itself. Today, one feels that the UIGEA was just a pretense on the part of the government to put off online gambling by American citizens. It is difficult to understand why the US government decided to ignore the revenue that it could have generated through online gaming. Online gaming sites would have generated a huge tax. Had care been taken to create awareness before enactment of the law, it would have benefited all concerned, the players, industry and the government.

Subsequent launching of an awareness campaign could not really help removing apprehensions of gambling online at different sites. In the present scenario public confidence needs to be restored back enabling people to come back to play their preferred games, failing which, people will continue to hold UIGEA responsible for having ruined the prospects of online gambling.

Learn about responsible gambling and find information on the National Council on Gambling Problems at BonusBonusBonus.com.

Best Online Gambling

Online gambling has improved drastically in the last decade with many sites and companies offering these services. The improvement is the result of the two-pronged effect that this type of gambling brings about. This means that companies engaged in such activities benefit firstly because of demographically advantageous situations and secondly because they can easily operate in countries where gambling is illegal.

Companies situated in other countries provide the best gambling opportunities because of the differences in currency rates. A country with lower currency exchange rates will attract customers from other countries where the value of money is higher. This is especially true about Southeast Asian countries where online casinos are attracting customers from the US as well as Britain.

The best gambling opportunities exist in skill games rather than in games of chance. This is because games of chance are such that the "percentages" are with the gambling house rather than the player. Games such as roulette are extremely unpredictable and can lead to losses in the end. However, games such as backgammon and poker are skill games, which provide the player with a better opportunity to win.

Sports betting is a comparatively better option than roulette and similar games because the outcome can be predicted. Sports betting can be much more thrilling compared to games of chance because of the fervor that is usually found in any sport. However, if a person wants to gamble on any chance games then the best site would be that which the Online Gaming Association endorses. This ensures transparency in gambling activities on the part of the gambling house.

Casinos frequently appear to be powerless in providing their players with an appropriate level of privacy and safety to ensure payoffs. Although, developing countries may provide cheaper gambling options they may lack the quality required for efficiently gambling on the Internet.

Thus, the country, its laws, the type of gamble, and the payoff rates are all factors that determine if the site is best for online gambling.

Online Gambling provides detailed information on Online Gambling, Online Casino Gambling, Online Gambling Resources, Online Sports Gambling and more. Online Gambling is affiliated with Free Online Casinos.

Gambling Addiction is a Waste of Money

In medical terms gambling addiction is termed as ludomania. This implies a person needs to gamble despite knowing the harmful consequences. Gambling addiction is a behavior which can affect most of the major aspects of life, for example it can affect you psychologically, physically and hamper your social life. Sometimes gambling addiction is referred as a hidden illness as you cannot see any physical symptoms. According to the American Psychological Association, addictive gambling is a mental health disorder and those affected have no control over it. Gambling addiction is a disease which is chronic and progressive. This means a person gets more and more addicted towards it every time he or she gets the opportunity to gamble. According to a survey about 4 percent of the American population has a gambling addiction.

According to Dr. Richard Rosenthal there are three criteria for a person to be listed down as a pathological gambler or a person affect with gambling addiction. An intolerable feeling or state, which is a person feeling helpless for no reason. Depression can be a reason; a person might get depressed due to problems at work place, problems with family, etc. Another criterion is when a person develops a high capacity for self-deception. When a gambler falls under these criteria, he is affected with gambling addiction. Gambling addiction is however classified into two types, action gambling and escape gambling.

Action gambling means a person is addicted to take risks, people falling under this category want to play with other gamblers, and they want to prove themselves as a winner in front of everyone. They want to identify themselves and create an image, they will continue gambling until and unless they reach the position. Escape gambling is where a person gambles because of the reason that they are affected with some personal matters. The person is having problems with emotional aspects in life or the person is not comfortable with life. People having escape gambling addiction usually play alone or they like to sit alone, they are rather found playing black jack or at slot machines. Escape gamblers just avoid human contact. It is found that men are more addicted towards action gambling and women are addicted towards escape gambling. It is also found that young people tend to have gambling addiction rather than adults. Teens are generally 3 times more likely to fall under gambling addiction. This is completely reversed in reference to other addictions where problems among adults are more prevalent than children.

Gambling addiction is a mental disorder having no impulse in controlling it but it is diagnosable and treatable. A very effective way to get treated is by the help of hypnosis. Hypnosis has a very high rate of success in healing people from gambling addiction. You can download mp3 versions available on the Internet. As soon as you are over with all the sessions of hypnosis you will no more be losing money at the casinos. You will be a winner and will set an example in front of everyone on how fast and easily you could get rid of gambling addiction.

If you have a gambling problem or a gambling addiction then check out the link.

Gambling Tips

Many people who Gamble just assume, that it's all down to Luck. Well it is down to Luck, but not completely, there are things that are within your control, that you can change. Many Gamblers lose for this reason, they don't know when their Luck comes, and when it has gone.

Gambling is not just down to chance, actually it's down to Mathematics. The Machines may be 'due' for a payout, because they haven't paid out anything for a long time, but who can say when ?

When you're considering Gambling, you should follow these basic Gambling Tips:

Set limits. Know when to stop Gambling and know how much to win and how much to lose.
Further know how much to Bet each time.
Look out for the welcome Bonuses.
Never Gamble more than you can afford to lose.
Try out a number of the different Services.
Play progressives where possible.

Before you even start Gambling you should set some limits, these limits are financial, and should be set in stone. Do not allow yourself to change these limits, when you're Gambling. You should decide, how much you are willing to lose, never assume that you will walk out with any money, always assume that you will lose everything. What is the most that you can justify losing ?

You should also decide when you will stop Gambling, how much do you want your winnings to be, before you will consider stopping. Remember it is extremely important to stick to this limit.

Casinos are so rich because they rely on greed. Never think of 're-investing' your winnings once you've reached your limit. Also decide how much you will Bet each time, this can be a little flexible, but it's a good idea to have some form of plan.

You should try to learn all you can about the Game, that you're Gambling on. There are plenty of books available, or you could even search on the Internet. Try to find some detailed tutorials, that explain the ins-and-outs of the Game, simply know all the Gambling Tips of the Game you want to gamble on.

Everybody has a different personality, some people love Risks and some hate Risks. The people that hate Risks are probably scared to Gamble, because they don't want to Risk losing their money.

Even for people that like Risk, the worry will increase as the value increases. If you Bet something you cannot afford to lose, then you will be under a huge amount of pressure. In this case you must reduce the amount, that you're Betting, to a more manageable size. Never Bet what you can't afford to lose.

There are loads of different Online Casinos on the Internet, and they are all quite different. All of them have their own unique Software and Interfaces. Test drive a few of the different Sites to find one that suits you.

Progressives increase the size of the winnings with each play, they are very common with Slots. Play the progressives, that are very high, there is still no guarantee, when the jackpot will be hit, but the payout should be larger, hopefully large enough to offset any losses you may have incurred.

Many Online Casinos offer Free money, well many times it does have a catch, but it's not all bad. A number of the big Online Casinos will give you money, just for opening an account and depositing some money.

Search around the different Gambling Sites and find out what bonus you should expect. Have a look around and start to decide what's normal. Also take time to look at what you can do with this Bonus Cash, can you play all the Games with it?

Gambling Online can be fun, just remember to keep your head screwed on, follow the above mentioned Gambling Tips and you should be able to have a lot of fun.

About The Author

Morten Hansen has been working with the Gambling Games area for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that make it easier to play and understand Gambling Games. For more details about different Gambling Games visit our website www.Gambling-Games4you.com [http://www.Gambling-Games4you.com]

101 Gambling Facts Before You Shell Out a Dime

As a popular form of entertainment, gambling has a rich history, and every player has the potential to become a winner in the blink of an eye. There is nothing else quite like the rush of adrenaline that can accompany the gambling experience! The gaming industry has grown exponentially for the past two decades, and the lure of gambling has drawn more and more people to the casinos as well as racetracks and Internet gambling web sites. Gambling is a fascinating pastime in many respects, and the list below will introduce you to some of the historical, statistical, and humorous tips and trivia that make this pastime special.

Did You Know?

1. At least 65,000,000 people in the United States play poker on a regular basis.

2. Playing cards as we know them today are still greatly influenced by the French, even though playing cards were invented in China. According to French lore, the cards with Spades represent royalty. Diamonds represent Merchants, Clubs represent Peasants, and Hearts represent the Clergy.

3. Former United States President Richard M. Nixon used money he had won playing poker in the Navy during World War 2 to finance his run for Congress in 1946. He must have been a good player, for it is never inexpensive to get involved in politics!

4. 87% of the people who visited Las Vegas during the year 1996 gambled.

5. Surveys reveal that 38% of the people who live in the United States have visited Las Vegas, typically to gamble.

6. The game called craps usually has some of the best bets in the casino.

7. Poker tournaments that take place on the Internet and on television have caused the Texas Hold'em variation of poker to have an enormous surge in popularity.

8. There is one slot machine in Las Vegas, Nevada, for every 8 people who live there. In 2005, the estimated population for the Las Vegas Valley is 2 million people. That's a LOT of slot machines!

Gambling Bits and Pieces

9. Blackjack, or 21 as some people call it, continues to be the most popular table game in both online and offline casinos. It is also the game with the best odds.

10. You will see many versions of video poker in a casino, but every one of them is based upon the game of Five Card Draw.

11. In the English gambling dens during the 18th century, one employee had the unfortunate job of dice swallower. That's right - dice swallower! He was to swallow the dice if and when a police officer raided the den.

12. If played correctly, video poker can offer some of the best odds in the casino.

13. The first slot machine in the world was invented by a Mr. Charles Fey in the year 1899. He was an automobile mechanic who wanted his customers to have something to amuse them while they waited for their cars.

14. Groucho Marx, one of the Marx Brothers, loved to play poker. He kept his poker money on him at all times, carrying it in a 'grouch bag". This is how he got the nickname of Groucho.

15. There are only two states in the United States that do not offer legalized gambling. These are Hawaii and Utah.

16. 57% of people in the United States bought a lottery ticket in the last 12 months. This fact, which was discovered by a Gallup Poll audit on gambling, proves that the lottery is the most popular form of gambling in the United States.

17. 68% of the folks in Las Vegas who gamble play the slot machines.

Fun and Interesting Facts

18. 24% of those living in the USA admit that they have participated in illegal gambling.

19. When studying the percentages of people who visit Las Vegas, it was discovered that the largest percentage group, 22%, was made up of senior citizens, those who are 65 and older.

20. One of the largest slot machine payouts ever recorded took place in Las Vegas back in 1998. A woman who had spent around $300 at a casino that day hit a $27.6 million dollar jackpot! No wonder slot machines are so popular!

21. Most historians have come to the conclusion that the legendary and colorful figure of the Wild West known as Wild Bill Hickock was not a very good poker player.

22. In the United States, it is not possible to take out a patent on any kind of gambling machine.

23. The card game of Texas Hold 'Em was played for the very first time in a Texas city known as Robstown. This happened in the early 1900s. Texas Hold 'Em was brought to Texas from Las Vegas by a small group of Texas gamblers.

24. Back in the 1970s, the average age of the people who enjoyed casino gambling ranged from 30 to 55. Nowadays, that age ranges from 17 all the way up to 70.

25. 80% of a survey group said that all gambling should be legal, and that casinos are perfectly okay.

26. A word of warning - You are not allowed to use your cell phone at a gaming table. This is generally true in all casinos. Of course, if you are playing at an online gaming table, you can do what you wish.

27. The largest casino in the world is located on the outskirts of Hartford, Connecticut in the United States. It is called the Foxwoods Casino.

28. Las Vegas has two nicknames - Las Vegas and Lost Wages.

29. Slot machines range from penny slots all the way up to those that range from $50 to $500 for each spin! These high-priced slots are usually located in what is called the 'High Roller' room or rooms of a casino. As a general rule, you will not see too many of these machines.

Gambling Facts and History

30. In 2007, more than $170 billion dollars was placed in bets in Las Vegas by gamblers. 'The House', or the casinos, won about $7 billion dollars of that money.

31. Online gaming is cool. Where else can you play video poker in your pajamas?

32. Casinos in Las Vegas are under no legal obligation to pay off any of their gambling debts.

33. The state of Nevada in the USA, home of Las Vegas, made gambling legal in the year 1931.

- During that same year, the Hoover Dam was being built by the US government.

- They didn't want the men who were working on the dam to get involved with gambling, so an entire town, Boulder City, was built as a place for the dam workers to live.

- It was made illegal to gamble in Boulder City in the hopes that these workers would not squander the 50 cents an hour they were being paid.

- Today, Boulder City is the only city in the state of Nevada where it is illegal to gamble.

Fascinating Gambling Facts

34. To this day, the Italians and the French will still argue over who invented the game of Blackjack.

35. Millions of people are using the Internet to gamble 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

36. Those who play the slots online as well as offline will find that a majority of the time, they will win more often playing online.

37. In horseracing or any type of sports gambling, you need to win a percentage of about 52.4% of the bets you make in order to break even. This is because a commission is charged by the house on every bet.

38. There is no rhyme, rhythm, or pattern to playing the slots. It is almost impossible to predict when you are going to win.

39. When playing poker, the Dead Man's Hand is Aces and Eights.

40. Most people who take a vacation to Las Vegas gamble for 4 hours a day, each day they are there.

41. Some say that the game of roulette was invented by a man called Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and inventor. Others say he merely decided what order the numbers would go in.

42. And still others claim that the game of roulette came from China. Another group swears that roulette was invented by a group of Venetian monks! It appears that no one knows the real truth.

43. Even though a line of slot machines may look identical, every one of them looks different on the inside.

44. Dice are the oldest gaming tool available to use today.

45. Blackjack was banned in America back at the turn of the 19th century. Already a hugely popular game, it went underground as folks continued to play it illegally. The ban was lifted in 1939 as Nevada prepared to introduce Las Vegas to the world.

46. Craps is an American game, but was devised as a variation of a European game played in the 17th and 18th century that was known as 'hazard'.

47. Legend has it that a fellow by the name of Francois Blanc made a bargain with Satan in order to find out the supposed 'secrets' of the roulette wheel. The basis of this legend is that when you add up all of the numbers on the wheel, you end up with the number 666, a number that has always represented the devil.

48. Slot machines are capable of revealing millions of possible combinations for every minute the game is played. This is because of the random number generator, or RNG, that is inside the machine.

49. Craps got its odd name from a nickname given to the French Creoles of New Orleans, Johnny Crapauds.

50. There are two types of dice, casino dice and 'drugstore' dice. Casino dice are precisely made by hand to insure that they are balanced and are a perfect cube. Drugstore dice are smaller than casino dice, and are made by machinery.

Gambling Facts and Figures

51. Historians have found documentation that tells us Napoleon really enjoyed playing a game or two of 21, or blackjack when he was in exile.

52. If you add up all of the opposing sides of one dice, you will always come up with a total of 7.

53. Roulette has rules that are easier to follow and understand than most other forms of gambling.

54. Video poker has been a part of the gambling world ever since the early 1970s.

55. The game of Baccarat was once played with Tarot cards.

56. Caribbean Stud Poker is a poker variation that is very popular worldwide. It was developed from a 16th century game called Primera.

57. There are 38 numbers on an American roulette wheel, 0, 00, 1 to 36.

58. There are 37 numbers of a French roulette wheel, 0 to 36.

59. Those who live in Nevada bet around $846 each year at the casinos.

60. The game of Baccarat was invented during the middle ages by Felix Falguiere, an Italian gambler.

61. One of the fastest growing forms of entertainment all over the world is casino gambling.

62. There are 11 different ways to make a wager in the game of roulette.

63. The British call slot machines 'fruit machines' and 'one-armed bandits'.

64. The gambling game of strip poker originated in New Orleans, Louisiana around 1830.

65. Backgammon is the oldest recorded game in history. This game, which originated in Mesopotamia, is called by many different monikers.

66. Gambling has become a $40 billion dollar per year industry in just the United States alone.

Things You Probably Never Knew About Gambling

67. Blackjack tables have a little in common with baseball games. The seats at the table that are around the dealer are known as 'bases', and are known as first, second, and third base.

68. Baccarat came to Las Vegas in 1959 at the old Sands hotel. It probably was not well like by the hotel owners, as the Sands ended up losing $250,000 the first night on the baccarat tables!

69. There are three different varieties of baccarat. They are called 'Chemin de fer', or railway, 'Baccarat Banque, or Adeux Tableaux, and Punto Banto, which means North American Baccarat.

70. Blackjack team play was invented by a man known as Al Franesco.

71. The zeros on roulette wheels are called the 'House Edge'. The zeros were originally added to the wheel by its inventor in order to increase the house odds.

72. Caribbean Stud Poker found its way to the United States in the 18th century. It first surfaced in Louisiana, and then spread west.

73. Nowadays, you can learn how to play Craps on your Iphone!

74. A pair of dice has several nicknames. They can be called 'Boxcars', 'Snake Eyes', 'Mississippi Marbles', or 'Memphis Dominoes'.

75. The fastest growing industry in the world in Indian gaming, which is a $27 billion per year industry in just the United States.

76. The name 'Blackjack' was derived from a variation of the original game rules, in which a player who had the black Jack of Spades received a payout.

77. The worst roulette bet, and why? It's known as the 5 number bet, 0, 00, 1, 2, 3, and once made, the house edge jumps from 5.26% to 7.89%.

78. The game of Baccarat gets its name from the worst hand possible, zero.

79. The original name of Blackjack was 'Ving-et-un', which translates into the word 'blackjack'.

80. The largest win at an online casino was $1, 683,524.64.

81. A sailor had 27 wins in a row playing Craps at a Las Vegas casino back in the 1950s. The odds of this happening are 12,467,890 to 1!

82. The game of Bingo originated in Italy during the year 1530.

83. In Australia and New Zealand, the term "Housie" is used for Bingo.

Gambling Trivia You Never Would Have Guessed

84. In the entire time the game of Keno has been played, a prize of $500,000 has been won four times, two times by the same player.

85. Roulette is the oldest of all casino games.

86. Keno was used in ancient China to raise money that was used to build the Great Wall of China.

87. Keno came to the United States in the 19th century.

88. It is possible to come up with 1,474, 200 different Bingo cards.

89. Playing cards as we know them today first appeared in Europe sometime during the 1300s.

90. Modern Bingo was devised from a game known as Beano. When a player mistakenly called out "Bingo" instead of "Beano", the name caught on everywhere.

91. A little more than 70% of the high rollers in Vegas who enjoy playing Baccarat are Asian bankers and Asian industrialists.

92. Keno goes back to the Han Dynasty in Chinese history between 205 and 187 B.C.

93. In South America and Europe, the game of Baccarat goes by the name of Punto Banco. Punto Banco is usually a high roller game.

94. The age of the youngest person to win the World Series of Poker main event was a tender 24.

95. It is possible to make 2,598,960 poker hands from a standard 52-card deck.

96. The odds of being dealt the hand known as a 'pocket pair' in Poker are 16 to 1.

97. There are only 4 possible Royal Flush hands in a standard 52-card deck.

98. The odds of getting a Royal Flush hand are 649,740 to 1.

99. More than 70 million decks of standard playing cards are sold each and every year.

100. That sandwich you ate yesterday got its name from a poker player. The Earl of Sandwich loved poker so much he was loathe to leave the game table, even to eat. So, he would have someone bring him bread and some meat, and the sandwich was born!

101. The nickname for a pair of 8s in the game of poker is Pocket Snowmen.

Cindy Leggett is an inveterate reader, writer and information addict who enjoys creating web articles on a variety of subjects. One of her favorite places in the world is Las Vegas, Nevada, where she continues to hone her knowledge of gambling. The casino games [http://www.casino-affairs.com/casino-games.html] she enjoys playing the most is slots and now one of the prominent writer for Casino-Affairs.com, an online casinos [http://www.casino-affairs.com] guide.

Discover The Science Behind The Addiction Of Gambling

At the initial level, gambling seems to be an exciting activity but later it turns fatal for many, who become addicted to gambling. In fact, a large part of the world population is affected by gambling addiction. In America, the gambling addiction is found more in Caucasian Americans. Around 2.5 million are reported to be suffering from compulsive gambling and 15 million are likely to become problem gamblers in the coming years.

What Happens in Gambling Addiction?

The addicted gambler experiences a number of psychological, physical, financial and social dilemmas. Problems of alcohol and drug abuse also become associated with majority of the gambling addicts. Other problems associated with gambling addiction are mood disorder, depression and anti-social personality disorder.

Gambling addiction is very closely associated with a specific medical condition termed as compulsive or pathological gambling. In compulsive gambling, an increase in the uncontrollable preoccupation of the addict takes place with gambling, despite of the negative effects involved. To continue with their addiction, they also resort to means like cheating, lying and even stealing.

Studies reveal that the failures of gamblers are often perceived by them as "near win." This is caused due to an inflated and faulty activation in their cortices' region of the brain, which often deals with handling rewards. The gamblers are unable to comprehend that the mistakes are the same and will result in loss.

According to Luke Clark, the study researcher and expert at University of Cambridge, the same system is targeted by gambling as that by drug addiction, which is the dopamine system in the brain. In gambling, the neurotransmitter dopamine gets released during the "near miss" instances.

Primary Causes of Gambling Addiction

In females, this addiction is developed as a consequence of wanting to escape from unhappy situations such as broken relationships or marriages and job frustration or poor mental health such as depression, loneliness, anxiety or hopelessness. It usually affects women aged around 45 years and they gamble at places where heavy skill or experience is not required like slot machines.

In males, this addiction is developed due to low self-esteem or insecurities. It usually affects men aged around 35 years and they opt for competitive table games. Instead of improving their feelings, it often leads them to debt problems, financial losses and broken relationships.

Treatment of Gambling Addiction

Similar to a drug rehabilitation center, professional help treatments are provided to the addicted gamblers in terms of psychotherapy and medications. In treating this addiction, medications like anti-depressants are generally used. In psychotherapy, a useful technique is used where the gambler is asked to interpret the "near misses" in an accurate manner. Considering factors such as the addict's age, severity of the problem and more, treatments are provided to the gamblers such as group activities and support and therapies dealing with cognitive behavior.

Gambling addiction often intervenes in psychological, physical, social and vocational spheres of life. The addiction of gambling could be devastating for not only the addict but to his or her family also. The only manner by which the loved ones can be protected from this addiction is by making them aware of the facts regarding the addiction.

To find out more about Gambling Addiction [http://gambling-addiction-helpline.com] visit [http://gambling-addiction-helpline.com]. You will find various videos and important tips to Quit Gambling here.

Gambling Help - How to Overcome Gambling Addiction

You do not have to leave the comfort of your home to enjoy the benefits of hypnosis recordings. The self-hypnosis approach is private and convenient and it can help you overcome your addictions. Gambling is a prime example of an addictive element that can be removed from your life.

When you fall into a pattern of thought that is all encompassing it may seem impossible to take control of them. Gambling help is available through hypnosis recordings and you may see results faster than you think. There are many benefits to taking this approach.

Benefits of Self-Hypnosis

Your privacy is of the utmost concern and this is especially true when you seek gambling help. When you address the problem privately, you are better able to relax and concentrate on your recovery. Visiting a clinic may cause added anxiety and this anxiety can keep you from getting the gambling help that you need.

Self-hypnosis helps you to calm and organize your thoughts and emotions. Your gambling habit may seem like a driving force that controls your every thought. You behave according to the compulsion to gamble rather than according to your rational thought.

You can greatly benefit from hypnosis recordings because you are no longer fighting that internal struggle to beat the urge to gamble. The process focuses on the subconscious rather than using willpower to change behavior. Your life changes are gradual and natural rather than forced.

Gambling and Emotion

Gambling is a part of life. We take chances on a regular basis and even children gamble with their behavior to achieve the desired result from their parents. However, gambling can grow out of control very quickly because of its enticing nature.

We fall victim to our gambling habits in the cycle of winning and losing. When you win, you feel compelled to continue your good fortune or "lucky streak" and when you lose, you feel that you absolutely need to win your money back. Breaking even and lucky streaks can be your worst enemies when it comes to controlling your gambling habit.

Hypnosis Recordings and Habits

You are better able to take control of your gambling when you begin to look at the condition as a habit. You must change your behavior but this can be nearly impossible to do using outside gambling help. Your motivation and emotion have to be intrinsic for you to be successful.

Hypnosis recordings are valuable tools that can help you develop the intrinsic motivation and drive to overcome your gambling addiction. You replace habit-forming thoughts with healthy, realistic ones. You no longer feel compulsion or lack of control.

In many cases, people feel different after the very first hypnosis recording session. They begin to act according to their new thought patterns very quickly and the need to gamble fades into the background as new feelings of confidence and control emerge. These new patterns of thought work on the subconscious level so there is no internal struggle.

There is no need to try to overcome your addiction without gambling help. You can take the reins on your condition in a proactive way that offers convenience and privacy. Hypnosis recordings are a viable solution to your addiction.

Why suffer through your internal struggle against your gambling habit when gambling help is readily available? The hypnosis recording 'Overcome Gambling Addiction' offers a discrete approach to addressing your addiction. Many other hypnosis recordings that can can be found by following the links. Each comes with a sixty-day money back guarantee.

Is Gambling Immoral?

Gambling, "Yes" or "No." As far as the state of Texas was concerned, lottery gambling was considered braking the law up until the mid 1980s when the lottery was approved. I had always thought that it was ironic that the state of Texas decided that gambling was OK as long you gambled on the state controlled lottery. My question has always been "Why was lottery gambling illegal in the first place?" What was the point of making gambling against the law? Were you protecting us from losing, or being scammed out of our hard-earned money? I don't have the answer for this question, and I am pretty sure no one else an answer that makes sense.

To gamble, or not to gamble, that is the question..

We can sit around and play the "What If" game all day long and look for signs of immoral behavior, then try to regulate it. My question has always been this: If I go to work and make money, whose business is it if I decide to gamble with my money? Who decides if gambling would be considered wasteful or immoral? Why would we want to give someone else the power to decide when we are wasting our money? Let me understand this, if I spend $1500 in a poker game and lose my money, am I breaking the law because I am wasting my money? What about the person who won my money? Did they also break the law? I have a brilliant idea! How about this! "Stay the hell out of my wallet, and let me decide what, where and how I want to spend my money. Why don't we try that?

If you are going to control gambling:

Why not control other parts of our lives too? How about having a person at the store inspect our groceries to decide when we have had enough Twinkies, or chips? Seems to me that obesity is a bigger problem (No pun intended) than gambling. How about limiting people on the amount of money they can spend on toys, such as jet skies, bass boats, motorcycles, and Plasma TVs etc? Who is protecting us from wasting our money in these cases?

Some people think gambling is immoral.

When it comes to gambling, I just have one question for you, have you ever been at the corner of Coit and Cambell, and made a left turn? Believe me you are gambling, not with your money, but with your life! Have you ever driven up the Toll-way during rush hour? You are gambling every time you step into a car. Who am I hurting if I sit down at a poker table and play, my family? What should I be doing with my money instead, buy beer and cigarettes, take skydiving lessons? Just so I understand the rules In the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex: I can pay to jump out of a plane, purchase wine and cigars, pay money to see naked women dance, rent XXX movies, bungee jump from a tower, shoot people with paint balls in a mock war, but I can't sit down and play a card game?

Seems to me that the State of Texas says "Gambling is OK as long as you do it with us."

And that's OK with you? Why not also allow the State of Texas to be the only source for shoes? If you want to buy shoes, you have to buy them from the state. They could charge $500 for a pair of shoes and make a 1000% profit, all in the name of "raising money for the children." Did you know that the Texas lottery collects a minimum of 50% vig (Vig is a percentage the house charges for running the game). Let's compare the Texas Lottery to other forms of gambling, for example in casinos the game of craps can have less than a 2% vig (Depending on how you play), roulette has less than a 6% vig. Keno (Which is really a lottery), has a 18% to 34% vig (25% average). The Texas Lotto collects a minimum of 50% vig (More than twice as much as the worst game in the casino, which is Keno). Exactly who are they taking advantage of with this high vig? The poor, the ignorant, people without calculators? If the Texas lotto were a casino on the Las Vegas strip, no one would ever play there with such lousy odds.

With that being said, I enjoy gambling and I still play the lottery

Am I a hypocrite for gambling in the Texas Lottery? Maybe so, or maybe I play because I like gambling and I realize it's the only game in town. However, if I had a choice I would rather be gambling with better odds, or maybe even a different game. My point is this; "Make up your mind, either gambling is immoral and should be banned, or it's not." What is immoral is for one organization to have a monopoly on the game, then make it against the law to compete. Competition in gambling is good, just like everything else, gambling in an open market ALWAYS lowers the price, improves the quality and gives the customer the best deal. That's my opinion.

Do you think you have a problem with Gambling? ----> Gambling Problem?

If you like articles like this, visit Metroplex Life

John Fite
http://metroplexlife.com

Gambling Is Growing World Wide - Perhaps at an Alarming Rate, You Decide

The other day, I was contacted by an eBook author with a new gambling eBook on Amazon, made for Kindle Users, he asked if I'd like to review it. Alan Samonte's newest book on gambling; "The Gambling System That Works," does sound interesting, and I think he's touching on a real uptrend here. It is as if just recently we've seen a bit of growth in the number of gamblers out there in recent months.

Interestingly enough, I've done a bit of writing on the topic of gambling. You see, after traveling across the US, I have visited all the major gambling areas, and some small ones out of the way too, mostly on Indian Reservations or near state lines, rivers, or other areas in the gray area of law, allowing for such.

Indeed, I've seen mesmerized senior citizens at slot machines, brought in by the busload, Asian tourists, and high-rollers. I've also visited the outskirts of Las Vegas where the "Shanty Towns" are similar to the depictions in the movie "Pay it Forward" and I've met gambling addicts, as well as those who love to have some fun in moderation, so my experiences and observations indeed run the gambit. Still, it seems that things are on the rise in the gambling world, why I can only guess.

My conclusion is that the economy and prospects for the future are causing some of this. Of course, the rest is just good casino marketing, branding, and all the special offers, players clubs, and incentives. For those who just like to have a little fun and don't blow it or gamble beyond their means it is a great way to entertain. For others, well, there are some sad stories out there of course, but being as we do live in a free country, we must also understand choice.

Why do I see gambling on the rise? Well, it seems everywhere I look, in the media, online and in the real world, there is growth in the gambling sector, and it's very competitive, not just in the USA, but world-wide - and not just in the real world but online too.

Recently in Japan Today newspaper there was a story about how Japan is wants to open up gambling in the country stating that the government needs the money and could tax the revenues, rather than losing out as Japanese travel to Macau, Singapore, and Las Vegas.

There have been reports that the US Congress may yield to pressure to make online gambling in the US legal, as they clean up the current illegal online gaming sector first. For instance the WSJ had an article "Gambling Site Bodog Shut Down Amid Ongoing Crackdown," and "US Shuts Sports-Betting Site, Indicts the Founder of Bodog," published on February 28, 2012.

There was a cool article in the Atlanta Business Journal on Leap Day 2012 entitled; "Developer proposes $1 billion gambling complex," written by Carla Caldwell, which stated that a GA Developer "wants to build a hotel, theater and a game floor with 7,500 video lottery machines, which could generate $350 million yearly to the state's struggling HOPE Scholarship program. Even though state lawmakers are searching for ways to help HOPE, gambling proposals don't typically gain widespread support."

There was another segment on CBS News on March 1, 2012 entitled; "Florida House votes to ban so-called Internet cafes," which discussed how folks were going online at Internet Coffee shops and betting online, which is against FL and US Law for people to do that, while the Cafe stated that they don't tell people what they can and cannot do online, even though the place is set-up for gambling online in this way. The segment stated that FL legislators voted to close 1,000 of these types of 'storefront operations and one legislator dramatically stated;

"These are truly the crack cocaine of gambling," and the segment went onto say; Internet cafes sell customers either phone cards or Internet time. But they also offer customers a chance to redeem electronic sweepstakes on computers that use software that mimics casino-styled games."

Okay so, what is it about gambling that so intrigues humans? Turns out there is a very real psychological reason for human gambling, and I bet that will increase as the human minds in our society continue down the path of instant information, entertainment, and the need to be globally connected in real time, and having continuous mental stimulation - something that gambling does definitely provide with all its excitement, fear, and fun.

Out in CA we have lots of Indian Casinos offering deals on meals, and gambling fun, even though in CA gambling is not allowed, but these are on Indian Property of course, which is common throughout the US. Because gambling is so fun, it attracts people from all walks of life; grandmothers, CEOs, the unemployed, and even those who are in charge of enforcing it all. It breaks all barriers of race, religion, nationality, socio-economic planes, and intelligence levels. Gambling is a human thing, I doubt we could stop it if we tried.

If folks don't gamble in casinos, they'll do it at the horse track, stock market, in business, or some other endeavor where they can pit chance against the potential eventuality for monetary gain. Indeed, I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

Compulsive Gambling and Gambling Addiction

Not many people argue that gambling and playing at casinos is great fun, especially when you have hit a winning streak and feel yourself confident. Some casino games require skill besides luck, so you may think that more you learn these games the more you're going to win, depending on what's your game. Compulsive gambling and gamblind addiction makes you realize that only thing you will ever master is skill of losing your money, besides that bigger skill often means more money lost... in the long run.

Blinking slots, blackjack and baccarat tables mixed with humble atmosphere and attractive female dealers creates a mixture of seductive environment, I admit. And if you are not prepared or don't have the knowledge of the games and the odds, you can get addicted quickly and your addiction may become a compulsive need. It does not mean you are retarded, it's actually quite "human" and coded into us.

Gamblers Anonymous homepage describes compulsive gambling as an illness that is progressive in its nature, which can never be cured, but can be arrested. Before coming to Gamblers Anonymous, many compulsive gamblers thought of themselves as morally weak, or at times just plain 'no good'. The Gamblers Anonymous concept is that compulsive gamblers are really very sick people who can recover if they will follow to the best of their ability a simple program that has proved successful for thousands of other men and women with a gambling or compulsive gambling problem.

Gambling can be compared with addiction to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or junk-food. It's very often as destructive and dangerous as other addictions, often ruining relationships, careers and even ones life. It's very important to start seeking help ASAP when you think you can't control your gambling habit anymore!

Gamblers Anonymous say that compulsive gambler needs to be willing to accept the fact that he or she is in the grip of a progressive illness and has a desire to get well. Their experience has shown that the Gamblers Anonymous program will always work for any person who has a desire to stop gambling. However, it will never work for the person who will not face squarely the facts about this illness.

Gamblers Anonymous offers the following questions to anyone who may have a gambling problem. These questions are provided to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling.

TWENTY QUESTIONS

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?

2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

3. Did gambling affect your reputation?

4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

5. Did you ever gamble to get money to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?

6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?

8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?

9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?

10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?

12. Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?

13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?

14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?

15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?

16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?

17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?

18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?

19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

20. Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.

Ralf Vinogradov is a part-time journalist in a newspaper and an editor and webmaster of gambling related website Best Online Casinos and Online Gambling [http://www.GamblingRalf.com] - GamblingRalf.COM, that introduces wackiest online casino bonuses [http://www.gamblingralf.com/online-casino-bonus.html]. He also runs infamous newsletter called "Club Hundredaire" [http://www.gamblingralf.com/newsletter/index.php].

Gambling Addiction

For most people, gambling is simply a way to make sporting events more interesting, or a part of an annual trip to Las Vegas. However, for some, gambling can be a dangerous addiction that ruins marriages, ends careers, and can result in bankruptcy and even suicide. Gambling addictions have become so prevalent that the American Psychiatric Association now identifies "gambling addiction" as a psychiatric disorder afflicting one to three percent of American adults. With the growing popularity of online gambling sites, these estimates may continue to rise.

So what is the allure of online gambling? Well, the most obvious answer is convenience. Gamblers no longer need to travel to Vegas or Atlantic City, as the Internet provides access to gambling 24 hours a day, seven days a week with complete anonymity. Further, online gambling occurs without the actual or immediate exchange of money. It's easy for participants to loose site of the fact that they are actually playing for real cash! Other attractions include the ease with which people can set up accounts and the escape associated with spending hours playing games online.

So when does an interest in gambling reach the point of addiction? There are generally three criteria used to diagnose an addiction of any kind. First and foremost is that the word "addiction" implies a loss of behavioral control. Those who are addicted simply cannot control their gambling. What may have started as a quick game of poker may turn into an all day - all night gambling bender. Second, addicted gamblers often develop a "tolerance" to gambling in the same way an alcoholic becomes increasingly tolerant to alcohol. Addicted gamblers will require higher and higher stakes in order to get the high that they desire. Finally, the extent to which a behavior interferes with one's functioning is often used as criteria for diagnosing addiction. In the case of an addicted gambler, he or she may empty bank accounts, sell valued heirlooms, or build up massive amounts of dept. In extreme cases, an addicted gambler may steal from friends and family members to finance their addiction or even become clinically depressed following a devastating loss.

So how do you know if you have a gambling problem? Gambling anonymous suggests asking yourself questions such as these:

1. Have you repeatedly missed work or school because of gambling?

2. Have you ever felt guilty as result of your gambling?

3. Have you ever gambled in order to acquire money for bills or debts?

4. Have you ever gambled until you were completely out of money?

5. Have you ever gambled for longer periods than you had planned?

6. Have you ever gambled with more money than you had originally planned?

7. Have you ever considered suicide because of gambling?

This list is not exhaustive, but if you answer "yes" to any of the above questions, you may wish to speak with a professional counselor about your gambling.

Thankfully, a variety of resources exist to help those suffering from a gambling addiction. Twelve step programs such as those used in alcoholics anonymous and narcotics anonymous exist for those whose gambling has gotten out of control. Further, support groups such as Gam-Anon are easily accessible and are designed to assist those with a family member suffering from a gambling addiction.

Tom Shannahan has been playing poker since he was 16. He grew up watching his father play with friends once a week. He currently writes part time for Pokerlistings.com where you can find more great information about Poker Tournaments and Online Poker Rooms.

Is It Possible To Stop Gambling And Gambling Problems By Tapering Off

Compulsive gambling is an illness that affects many people every day. In my work as a therapist I dealt with compulsive gambling and other problem behavior and watched as my clients tried different methods of controlling their gambling behavior. Some people would try to stop gambling by slowly tapering off and allowing themselves a little less gambling each week. Others used the "cold turkey" method and quit completely.

I also saw my clients use similar methods to try to control other unwanted behavior like overeating, smoking, nail biting, etc. After watching hundreds of people try to stop problem gambling and control their gambling problems, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to do it is by complete and immediate cessation. In other words, stop immediately and do not gamble at all.

There are obvious psychological reasons for this approach, but also some physiological ones as well. Psychologically speaking, trying to limit a problem behavior and ration it out is a losing battle because part of your psyche becomes the parent and the other, usually the subconscious, becomes the child. Your subconscious is actually quite powerful and controls some of your bodily functions, memory, and other important parts of your life. Pitting the conscious mind against the subconscious almost always results in the subconscious winning.

Another component of that struggle is that it is very tiring and drags out the inevitable. While problem gambling is an addiction you will have for life, just how much time and effort do you want to devote to that problem each day? Tapering off means you will still be dealing with it, thinking about it, measuring it and trying to limit it each day.

Most of my clients wanted to get over it and get on with their lives. We found the best way to do that was by reprogramming their subconscious minds with Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and guided meditations that helped them to relieve the desire to gamble and also to relieve the stress caused by other areas of their lives.

Physiologically speaking, gambling is a behavior and therefore, each time that you gamble or even fantasize about gambling, synaptic loops are formed and reinforced in your brain. So even gambling less and limiting your gamble is stimulating those loops and making them stronger. When you think about limiting gambling you are still forming loops and strengthening them, so while you may think you are controlling the gambling, you are really reinforcing it and making it stronger so that when your subconscious is ready to make a power play, it will have a strong tool to use against your conscious mind.

If you are really serious about stopping gambling, the best method for dealing with compulsive gambling, then I suggest guided meditations, a good support group like Gamblers Anonymous, and complete cessation.

I offer my guided meditations for gambling problems online and they may be listened to or downloaded at gambling problems relief. I may also be contacted by email there to answer questions free of charge.

Wil Langford, R. Hy., is a 54 yr. old. Clinical Hypnotherapist, Integrated Energy Therapist, and teacher. He is the author of, "Your Loved Ones, Your Self; finding and Raising the Family Within." With hundreds of hours of clinical work, Wil is an expert on finding the keys to change unwanted behavior. His guided meditations for relaxation and habit control have helped many people to find happiness and change their lives for the better.

He is an expert on human consciousness and the author of Parts Consciousness Therapy.

101 Gambling Tips For the Avid Gambler

While many of the gambling facts you may have picked up in Las Vegas can be useful in online gambling it's important that you realize there are some critical differences. But with a knowledge of the facts surrounding your chosen game, and armed with some gambling tips from experienced online players, you will find online gambling not only a fascinating and exciting adventure bit also an opportunity to turn your gambling hobby into a profitable venture.

Critical Rules for Every Game

1. Never chase after your losses. Don't increase your bets because you're losing and want to get even; only increase your bets as part of a pre-determined strategy.

2. Don't gamble at any game that you don't understand. Learn it first.

3. Don't gamble and drink at the same. It's hard enough to win at gambling even without dulled senses.

Money Management - General Guidelines

4. You will lose more often than you win and the longer you play the more likely that fact is. And it's true whether you're talking about hands of blackjack, rolls of the roulette wheel or throws of the dice.

5. The key to winning is to maximize your wins and to minimize you losses.

6. Learn and memorize the odds at the particular game you have chosen to play as well as the best strategies to use in an effort to maximize your winnings at that particular game.

7. Never gamble with "dear" money; only gamble with "excess" money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need, or may need, to pay your everyday living expenses.

8. If you're playing against other players online this is doubly important. The minute you start gambling with "dear" money the other player will sense your heightened stress and play accordingly - often bullying you out of a bet because they know you are more tentative with your "dear" money.

9. Set a stop loss amount and stick to it. Divide your total gambling bankroll into four separate amounts. Divide each of those amounts into four smaller amounts. If you lose one of the smaller amounts, change tables or games or just take a break. If you lose your entire first allotment, stop gambling for the day.

10. Be disciplined and avoid the gambler's demise of going into your next allotment because you feel like your luck "just has to turn around."

11. Plan ahead. When you start a gambling session determine the amount that you want to win (be realistic) and when you reach that point put the money away and walk.

12. When you are winning, draw some money occasionally from your gambling bankroll and put it into a "do not touch" bankroll to protect that portion from further risk.

13. No money management system will ever overcome the house advantage over the long term. You will always lose more often than you win. The key is that you must win more big bets and lose more small bets.

Money Management - Positive Progression Systems

14. A Positive Progression System is one in which you increase the amount of your bets when you win and decrease the amounts of your bets when you lose. To use this system properly you must establish a "standard" betting unit.

15. Your "standard" betting unit should be a comfortable percentage of the gambling bankroll that you will be working with for a particular gambling session. For example, if your session's bankroll is $100, you might make your "standard" betting unit $10.00. This way you would be able to play at least 10 betting events before running out of funds even if you lost all 10 events in a row.

16. These systems allow you to win relatively large amounts during a hot streak while helping to minimize your losses during cold streaks.

17. A common example of this strategy is to add one-half of the amounts you win to your next bet. For example, at blackjack if you win a hand with your "standard" betting unit of $10.00 you would add $5.00 to the bet on the next hand for a total bet of $15.00. If you win that hand you would add $7.50 to the $15.00 for a bet of $22.50 on the next hand. When you eventually lose a hand, return to your "standard" betting unit of $10.00 on the next hand and start the system all over. Of course in practice these increases of 50% will be approximate.

18. Another more complicated system is to always keep your bankroll divided into a certain number of units and then bet one unit on each event. As you win, your total bankroll becomes bigger so each unit will grow and you'll be betting larger amounts. As you lose, your units, and bets, become smaller.

19. Establish a system for drawing some of the winnings from your gambling bankroll occasionally to put it into your "do not touch" bankroll. For example, when you double your bankroll you might take one-half of the winnings to put into the "do not touch" bankroll. If you experience a long winning streak using a Positive Progression System the winnings can grow dramatically.

Money Management - Negative Progression Systems

20. A Negative Progression System is one in which you increase the amount of your bets when you lose and decrease the amounts of your bets when you win. Again, to use this system properly you must establish your "standard" betting unit.

21. The most common negative progression system is the Martingale System. Here you double the amount of your bet if you lose and return to your "standard" betting unit when you win. For example, at blackjack if you bet $10.00 and lose you would bet $20.00 on the next hand. If you win that hand you would then reduce your bet to the "standard" $10.00 bet for the following hand. In all gambling, the Martingale system will always fail in the long run.

22. This system can be very frustrating because during a hot streak you are winning only your "standard" betting unit. And during cold streaks you are continually losing bigger and bigger amounts.

23. Remember, draw some money occasionally from your gambling bankroll winnings and put it into a "do not touch" bankroll.

Playing Roulette

24. American roulette is one of the worst casino games that you can play because the house advantage under standard rules is 5.26% or higher.

25. European roulette offers a lower house advantage under standard rules of 2.7% because there are fewer slots with only one "0" as opposed to the "0" and "00" in American roulette.

26. All bets on in American roulette give the house an advantage of 5.26% with one exception: the "0", "00", 1, 2, 3 combination bet gives the house a much larger 7.89% advantage.

27. All roulette betting systems rely on the inaccurate assumption that the result of previous spins can predict future results. Unless the system is defective or fixed, each spin carries the same odds as every other spin.

28. The most popular betting system at roulette is the negative progression system known as Martingale (see #17). As in all other games, the Martingale used in roulette will always fail in the long run.

29. Because of the heavy house advantage if you are playing not just for amusement but to win money you might as well take a shot at the higher payoff bets and hope that you get lucky.

30. Try a modified positive progression system at roulette. Divide the amount you are willing to lose at one roulette session into 35 "standard" betting units. Pick one number and bet one unit on that number (must be at least equal to the table minimum bet). Continue playing one unit on that same number until you either win or run out of your 35 unit bankroll. If you win, bet two units on the same number and continue betting two units on that number until you either win or lose your bankroll. If you win again, walk away!

31. Roulette is a relatively slow moving game compared to other online games, so it should take you a longer time to lose your bankroll.

32. Do not play roulette as a way to win money; the odds are too heavy in favor of the house. Play roulette only as a way to have fun and pass the time without losing a lot of money quickly.

Playing Baccarat

33. Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to play and offers a relatively low advantage to the house of just 1.06%.

34. There may be as many as 12 to 14 players at a table, with the role as dealer passed around the table much as the dice are passed around a craps table.

35. All players may bet on each hand and the bets are either on the "player", on the "dealer" or on a tie. With the exception of the tie bet, baccarat is much like betting heads or tails on the flip of a coin.

36. Neither banker nor player can make any decisions regarding play; the rules of the game stipulate what must be done with every hand and a house "dealer" supervising the game will direct the play accordingly.

37. Winning bets on the player or the dealer both pay even money, minus a 5% commission paid either at the time of the bet or when the player leaves the table.

38. Winning bets on a tie usually pay 8 to 1, again minus a 5% commission.

39. In an 8-deck game, the house advantage is slightly less for a "banker bet" and dramatically higher for a "tie bet", so it seems most logical to bet only on the banker.

40. As in all online gambling, card counting is meaningless because the deck(s) is usually shuffled after each hand in baccarat.

Playing Blackjack

41. Blackjack offers one of the lowest house advantages at around .60%, but expert players can actually create situations where the player has an advantage.

42. For the serious player there are many complex strategies that require time and dedication to master.

43. Never just sit down cold at a table. Blackjack tends to be a game of streaks, so watch a table for a few hands to determine if it is a hot or cold table for the players.

44. A "soft" hand is a hand with an Ace that can be counted as either a 1 or an 11 in value and still keep the hand's total at 21 or less.

45. A "hard" hand is a hand with an Ace that must be counted as 1 in value in order to keep the hand's total at 21 or less.

46. A beginning or social player should stick to the generally accepted rules of the basic blackjack strategy.

47. Never be afraid to take a card that might bust you. Always play the odds; don't let the fear of a bust stop you from taking a card when you know it's the option with the highest probability of success no matter how small that probability may be.

48. Read one of the many excellent books on counting cards if you are serious about blackjack and willing to spend a lot of time practicing and perfecting your play. As in all online gambling, card counting is of little value because the deck(s) is usually shuffled after each hand. In blackjack, however, with many players at a table it may be beneficial for that one hand.

Playing Blackjack to Win - The Best Moves

49. Always split Aces and 8s as the odds are good that the two new hands will be dramatically better than either the soft 12 or hard 16.

50. Stand with a hard 12 or higher when the dealer is showing a 4, 5 or 6. The odds are good that the dealer may bust on the next card or that you will bust if you take another card.

51. Take a hit on anything below a hard 17 when the dealer is showing a 7 through an Ace. Don't be afraid to bust!

52. Always double your bet when you're dealt an 11.

Playing Blackjack to Lose - The Worst Moves

53. Never split 10s because you may very well be trading one excellent hand for two mediocre or bad hands.

54. Never take insurance since the odds significantly favor the dealer. Even if you're holding a blackjack on the hand yourself you will be trading a high probability of winning a 1.5 to 1 payout in exchange for a guaranteed even money payout.

55. Never stand with a soft hand that totals less than a soft 17.

Playing Craps

56. Craps is an entertaining and fast paced dice game that offers some of the best odds for players, as low as a 1.41% house advantage and even lower for some bets.

57. Craps can be a very complicated game so if you are going to be a serious player read and absorb a good systems book.

58. Establish a "standard" betting unit that is lower than your "standard" betting unit in most other casino games because in craps it's easy to get a lot of money on the table quickly during a long roll.

Playing Craps to Win - The Best Bets

59. If you just want to enjoy the game but play like you know what you're doing, try a very simple strategy starting with a new roller.

60. The Don't Pass line offers relatively good odds with just a 1.40% house advantage.

61. The Pass Line also offers relatively good odds with just a 1.41% house advantage.

62. Place a minimum amount of your "standard" unit bet on either the Pass Line or the Don't Pass Line and save the majority of the unit to "take the odds" after the point is established. In doing this you will get true odds on that backup bet with no house advantage at all.

63. Place a bet on the six or the eight in dollar amounts that are a multiple of six. The house advantage on this bet is only 1.52% and if the number is rolled you'll win $7.00 for every $6.00 you bet.

Playing Craps to Lose - The Worst Bets

64. All of these bets offer impressive payouts but even those high payouts are not enough to offset the big house advantage.

65. The "Any 7" bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 7, provides the worst odds on the table with a house advantage of almost 17%.

66. The "Any Craps" bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3 or 12, also offers bad odds with a house advantage of just over 11%.

67. The "Hardway" bets and the "Big 6" and "Big 8" bets are also poor odds with a house advantage of from 9% to 11%.

Playing Texas Hold-'Em Poker

68. The more players there are at the table the higher the odds that at least one other player has a strong pocket hand, so be more cautious with your pre-flop betting.

69. Be careful betting a high pre-flop card unless you have a good kicker as well.

70. Determine early the types of players at your table - aggressive or cautious - and remember and adjust your determinations throughout the game.

71. At games where notes are allowed make a note on any player whose tendencies you identify. You may see them later at another table.

72. Bet or raise with a good hand; don't let other players get free cards that might make their marginal hand into a strong one.

73. Don't be predictable. Vary your play to confuse your opponents as to whether you are an aggressive or cautious player.

74. Don't bluff often and try to establish a cautious reputation at the table so that when you do bluff your opponents will think you must have a good hand and be more reluctant to call your bluff.

Playing Slots - The Facts

75. The payback percentages for online slot machines are generally better than the payback percentages in live casinos.

76. The numbers revealed on a spin of the wheels on a slot machine do not show up in any order. The numbers are being selected constantly, not just when the handle is pulled. The numbers to be displayed on the wheels are randomly selected at the instant that the handle is pulled or the spin button is pushed.

77. It's impossible to tell when a machine is about to hit.

78. A machine can go for very long periods of time without a significant jackpot or it could register several large jackpots in a row. It's all random selection.

79. The number of coins you choose to play affects only the amount of your bet; it does not influence the selection of the numbers.

80. Slot machines can be set with different payback percentages as well as different hit percentages.

81. Payback is the percentage of the money bet that the machine will return to the players over the long term. It usually ranges from 75% to as much as 99%.

82. The hit percentage is the percent of the time that the machine will payout some money on a spin. This can vary widely, from under 10% to over 90%.

83. Machines that are set to pay off frequently will usually have more small payout amounts and fewer large jackpots.

84. Machines with a high hit percentage (those that are set to pay off frequently) are normally referred to as "loose" slots.

85. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to seldom pay off) will usually have more large jackpots and few small payout amounts.

86. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to pay off infrequently) are normally referred to as "tight" slots.

87. There is no universally accepted "good" slot machine; it depends on the individual player and whether he would prefer many small payouts or a chance for one large jackpot.

Playing Slots - Strategies

88. Because of the random nature of each individual machine no gaming strategy will work over the long run on slots.

89. Before you start a gambling session on slots determine the amount you want to win and resolve to withdraw your cash when you reach that goal.

90. Choose an online site that does not have a wagering requirement that must be met before you can withdraw your money.

91. With all other factors being equal, choose the online site that offers the biggest bonus to new players.

92. Because the house has an advantage in slots, playing with small bets for long periods is a sure-fire strategy to lose.

93. The key to improving your odds of winning lies in knowing which type of slot machine to play.

94. When selecting a slot to play, avoid those with huge jackpots; the best odds of winning lie in the machines with small jackpots because their most frequent payoffs will be of medium size.

95. Play only on small jackpot machines that offer as many beneficial bonus features as possible.

96. Look for machines that offer wild symbols as well as multipliers to improve your odds of winning.

97. Look for slots offering second-screen bonuses or free spins to improve your chances of winning.

98. Look for slots offering what is known as the "gamble" feature where your wins can be gambled for double-or-nothing for as many as five times.

99. When you reach your pre-determined target for winnings STOP and cash in your chips.

Finally, there are two critical rules to all gambling, including online gambling, that you must follow and these rules bear repeating:

100. Never gamble with "dear" money; only gamble with "excess" money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need, or may need, to pay your everyday living expenses.

101. Set a limit to the amount of money you are willing to lose, and can afford to lose, and stick to it.

Cary Clark is an avid traveler and prolific writer who has written extensively for newspapers & travel magazines. During his frequent trips to Las Vegas he developed a love for whilst gaining detailed understanding & knowledge of casino games [http://www.casino-affairs.com/casino-games.html] For more gambling tips visit Casino-Affairs.com, an online casinos [http://www.casino-affairs.com] guide.

5 Elements of a Gambling Addiction

A huge majority of the population will gamble at least once in their life, a perfectly normal occurrence. Gambling can be a fun way to spend an evening; lose a few bucks here, win a few bucks there. You may even be lucky enough win a large amount of money. Even though there are several people out there who gamble carelessly for the fun of it, there is a small percentage of people that will start to form an unhealthy habit of gambling that could in fact lead to a terrible gambling addiction.

If you suspect that somebody you know is suffering from a gambling addiction, a sure sign of this would be if that person is exhibiting one or more of these signs:

The first and foremost way to spot a gambling addiction is if a person is constantly fixated on any form of gambling; be it poker, horse races, football or any other activity that presents an opportunity to gamble. If you suspect a person is suffering from a gambling addiction then he or she will always be thinking about it constantly. That person will always want to gamble and even plan out the next trip long before it happens. A lot of addiction specialists will refer to this fixation as "preoccupation."

If a person is always in pursuit of winning back lost money, then he or she may be suffering from a gambling addiction. This habit can cause some major financial problems because in the attempt to win back previously lost money, a person may end up actually losing double, triple or even quadruple what he or she lost in the first place. Whatever you do, if you know someone who is always attempting to win back lost money, he or she may be doing horrible financially and may end up trying to borrow money from you; Do not give it to them!

A person who may be suffering from a gambling addiction will usually attempt to stop gambling on several different occasions. If you know a person that has tried to stop gambling on more than one occasion but ended up going right back to it, then that person most likely has a gambling addiction. Gambling addicts will usually exhibit the same behavior as controlled substance and narcotic addicts when they try to stop; behaviors such as irritability, anger and even insomnia.

If a person you know has just been through something traumatic and has been gambling a lot ever since, then that person is most likely using gambling as a substitute to cope with said traumatic experience. A lot of gamblers will experience a euphoria similar to a "high" that lets that person escape from something in their lives and feel good. A bad side effect of feeling "high" when gambling is that to sustain the high, larger and larger amounts of money must be bet.

Finally, probably one of the easiest signs to spot not only a gambling addiction, but any addiction, is lying. Gambling addicts will often lie when asked how much money they have spent, lost or won so that their true losses do not show and they can gamble feeling a little less guilty. However, some gamblers do actually feel guilty with every lie told which can actually cause that person to gamble more to cope with the emotional guilt.

An addiction, no matter what it is from, will always prove to be an unhealthy aspect of a person's life. This is why it is important to step in and intervene before an addiction gets to strong a grasp on family, friend or loved one. If you suspect someone you know is suffering from a gambling addiction, start by looking for the five signs listed above.

For more information on gambling, from the best poker hands to stopping an addiction, check Out [http://www.betromania.com/poker]

Gambling History 101

Gambling and casinos are not a modern day invention its roots are laid deep back through our ancestors. Archeological extracts and historians both strongly insist about the existence of gambling events carried out by predecessors. Almost all the civilizations throughout the world have separately revealed the practicing of gambling acts within their community. Our forefathers were proven enthusiasts in playing luck games based on dices or cards. Their obsession for gambling was such that they are believed to have risked a considerable amount of their wealth only for the sake of enjoying gamble. At times when they lost their entire riches the landlords and the kings would risk their lands and kingdoms on the boards of gamble. And when even this was not enough they are also supposed to have betted themselves or any other family member at the roll of a dice. Fate has ruled a man's destiny since time immemorial and more so when a person is indulged in gambling.

While the wealthy were supposed to play gambles with massive fortunes at stake even the middle and the lowly were not left behind they would indulge with whatever they could manage for the game. With them there was also a secret lust to gain some easy riches. Desire to be wealthy in one shot is a theory ruling all the gambling centers worldwide. None will contradict that there is an innermost desire in all individuals to be rich overnight. Gambling had also been a very popular entertainment activity for our ancestors.

Extracts of dices and other objects that are somewhat like the modern day cards were excavated and this pointed towards gambling being practiced in as early as 14th century. The main countries where gambling was popular were Egypt, China, India and Rome. Earlier some of the rulers and kings had put a ban on gambling activities but later when they relieved this imposition people flocked at a common place to gamble and also some other events related to business or pleasure drinks were offered at those spots. Although some earlier governments were against this act but due to the ever-rising popularity of gambling games sooner or later almost all authorities legalized gambling joints. With this legalization of gamble began the formation of the present day widespread network of gambling centers around the globe.

Almost all the games played in present day casinos like the roulette, poker, playing cards, Black Jack, slots machines, craps and baccarat have a history of their own development to the form in which they are played today. Even the most acknowledged place of today, which is a heaven for casino lovers, the Las Vegas, has a rich history to depict its rise as the worlds most favored gambling center. Las Vegas did not emerge in one day as a city ruling the gambling sector throughout the world. It was earlier a abandoned valley but with people flocking there one by one and the government regulations being relaxed to obtain the residency of Las Vegas the city began growing. And finally legalized gambling led to an upcoming of the modern day casinos center of the world.

Mansi aggarwal writes about gambling history. Learn more at http://www.gamblingorigins.com

Offshore Gambling

Offshore gambling has become popular because of the tremendous opportunities that are made available to gamblers and gambling houses alike. The history of offshore gambling can be traced back to the 1990's when a Caribbean island called Antigua (Barbuda) made online gambling legal. This resulted in a flood of gamblers especially from the US where the government tried in vain to make online gambling illegal. This decision was taken to control the problems caused due to gambling. On November 10 2004, the WTO (World Trade Organization) ruled in favor of the Antigua government. The accusation was that the Caribbean government was exporting the gambling business to the US. However, the WTO ruled that the US government acted against GATS (General Agreement in Trade and Services).

Offshore gambling is only possible because of the Internet, which provides unprecedented opportunities for gamblers. Online gambling is a very lucrative business since it can be operated even if the laws of a country do not permit it.

Other recent inventions such as tablet PCs and mobile phones have acted as catalysts in promoting offshore gambling. The main reason behind this is that people can gamble from anywhere in contrast to land based gambling. Conventional gambling forces gamblers to be present at a particular site. In offshore or on-line gambling, the gambler can play from anywhere around the world.

The licensing procedures have made the matter even more confusing since a company can get a license from one country, locate the server in another, and cater to the needs of customers from yet another country. Thus, the assortment of legalities and regulations make it impossible for governments around the world to curb or regulate offshore gambling activities.

Today the offshore gambling market is worth a whooping three hundred billion dollars out of which only twenty billion is legal.

Gambling provides detailed information on Gambling, Online Gambling, Casino Gambling, Gambling Addiction and more. Gambling is affiliated with Casino Gambling.

Gambling In The United States - The Domino Effect It Helped Create

Once just a gentleman's game, U.S. gambling began its rise to the center of attention around 400 years ago. A time where gambling was the root of all evil, yet it could still help the colonies from financial issues. Deliberation over the subject went on for years and still is today, but gambling never stopped to wait for an answer. While challenges were being discussed, different forms of gambling were being created to stave off bankruptcy and other money problems.

The first company to hold a gambling lottery was a bank in Jamestown, Virginia, which' of course' was an instant success. It wasn't like the state lotteries you see today, but still was beneficial for a short period of time. After awhile, England felt as though they weren't making a profit from this form of gambling, so they ended up banning it from everyone. However, that wouldn't last long as all thirteen colonies eventually were allowed to hold their own without question.

Four centuries removed, you can drive along the eastern states and see prestigious universities like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale that were all started by revenue created by state lotteries. As several other venues were being built thanks in part to U.S. gambling, greed started to as people in the colonies wanted freedom and independence from England. While this was over several issues, lotteries were one of the bigger issues never mentioned in history books.

Obviously the most prestigious form of gambling at the time, state lotteries weren't the only U.S. gambling going on around the country. By this time, horse races had already been around since 1665, but most bets were between owners only and not of a spectator kind. Also making its mark on cities throughout the colonies in the 1800s were casino style gambling with cards and dice. As areas grew, so did the size of gambling halls and local watering holes where games could be played.

Then came the Mississippi River and everything it had to offer with barter and trading through several owners. Business this way was quicker, and several well known individuals met on riverboats to play some casino style gambling. This was the true introduction of the professional gambler. Winning enough money in small towns to play on the riverboats with the big boys was a common tale. After awhile, many were thought to be cheaters and many would perish at the hands of people who lost money to them.

Just as the state lotteries were part of the reason for the American Revolution War, it was the Civil War that ended the time of professional gambling in the 1860s. While not the main reason, it created a business stand still, which led to no traffic up and down the great Mississippi. For the next sixty years, gambling would be loved by many and hated by that many more. States that had good fortune would create gambling booms like in California and Nevada,

As years moved ahead, people like Al Capone and his mob used gambling money to front their businesses, while at the same time sports were becoming one of the major things to bet on during this period. Fast forwarding to the seventies, lotteries held around the country were making over a billion dollars on a annual basis. Gambling in the United States was considered a normal part of living and still is today.

Now we're in the 21st century and the gambling business is booming with billions upon billions of dollars being made annually. The Super Bowl is the most anticipated gambling event each year, and land based casinos are popping up all over the country. Still, many Americans protest gambling due to family members who have ongoing problems with controlling their addictions. However, the future looks bright and the government will have a hard time trying to give up all the tax revenue that is made off of gambling alone.

Which brings us to the future, and online casino gambling. While the United States was one of the leaders in gambling online, President Bush tried to ban them from using debit cards that are bank issued to try to control the outbreak. It didn't take long for U.S. players to realize that adding money to different accounts like Netteller or Moneybookers, then transferring it over may take a little longer, but the end result is the same.

There will never be a solution to gambling no matter if it's online or offline, and others will always protest the morals and what it all stands for overall. A cat and mouse game that will never be solved, and while everyone continues to argue back and forth, the sport of gambling will only become bigger. Hurry, someone go check the odds on that, you might want to bet on it.

Play blackjack, roulette, baccarat [http://www.goldentigercasinos.net/index.html], slots, poker [http://www.goldentigercasinos.net/blog/index.html], craps, keno, jackpots, and more online casino games [http://www.goldentigercasinos.net/index.html] at GoldenTigerCasinos.net.

It's a Gamble! Gambling - Great? Gruesome? Gambling - Essential, Addictive, Destructive

Love gamble, love tangle

I've got all that I can handle

Love

I'm used to thinking of gambling as horrible. Every day I hear stories of people destroying their lives, and the well-being of their families, because they can't stop gambling. Everything goes. A woman speaks from her prison cell: she turned to robbing banks to pay for her addiction. She doesn't excuse herself. But she couldn't help herself. She wanted to be arrested. Despair.

I've been thinking about gambling differently this past while. Not "pure gambling" (lottery tickets, casinos, online gambling). But gambling as an essential feature of healthy, hopeful living that takes us beyond the routine.

My partner and I are building a business. Now, that's a gamble - with our time, our lives. I'm also building this site - Elsa's Creativity Emporium. Another huge gamble with time, energy, creativity. Columbus sailed for America. His gamble: that he would end up in the Far East. He didn't get was he was aiming for - but the gamble paid off for the Europeans.

Farmers plant seeds. The gamble: that the season will be good. Designers design The gamble: that the design will find a market.

People fall in love, and decide to try to make a live with that person - one of the biggest gambles in life.

****

On the other hand, many people want a predictable salary. No gambling, please. So and so much an hour. Anything else feels wrong, out of control, dangerous. How can anyone live like that, they shudder and recoil.

An observation. Many people don't want to gamble with work time. They want steady dependable pay. At the same time, they have a hugely developed urge, even an overwhelming urge, to gamble.

In other words, quite a number of the same people who want a steady paycheck spend a huge chunk of their everyday earnings on gambling!

"It's just for fun." "It's my right." "I have every right to do what I want with my money. I earned it, after all. It's mine." "Everyone's entitled to have a good time every now and then. All those hours I work. I deserve something."

So, though many people are entirely unable to consider working "on a gamble," (building a business, doing creative projects that may well never pay), they gamble over and over in ways that are set up to make the huge majority of people lose.

But most of the world does live "on a gamble" - or combining the gamble with as much certainty as possible. Traditional gatherer-hunting societies for instance have the relative dependability of gathering (which brings in about 90% of food) and the gamble on what is brought in through hunting (10% of the average food supply, according to my reading). Even with the gathering part, no year is like any other year. The steady dependable pay-off (salary, berries, etc.) is not the norm.

And with that, back to gambling. I'm going to call the kind of gambling I'm used to recoiling from "pure gambling" - in other words, one isn't gambling that the weather will cooperate with one's efforts, one isn't trying to make a sale, one isn't trying to build a site or a business, one isn't courting and hoping another will respond to us. "Pure gambling" - bingo, casinos, lotteries, slot machines, computer games like minesweeper and so on. The goal is winning in a game stacked against us, and the win builds nothing except the win. No book is written, no grain is harvested, nothing is built.

In everyday gambling - which I'll call "part-of-life gambling", the pleasure of winning is part of so many other things. It's part of building a life - gambling that our reaching out to someone will pay off, gambling that our design will find a market, gambling that the move to another city where there are supposed to be better jobs will lead to a better job.

****

In "pure gambling," all that other stuff has been taken out. The goal: the win. The goal: the payoff. In some forms of "pure gambling", one does build some skills - one learns to play bingo well, to know the ins and outs of computer games. One becomes fast, the moves automatic. In other forms of pure gambling, people just, say, pull the arm of a one-armed bandit - and the craving to keep doing this that be so strong that people have resorted (or so I've heard) to wearing diapers so they don't need to leave to go to the bathroom.

I've felt the pull of pure gambling, as well as part-of-life gambling. The time: about ten years ago. Too much stress. One day, I opened minesweeper, a computer game, and played a few games. The stress disappeared. I ended up playing minesweeper for several days, getting better and better. Wonderful and relaxing. At some point, I couldn't get better at minesweeper. From that point on, winning or losing (most often losing), became a matter of luck. And yet I still wanted to play. Very much so.

I did what was easiest for me to do: I asked my partner to take the game off my computer (at the time I didn't have the skill to know how to delete it myself). I don't think, though, that I could have used the computer and not played. The pull felt irresistible. I felt deprived when the game was gone. I wanted it back. I didn't ask for it back, though. I was able to have that much power over the pull of the game.

I did, for a number of years, turn to solitaire - not on the computer. Too dangerous. The old-fashioned way, with cards. If I played more than I thought was okay, I would put the cards in a place where it was inconvenient for me to get them - in a corner of the basement, for instance. Sometimes I would go and get them. More often I wouldn't.

The last several years have been so busy that there hasn't been time to reach for the cards. And I've noticed that the urge is gone. I want, if I have a few minutes, to take a walk, to make supper, to do nothing. I like life better that way.

I've been gambling enormously, these past few years, but the healthy way - doing things, hoping and planning that the projects will make it in the world.

****

I'm back to gambling: the good, the bad, the ugly.

The good. This is when we take gambles in life, gambles that come from as much knowledge and experience as possible. Even then, it's important that we check out the risks as well as possible - because in everyday life just as in a casino, one can gamble away one's savings, one's home, and so on. I took a gamble fifteen years ago: I had work (flight attendant) that was dependable but didn't satisfy me. I was finishing my Ph.D. when the airline hit hard times and offered a golden handshake to people willing to leave. I didn't have full-time college or university teaching lined up. Worse, there was hardly any teaching of any kind available where I lived. Still, I took a gamble. After all, I had an almost completed Ph.D. in hand, and had been doing university teaching part-time for years.

It wasn't an instant win. But I finally got college teaching, and eventually even steady college teaching. And that again isn't an instant fix, like a casino win. It means having to work at making the teaching successful, learning how to make the more difficult classes work (when one can), etc. There are ongoing challenges.

I think of Crick and Watson, who worked on figuring out the structure of DNA - and only after 10 years came to the realization (through a dream) that there was a double helix. They gambled with 10 years of their life.

I think of Banting, who figured out how diabetes can be controlled through insulin. So much time and effort, done despite the lack of success of others.

The dangerous good. I am thinking of people my parents knew. Not gamblers of any sort. They had built a financially successful life through steady paid-by-the-hour work. Then their 20-year-old son saw a "golden business opportunity". A local successful business was for sale. The parents mortgaged their house to the max to buy it. In a year, the successful business was destroyed through a serious of stupid choices made by their inexperienced son who had all kinds of ideas for "improving" it. The parents lost everything.

The bad. Pure gambling, when it's more than an occasional pleasure. My mother would buy an Irish Sweepstakes ticket at a time when gambling was illegal in Canada. She got a thrill out of doing something illegal. Also the ticket was a kind of miracle hope for an instant fix to all the everyday financial struggles. But it was a small cost.

For all too many people, the cost is high - financially, and in time and focus. Apparently over 15% of Canadian teenagers have at least a moderate addiction to what I call bad gambling.

Of course it can also give some kind of gratification to people leading small boring lives. Bingo halls enthrall thousands of people week after week.

The gruesome. This is when the pure gambling urge takes over someone's life, and often destroys everything else in that life. Couple life, parenting, other interests.

****

What to do? One, recognize the intense power of the "gambling pay-off pull." There it is, the jackpot - like a carrot to a donkey. Not easy to resist.

Societies and countries which outlaw gambling - like both Canada and the States used to - recognize the destructive power of "the pay-off pull" central to pure gambling.

Personally, I find it insane to take away the laws that prohibit gambling without at least, at the same time, mandating huge public education - from earliest childhood on - on the destructive power of "the gambling pay-off pull."

It's like no longer ensuring that water is drinkable, but not doing anything so that people each take care of their own water supply. Can you imagine a huge campaign against providing drinkable water on the basis that this tampers with individual liberty? that each person has the right to drink the water of one's choice?

****

And yet to go back to good gambling. I will now call it "integrated gambling" - gambling as part of other activities. The same intense pay-off pull may help us through tough times. We practice and practice a difficult guitar piece - we know there will be a pay-off and the high of getting there (at least for a moment, before we move on to the next challenge). We put in long hours working with a child with learning difficulties - and we exult when learning happens. Pay-off.

Good gambling. I'd say that's a core part of human development. It keeps us going - we're not only doing whatever it is (trying to keep the corps alive in a hard season), but longing for the pay-off. And when it does happen, euphoria, a natural high. Yeah!!!

Good gambling combines with creativity. It helps us move out of ruts, into the unknown. Something in us knows this is a good direction. There is a pull from deep inside ourselves.

****

As with so much about us, it's easy to mess things up.

Gambling - well. Gambling combined with a project, a goal, an end that does not have to do with gambling, a goal in itself that usually leads to further development.

Gambling - bad. Gambling for the lure of the win, the pay-off - usually unrelated to the efforts we put in. (There was nothing my mother did, that would make her more likely to win the Irish Sweepstakes than what anyone else did - it was just luck. And she never won.)

Gambling - gruesome - when "pure gambling" has taken over someone's life.

All it takes is a tiny change inside ourselves to go from the good to the bad to the gruesome - a disconnection of the pay-off pull from something constructive.

****

I started with words from a song I wrote years ago, on a gamble Western society gives huge value to: love. Young people are expected to find a partner to live with, taking a huge gamble with their lives. I would call it a central healthy gamble. And again here, it's been found that, time after time, learning is important. People who have been around healthy love relationships are way more likely to have the love gamble pay off.

I think we need to learn to gamble well - to do the right kind, and do it well.

I'll end with lines from that song - when can be about the best of a good gamble:

Love is my kind of tangle

Love is my kind of gamble

I've got all that I can handle

Love

More of Love Gamble, Love Tangle

****

Where to send you from here? You can click here for Creativity Pure and Applied. Creativity - another side of ourselves that can be pure (creativity for the sake of creativity) and applied (creativity in the service of something else). The dynamics are decidedly different than with gambling!

My writing, by the way, is a gamble. I'm gambling that it's worth it - to me and to you.

Comments welcome.

****

For more good thinking and stimulating ideas, click and find ELSA'S IDEA EMPORIUM. Thought-provoking arguments plus stupid opinions exposed. And FREE UPDATES. Click here:
http://www.elsas-word-story-image-idea-music-emporium.com/the-idea-emporium-all.html

Click and find:
How To Think - Helpful Tip Number One - Ask Yourself This One Question.
Whose Dog Is It Anyway? On Pets, Ownership, Slavery ? Human Rights, Animal Rights, Who's Right?
Elsa, age 7, Takes on God - Elsa Knows God is Wrong (the one she read about, anyway).
The Rottweiler Pope, the Danish Cartoon, and Muslim Moderates.
Stupid Opinion Number One ? The Opinion That We Are Where We Are Meant To Be.
Stupid Opinion Number Two ? The Opinion That All Opinions Are Equal.
Don't Keep it Simple, Stupid - We're Not All Mental Vegetables.
The Rage of the "Righteous".

Click. THE IDEA EMPORIUM. Think. Click!

What matters is not agreement or disagreement. What matters is good thinking - ideas backed by evidence. logic, etc. Comments welcome. Elsa