[Skallagrim]

The "studies" our enemies cite almost always involve slot machines. Occasionally there is discussion of table games like blackjack and such, but really when you look at, its slots that worry these people (rightly or wrongly): they envision the person always less intelligent then themselves sitting helpless in front of a machine seduced by the colors and sounds and incapable of not putting that last $20 in. The last $20 that should have been spent on the child's lunches....You can here it now "these are the people we need to protect from themselves."

As we all know, this is (mostly) hogwash, but it is the image used against us.

Contrast that image with the image of a group of people around a table actively mentally engaged in a competitive game like bridge or poker. There are none of the slot-style seductions.

Do most lose at poker? Yes, of course, but the desire to compete, to strive to be the best even if you lose, is a prized value in the good ole US of A. Will some people get lost in this competition and over do it? Yes, some folks spend way to much on competing at golf too, but the numbers who go to far at a competitive game are much, much less than the numbers seduced by the slots. Its apples and oranges.

That is how you convince a strident anti-gambling do-gooder that poker should be treated differently (leaving out the hogwash part of course).

Skallagrim