Losing $ has greater impact than winning $?

[TripleH68]

A hollywood star once said something like "I don't gamble because winning $100 doesn't mean anything to me, but losing $100 really pisses me off." Funny.

I am currently reading a serious book about the social, personal and economic consequences of gambling and came across this: "Economists point out that the addition of one thousand dollars in winnings to a person's income may give less benefit than the harm casued by the subtraction of one thousand dollars in losses." Interesting thought.

I am on a cold turkey break from gambling right now after an indulgent trip to Las Vegas. It was great fun, but spending several consecutive days in the casinos always manages to wear on my soul. The thing is the thrill of risking/winning money has worn off for me. The challenge of moving up in stakes does not seem like it has an end? The time and energy I have used up gambling and working at getting better at the games I play, well...frankly I feel could be better spent.

I am a winning low stakes poker player. It is fun and challenging. I also have played the horses. Both these endeavors have left me with a lot of memories and funny stories to tell. And I only play with the 'extra money' in my budget. On the other end I get to feeling mastered by these games, compelled to play more and more. Setting goals becomes difficult. Setting limits to the amount of time I play also becomes difficult. I get urges to play larger and have at times lost amounts of money that are significant. A terrible feeling when you start thinking about something 'good' or charitable that could have been done with that money.

Lately my mind has wandered back to the people really hurt by gambling. Those you see spending looong stretches at the casino and frankly like to see there. Every time you win money it has to come from someone else. Let's face it, quite often it comes from people who may be getting hurt. I know the losers are there by their own free will, but having fun at the expense of others goes against the way I was raised. This troubles me sometimes and is why I am currently reading up on the subject.

Now I suddenly look at the countless hours I have spent studying and playing these games as time squandered - more than time invested. I feel my talent and time could be better spent giving something positive to my community. (btw I am not off the deep end. I still look forward to playing in friendly home games. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img])

Thanks for the read. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing similar thoughts/feelings?

Yours, HHH.