Casinos and Gambling

[The One and Only Mo]

I don't go to casinos since the house always wins. The only gambling I do is Fantasy Sports which is like less than 60 bucks a year (but the payout is awesome) What's the general idea here?

[muman613]

When I was younger {about 20 years ago} I went to Las Vegas a couple of times. I was never a big gambler and only played the slot machines and a few hands of Blackjack. Gambling in general shows a lack of emmunah in Hashem even though on the surface the opposite seems to be the case. I believe that a man should not rely on luck, or mazel, or whatever for their parnassah. A man is given skills and ambitions which must be used to contribute to the creation.

I dont know about fantasy sport games... Thats way beyond me.

[Baltimore]

You need another voting option:
"gone in the past, never will again"

That is what I would select

[Ari Ben-Canaan]

When I turned 18 I bought a lottery ticket and won a hundred bucks.

When I went to a casino in Montreal I spent a few dollars on the slot machines and won over a hundred bucks, so I stopped.

Other than that... and a few penny slot machines while driving through northern Nevada and I was checked in at a boring hotel with insomnia...

It's never been something exciting/interesting for me, least of all something maintainable.

My grandfather said, and I don't know where the quote comes from, "The lottery is a tax on fools".

Believing in "luck" is not a Jewish ideal.  HaShem creates our destinies.

[White Israelite]

I gamble quite a bit, grandma got me into it when I turned 18 on a cruise ship, I ended up going to casinos as soon as I hit 21 and my grandparents always had slot machines and stuff in the house. I'm not too bad at poker and have won a few times at black jack, but it's not good to get addicted, that's for sure.

[cjd]

People on my fathers side of the family always played cards after Sunday dinner at my grandparents house however no money or markers were ever allowed at the table. The games were for fun and a way to pass the time. The games were quite entertaining because it was played in multiple teams of two and the arguments that erupted when someones partner  put the wrong card down was often something else. G-d forbid money would have ever been in the picture  . Although I like to watch people play cards I really can't play the game myself. For some reason I have a complete disinterest in playing. Over the years I have even forgotten the few games I knew how to play. Gamblers are very funny people I have known a few over the years and the things they do and their reasoning about gambling really is very hard for a non gambling person to understand. Most heavy gamblers often find themselves getting deeper and deeper into trouble. It's bad enough when they owe the banks money but when the "shylark" starts chasing them down the situation often can get quite comical  . Gambling is also a very serious problem because for most  gamblers it often comes before buying food and paying the light bill often eventually leaving a gamblers family hungry and out on the street. I only know one heavy gambler that bets on a budget. He pays all his bills and always has money in his pockets however every extra dollar goes to the horses. This guy showed me where the pitfall is in gambling. He likes to gamble and knows the potential for a big payoff is always around the corner but in the end the horses will always get their money back. He isn't going to bet the roof over his head thinking he is going to hit the big one. It's the guy thats trying to get rich through gambling and recoup his losses that eventually will get eaten alive. Casino's can be a lot of fun as long as you go in their with only the money you can comfortably loose and nothing more. Most casino's have great entertainment (lounge acts) and plenty of great places to eat. Some years back I spent a few days at Atlantic City and the most fun I had was walking  the boardwalk and going into all the smaller places along it. Vegas is also a great deal of fun if people would just get out of the casino's and see some other stuff.

[Rubystars]

I don't think gambling is good. I think people should work hard and earn what they get.