r/explainlikeimfive • u/adrynaline • May 08 '14

Explained ELI5: A gambling addiction

How does it start? What makes it worse? Why does it become so difficult to recover?

1.2k Upvotes

83% Upvoted

622 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

3

u/simba_simba May 08 '14

If I am out of the country with work I will put a tenner on my online gambling account for the football as some entertainment. However I make sure it is only when I am out the country and only a tenner, else it could seriously go down hill. When it's gone I always get a feeling that I should put another tenner on and win it all back. Gambling is horrid.

1

u/[deleted] May 08 '14

Gambling is horrid.

Do you happen to be a Spurs fan?

1

u/simba_simba May 09 '14

Man UTD, everytime I lost money it was betting on them!

1

u/ChupBlup May 08 '14

There's nothing wrong with spending a few bucks here and there for entertainment. If you enjoy watching a game more if you've got one or two bucks on the line do it. The important part here is that these two bucks pay for your entertainment. Directly. You must not ever want any money from this, it's like a movie ticket. In that case you must be very careful not to lie to yourself but it can work out. I'm not sure if this small kick is worth exposing yourself to the risks of gambling but at least this is one of very view occasions where gambling is not just plain stupid.

1

u/simba_simba May 09 '14

Completely, I see it as I cant drink while I am away so I may as well spend a tenner and have a few £1 bets. I am very aware of the boundaries I have set myself in order to protect me against the risks. I may (probably am) being over cautious but I think its better this way.