Free Essay Sample Dedicated to Gambling in the United States

People in the United States and in other parts of the world enjoy gambling as an innocent activity. However, many people engage in this activity because it has become an addiction. Gambling is comparable to taking drugs because of the sensation that is experienced while engaging in both activities (Reith, 2012). The only difference is that drugs are injected while gambling is an activity. A Person should, therefore, be careful while gambling to ensure he/she does not fall into a gambling addiction. An individual who is addicted to gambling is trapped in a vicious cycle that he/she is unable to escape. An individual with a gambling problem may see his/her professional, social, personal, physical and psychological life affected.

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Gambling is bad for a person because it has been known to destroy people's lives. An addicted gambler has an uncontrollable craving to bet even if they have never won. The individual keeps up with the hope that one day he/she will strike big. The problem with this habit is that it may affect a personal life either with the family, friends or spouse. People who see the problem will try to stop it but because the cravings are high, the individual will not listen (Reith, 2012). He/she will go on and spend money that would probably be used in other areas to gamble. The financial strain that such a habit brings is not worth the benefits that it brings. A person who realizes he/she has a gambling problem should look for professional assistance before it ruins his/her life.

The other reason why gambling is bad is that the probability of winning is low. Just like the famous saying goes, 'The house never lose". One does not have to be a math's experts to understand that there is little probability for a person winning the jackpot (Parke & Griffiths, 2004). The reason why gambling firms are making profits while people are losing is that the odds are stuck in favor of the firms. It is, therefore, a rational decision to avoid gambling. Unlike gambling, which has a high risk of losing money, people should invest in projects that have better probabilities of giving returns. There are many areas such as stock and other investment portfolios that can be used to create wealth rather than risking hard-earned money on gambling.

Gambling is also bad because of its ability to breed greed. Whether it is because of the vicious cycle or because of fear or excitement, gambling making one behaves in an irrational manner with finance. A person who wins a certain amount of money will go back to gambling to win more or to recoup what he has lost in the previous gambles. The greed can lead a person to lose the money that he/she has already won (Derevensky, Gupta, Dickson, & Deguire, 2014). It is therefore essential for a gambler to understand where to draw the line. The ability to have a line that one can not cross will be the difference between fun and addiction.

Finally, gambling can affect one's professional life in an adverse way. Gamblers with an addiction often feel isolated because of their solitary pursuit in chasing what they have lost. A problem gambler will not confide in a colleague, friend or family member that he/she has lost money due to fear of judgment. He/she will, therefore, deal with the issue alone which may lead to stress and sometimes skipping work to gamble. Such behavior may lead to poor performance and ultimately losing once job

References

Derevensky, J. L., Gupta, R., Dickson, L., & Deguire, A. (2014). Prevention Efforts Toward Reducing Gambling Problems. Gambling Problems in Youth, 211-230. doi:10.1007/0-306-48586-9_11

Parke, J., & Griffiths, M. (2004). Gambling addiction and the evolution of the "near miss". Addiction Research and Theory, 12(5), 407-411. doi:10.1080/16066350410001728118

Reith, G. (2012). Beyond addiction or compulsion: the continuing role of environment in the case of pathological gambling. Addiction, 107(10), 1736-1737. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03669.x