While gambling can look and everyone seems to be describing it as fun, there are many strings attached that are not talked about as much. I have a background in writing about an online affiliate company and I think I know a thing or two about how easy it is for people to get hooked on gambling. I am trying to quit so hard but, it's near-impossible to find a decent job, especially now, in the midst of a global pandemic.
Okay so what am I talking about? Why I take issue with online gambling (gaming)? Well, take your pick: losing money, wasting time, ruining your social life. Gambling addiciton is a real problem and I am going to talk about it briefly. I really hope I help someone.
So Underhand
Things like slots, and other gaming titles that allow for incorporating a theme of some sort, are advertised as your typical web games. Like its not real money you are putting on the line, but some sort of play credits. Not to mention the child-friendly graphics. Simply atrocious. I can't think of another word to describe that. Almost never can you see graphics that don't communicate the 'it's just a game' idea. It's always cartoon characters, fairies, candy, glittering stuff - you name it. All of which appeal to children. The coinsidence! But children don't have money- I hear you say. Well, but they will one day. Think about it.
The effect on adults
How many times have you started over with gambling thinking that you will do it right this time. No big risks, you've learned the lesson and are now ready to take on the house. Your first mistake is thinking there's something to learn. There's no strategy. What are you talking about.In table games and sports betting there's some room for strategizing, but it only concerns how much you bet, not how to predict the outcome. The latter is impossible. And if you use a progressive betting strategy you will end up losing your house eventually. The casino always wins at the end. But yet the player is fooled into thinking that they standa chance, thanks to the new and never-seen-before features...
What is House Edge?
In short, the house edge makes sure that in the long run your winnings can't match or exceed the amount bet. Even the games of skill like blackjack have a little spin to them that makes it impossible to come out a winner if playing over a really long period of time.
A metric called return-to-player (RTP) expresses that verly clearly. It's always below 100%. This doesn't mean you can't win, it just means that you get worse odds than you should. For example if we toss a coin and you get paid only 1.5 times your bet (instead of 2 times your bet) when you guess right right, this gives a clear advantage to the one who lays the odds. Theoretically you are going to lose every other bet, but you are not going to win twice the amount of your bet when you guess
correctly.
Conclusion
Don't gamble because it's addictive and the odds are against you. Invest your time and money in yourself, your pursuits and the people closest to you.
If you want to play a game try web-based games that are free to play. There's plenty of them on the web.
If you are already a compulsive gambler, seek help. Call the problem gambling hotline for your country
For the UK: https://www.begambleaware.org/
For the US: https://www.ncpgambling.org/
For New Zealand: https://www.choicenotchance.org.nz/
For Australia: https://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/
For Canada: https://canadasafetycouncil.org/about/
