A Daily Prompt Challenge: Slot Machines Everywhere Makes Me Mad, Mad, Mad!

Daily Prompt: Mad as a Hatter

Tell us about a time when you flew into a rage. What is it that made you so incredibly angry?

*GAMBLING*
.

.

When I seen what todays “Daily Prompt Challenge” was about, I thought WOW, NO WAY am I going to pass this one up! I can give “People” an inside look at HOW HARD it is to stay in recovery from “Addicted Compulsive Gambling”………
.

.
You see, what really makes me MAD, and PISS’S me off more than gambling, is ALL the ways gambling seems to invade our lives. If you really have your eyes open, gambling is in our kids schools, with “Raffles,” and “Casino Night” & “Scratch Ticket Scratch OFF” fundraisers. Then gambling is in our place where we Worship, with many year-long festivals where they have “Bingo,” “Raffles.”……
.
Then we go to the grocery store to do our food shopping, and AGAIN, gambling temptation at the check out stands with scratch tickets looking at you as you pay for your items. As you leave, you have the BIG HUGE machines in your face that sells Lottery draw tickets, and a variety of scratch off tickets. And in the STATE of OREGON, where I lived for over 26 years, the state lottery has not ONLY “Video Poker” machines EVERYWHERE!, but now they added “Video Slot Games” onto these video poker machines. They also have these little “Mini Casino” lottery retail stores with up to 6 gambling machines in our bars, taverns, even in all the restaurants!!

“Let me make a “Disclaimer” right about now!  I have NO bad feelings, or ill will towards people who can gamble normally. For the “Fun & Entertainment” value, nor do I think gambling should be Banned.  No, I just want to “Advocate~ Educate~& share Awareness” of how available gambling is, how many areas in our “Daily Living” it is in, and how hard it can be for many of us who are in Recovery from this “Cunning” addiction. Yes, be aware that there are thousands of us out here who can not gamble normally, and TEMPTATION IS EVERYWHERE….

**FROM GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS**

“Isn’t compulsive gambling basically a financial problem or the persons Choice”?

“No, compulsive gambling is an emotional problem. A person in the grip of this illness creates mountains of apparently insolvable problems. Of course, financial problems are created, but they also find themselves facing marital, employment, or legal problems. Compulsive gamblers find friends have been lost and relatives have rejected them. Of the many serious difficulties created, the financial problems seem the easiest to solve. When a compulsive gambler enters Gamblers Anonymous and quits gambling, income is usually increased and there is no longer the financial drain that was caused by gambling, and very shortly, the financial pressures begin to be relieved. Gamblers Anonymous members have found that the best road to financial recovery is through hard work and repayment of our debts. Bankruptcy, borrowing and/or lending of money (bailouts) in Gamblers Anonymous is detrimental to our recovery and should not take place.”

” The most difficult and time consuming problem with which they will be faced is that of bringing about a character change within themselves. Most Gamblers Anonymous members look upon this as their greatest challenge, which should be worked on immediately and continued throughout their lives”…….

.
DID U KNOW the most resent Stats are, out of the 17+million problem gamblers in just the US, “HALF” this number is now High School & College age young adults? Parents, are you comfortable with this number? And the most “Popular” games are “Texas Hold’em Poker & Blackjack”…….WHY NOT? It seems “Hollywood Movie Producers” seem to think gambling SELLS. They make movies that make gambling look like the thing TO DO.
.

“The Cincinnati Kid” (1965).  “The Sting” (1973).  “Maverick” (1994).  “Casino” (1995). Martin Scorsese’s  “Rounders” (1998). John Dahl  “THE COOLER”.  “SWINGERS”.
.

Swingers only comes in at #10 because, technically, it is not a gambling movie. However, it does feature one of the greatest and most comical gambling scenes ever caught on film. It also taught me what Double Down meant and made the phrase “Vegas, Baby! VEGAS!” legendary……

.
And lets not get started on how the Holidays bring out the “RISK” in people to give “Scratch Tickets” as Christmas gifts, and Stocking stuffers! AND PLEASE, DON’T put scratch tickets in UNDER AGE Kids stockings, your just teaching them that it’s OK TO GAMBLE and Under age as well. SO inappropriate! They maybe a “QUIK FIX” for a fast gift, but not for kids.
SO, ALL of these things ABOUT GAMBLING really MAKES ME MADE!
.

.
I will end my share about, “What Makes Me MAD About “GAMBLING* IS The Gamblers Anonymous “DEFINITION” of what constitutes gambling……..

“GAMBLING , for the compulsive gambler is defined as follows : Any betting or wagering, for self or others, whether for money or not, no matter how slight or insignificant, where the outcome is uncertain or depends upon chance or ‘skill’ constitutes gambling.”
.
*THE 20 QUESTION QUIZ~~ARE YOU A PROBLEM GAMBLER? *
.

Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?	YesNo
Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?	YesNo
Did gambling affect your reputation?	YesNo
Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?	YesNo
Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?	YesNo
Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?	YesNo
After losing, did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?	YesNo
After a win, did you have a strong urge to return and win more?	YesNo
Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?	YesNo
Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?	YesNo
Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?	YesNo
Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?	YesNo
Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself and your family?	YesNo
Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?	YesNo
Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?	YesNo
Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?	YesNo
Did gambling cause difficulty in sleeping?	YesNo
Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?	YesNo
Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?	YesNo
Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?	YesNo

.
**IF YOU ANSWER “YES” TO 7 out of 20 Questions,…You’re a “Problem Gambler”**

http://www.GamblersAnonymous.org

.

GOD BLESS ALL,
AUTHOR, CATHERINE TOWNSEND-LYON

Advertisement