Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Don't get addicted to gambling - whatever the odds

By Eric Le Teissier


Bookmakers are a great way of making money and enjoying yourself while watching your favourit sports team. The internet provides you with a multitude of resources to help you choose the bookmaker and the bets - from horse racing to football, but only a few make a real profit. At the end of the day, the winners are the bookies. Not the compulsive gambler!

One great bookmaker is Totesport - they are government-owned and their odds are given as the race / event starts - not when you buy them as with traditional bookmakers. This is useful for canny betters - but can leave many feeling that they have been diddled. They have a huge range of bets on offer, from football, cricket and golf to novelty TV bets.

Online gambling is illegal in some jurisdictions and internet users should consult legal counsel regarding the legal status of online gambling within their particular jurisdiction. Online casino games: slot machines (over 60 slots), blackjack, roulette, bonus screen slots, video poker, progressives slots, baccarat, craps, keno, scratch card, multi-hand blackjack and more games.

An addiction to gambling, also known as compulsive gambling, is a kind of impulse-control disorder. Compulsive gamblers can't help the impulse to gamble, even when they recognise that their gambling is hurting them or their family. Gambling is used to finance continually growing demand for state services. Chosing to legalize gambling also has a variety of costs - gambling winnings are fully taxable and must be reported on your tax return in the US.

While for most people gambling is just a recreational activity, it is for 1% to 2% of the population, a serious addiction. It has played a role in history, with Norway and Sweden coming to blows around 1000 AD after their two Kings, both called Olaf, decided to gamble to see who could lay claim to the district of Hising. Gambling is also linked to more modern-day ills such as bankruptcy, domestic abuse, assault and fraud.

Gambling addictions are on the increase because of a unique gambling environment on the Internet. The Internet provides a detached atmosphere for betting as there is no noticeable representation of money, such as chips, being won or lost over the Internet. As a result of this, gamblers can lose track of how much cash is being won or lost and may bet beyond their means. Gambling was legal in the US until the 1820s when, guess what? Yes, the evangelicals had their revival and said that gambling - along with drinking, promiscuity, and all the other good stuff - was a sin against God.

Gambling can put stress on close ones, and can increase the risk of domestic violence. Counselling services including financial and legal advice are available to affected family and friends. Many of the costs associated with gambling come from its mindset.

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