Are you a compulsive gambler ?

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Here you can find out if you are a compulsive gambler - i assume many will have there own personal opinions about the questions below if you follow the link.
The point is that every gambling forum should have a sticky post wish deal with it ...
You can read this 20 questions list of Gamblers Anonymous: Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.

I made this post here because there exist a shadow, a dark side of the gambling industry

PS
Where can i find cheap 18 mm Nylon balls !!!

O_o

I think each question should not be equally weighted. For example number 15 is "Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness? " Those are major reasons anybody gambles, especially to escape boredom.

Meanwhile number 20 is "Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling? " If you answer 'yes' to that one then I think you can be indentified as having a problem immediately.

Question 21 should read:

Has a casino ever tried to get out of paying you?




-Keyser

Quote: Wizard

I think each question should not be equally weighted. For example number 15 is "Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness? " Those are major reasons anybody gambles, especially to escape boredom.

Shoot, that's why I go shoot pictures. My god, I'm a problem photographer!

I opine that if you went into ANY of the locals casinos around town, at least 70% of those are compulsive gamblers. They may try and hide under the guise that they are advantage players only there because of that infamous "edge" or that they are there just to get the teapot or BBQ set, but the bottom line is they are really only there because they cannot stay away and they do have a gambling problem.

Quote: Keyser

Question 21 should read:

Has a casino ever tried to get out of paying you?

-Keyser

Nah, If it did it would be the "Are you Terrance Watanabe?" questionnaire.

Quote: Wizard

I think each question should not be equally weighted. For example number 15 is "Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness? " Those are major reasons anybody gambles, especially to escape boredom.

Meanwhile number 20 is "Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling? " If you answer 'yes' to that one then I think you can be indentified as having a problem immediately.

Q#21: Have you ever gambled in a Harrah's casino? (mild red flag)
Q#22: If so, did you ever go back? (HUGE red flag)

Quote: Wizard

Meanwhile number 20 is "Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling? " If you answer 'yes' to that one then I think you can be indentified as having a problem immediately.

A better question is have you ever considered going 'postal' over a casino loss. I'm sure some have considered it.

I kinda get the feeling that my thread, Do I have a gambling problem? was the inspiration for this thread. That's OK.

I only had three yes answers, although one of them was to this question: Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?

That question is somewhat ambiguous.

I think the question is assuming that sleep is lost as a result of regret or dispair over a bad session. I never lose sleep over it. I tend to be upset, but also shake it off.

The only reason I lose sleep over gambling is when I'm in a casino hotel, or the night before a casino trip. And it's because of the excitement and anticipation about the next session.

Quote: JerryLogan

I opine that if you went into ANY of the locals casinos around town, at least 70% of those are compulsive gamblers. They may try and hide under the guise that they are advantage players only there because of that infamous "edge" or that they are there just to get the teapot or BBQ set, but the bottom line is they are really only there because they cannot stay away and they do have a gambling problem.

I think you are spot on here.

To me there are two levels. There are probelm gamblers and compulsive gamblers. Problem gamblers are anyone who lets gambling effect there life in a negative way. There are varying degrees of problem gamblers. I'd say any one who can answer yes to three of those questions has some type of problem.

But the true compulsive gambler is a very sick person and doen't stop till he either destroys himself or hits bottom and stops gambling. The focus for him is that adrenaline rush he gets when he risks more than he can afford to lose. It's not about winning, it's about risk. He or she will keep risking whatever he has of value to get that rush.

I used to spend a lot of my spare time at the track when I was single. There was a time before OTB and iternet betting when you actually had to go there to bet.
There used to be a bus that the track would subsidize. I remember sitting next to a guy that told me he was down to his last $50 and he had a $500 dollar oil bill he needed to pay. He was going to thetrack to win the money. I saw him after the fifth race and asked him how he was doing. He said hew was up $5000 and flashed me a wad of hundreds.

I saw him later on the bus and he was broke, telling me he was going to get some money form some where and come back tomorrow to win it back. Yep he blew the whole bankrol. I stayed away from him whenever I saw him after that.

Rich P

Quote: Mosca

I think you are spot on here.

Even if what JerryLogan says is true to some extent, you have to realize that his reason for saying it is that he is a recreational gambler who is too lazy/unmotivated to learn to play casino games optimally. So therefore, he sneers at "advantage players", and says that they are fooling themselves, as a pretext for his not bothering to learn how to play well.

The truth--and I say this from having lived in Vegas for many years--is that there are quite a few players out there who have, in fact, learned how to play at an advantage, and their presence in the casinos is quite frequent. What I find rather intriguing is that the group of "advantage players" and the group of "compulsive gamblers" do, in fact, intersect. There are APs out there for whom the sheer amount of time spent gambling would, ipso facto, at least in the minds of some, make them "compulsive gamblers". Yet, if someone makes $30/hour (a reasonable earning rate for a $1 denom AP VP player) from their gambling activity, can we truly label them "compulsive"?

As to whether a "compulsive" (anything) is also a "problem" (anything), the only real litmus test is whether the "compulsive" activity is engaged in to the detriment or the exclusion of other, more worthwhile activities. This would also vary from person to person; a retiree who spends 20 hours a week gambling is doubtless different from a mother of three kids who spends the same amount of time gambling. The reason why JerryLogan's assertion is dubious is that he lacks the information to make such value judgments about the people he observes. (As well as the claim that "at least 70%" of the persons he observes are compulsive gamblers. I mean--come now, Jerry.)

In the sense that all time spent recreationally is detrimental, in that we could be doing something productive instead, all gambling is a "problem". In the sense that we gamble a second, third, etc. time in our lives, all gambling is "compulsive"--we feel compelled (in varying degrees) to do it again--because we like it. However, both those evaluations involve value judgments, which I'm reluctant to make about someone I know nothing about.

+1 mkl654321. Well said.

Whenever someone rambles on without saying anything, he's only doing so out of frustration at the common sense he just read from someone he fears might be more open and a little more intelligent than he, but would never just come out and admit as much.

I've read where the mere concept of advantage play (at least in vp), which teaches to play as much as you can in order to approach expected game EV, in and of itself promotes addiction to the machines. A more sensible point is rarely made. Being "advantage-player-sympathetic" changes nothing about it. I also see how easy it is to theorize how these people are making 30 bucks an hour, but even mkl654321's immensely fat black lady friends know how far-fetched that is.

Quote: mkl654321

Yet, if someone makes $30/hour (a reasonable earning rate for a $1 denom AP VP player) from their gambling activity, can we truly label them "compulsive"?

Interesting point.

Sounds to me like they have a part-time job.

Does that make the average person with a F/T job a compulsive employee?

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Interesting point.

Sounds to me like they have a part-time job.

Does that make the average person with a F/T job a compulsive employee?

First you'd have to locate these mysterious players, verify their claim of $30/hr., then ask for an explanation why they are not banned for freely taking casino money at will while their player's card tracks every little move.

Yup, sure sounds real alright!

These questions are ridiculously vague.

I made my own questions for my own survey.

ARE YOU A GIRL?

1). Do you like small animals like puppies or kittens?
2). Do you like shopping?
3). Are you easily irritable once a month?
4). Do you like cooking?
5). Do you like bright colors?
6). Do you find yourself spending long amount of time getting ready prior to important occasions?
7). Do you like flowers?
8). Have you ever had a man flirt with you?
9). Do you use a large amount of toilet paper?
10). Are you a bad driver?
11). Have you ever cried while watching a movie?
12). Is the interior of your personal vehicle a pig sty?
13). Are you attracted to men?
14). Have you watched every Bridget Jones movie?
15). Do you like diamonds?
16). Do you hate spiders, bees, or snakes?
17). Are you a nurse?
18). Have you ever had someone open a door for you?
19). Do you use moisturizer?
20). Do you like to tan?

If you answer "Yes" to 7 or more of these questions then you are a girl.

Quote: MarieBicurie

These questions are ridiculously vague.

I made my own questions for my own survey.

ARE YOU A GIRL?
If you answer "Yes" to 7 or more of these questions then you are a girl.

I'm sure these questions will prove to be an invaluable resource for those for whom the answer to "Are You a Girl?" is in doubt.

It's completely ridiculous to think that a simple questionaire is a proper diagnosis. Any serious player, no matter what game they play will be lumped into the compulsive category. How can you be a serious player and NOT answer yes to those questions? It's a stupid questionaire. The important questions that should be asked aren't even on there. That's how dumb the survey is.

It should ask... Does your gambling add significant strain to your marital and family life? Have you ever borrowed money against your house to finance gambling? But no, the good doctor asks, do you feel bad after losing? Brilliant!

Quote: MarieBicurie

It's completely ridiculous to think that a simple questionaire is a proper diagnosis. Any serious player, no matter what game they play will be lumped into the compulsive category. How can you be a serious player and NOT answer yes to those questions? It's a stupid questionaire. The important questions that should be asked aren't even on there. That's how dumb the survey is.

It should ask... Does your gambling add significant strain to your marital and family life? Have you ever borrowed money against your house to finance gambling? But no, the good doctor asks, do you feel bad after losing? Brilliant!

Take a look at the foreclosure rate in LV brought on by 2nd mortgages to finance gambling habits when house values were through the roof.
Oh! wait a minute, what am I thinking? The more advantage players play at the higher limits, the higher hourly WAGES they'll make!

Quote: JerryLogan

Take a look at the foreclosure rate in LV brought on by 2nd mortgages to finance gambling habits ....

Actually, I would be quite interested in taking a look at that, if the relevant data is available. Do you have any source of reliable information about how many 2nd mortgages (numbers or percent of total) were taken out specifically to finance gambling habits? It would also be interesting to know the relative foreclosure rates of gambling-induced mortgages vs. mortgages used for other purposes. Any information on those issues? If not, I guess there isn't really much actual meaningful data to take a look at -- just a bunch of folks whose housing debt exceeded value and/or who couldn't meet payments for whatever reason.

Quote: Doc

Actually, I would be quite interested in taking a look at that, if the relevant data is available. Do you have any source of reliable information about how many 2nd mortgages (numbers or percent of total) were taken out specifically to finance gambling habits? It would also be interesting to know the relative foreclosure rates of gambling-induced mortgages vs. mortgages used for other purposes. Any information on those issues? If not, I guess there isn't really much actual meaningful data to take a look at -- just a bunch of folks whose housing debt exceeded value and/or who couldn't meet payments for whatever reason.

He has no idea. It's a myth that everybody who lives in Vegas is a gambling-addicted fool. 90% of it looks just like any other city, and 90% of its functioning has nothing to do with the casinos.

Of course, there's no data on just how many second mortgages were taken out "to finance gambling habits" (I doubt that anyone would put that on their loan application), so any assertion about those mortgages is, how shall I put it, unfounded. Jerry specializes in such assertions.

Besides, "to finance gambling habits" is a loaded phrase. Most local gamblers lose, and they lose X dollars per month. If they spend a similar amount on eating out every month, and they take out a second mortgage, are they taking out that mortgage "to finance their restaurant habit"?

Quote: Doc

Actually, I would be quite interested in taking a look at that, if the relevant data is available. Do you have any source of reliable information about how many 2nd mortgages (numbers or percent of total) were taken out specifically to finance gambling habits? It would also be interesting to know the relative foreclosure rates of gambling-induced mortgages vs. mortgages used for other purposes. Any information on those issues? If not, I guess there isn't really much actual meaningful data to take a look at -- just a bunch of folks whose housing debt exceeded value and/or who couldn't meet payments for whatever reason.

You need to read the Nevada news more instead of asking for detailed numbers that nobody writes down on a pad during newscasts. I don't even live there and as a visitor I saw it after a night of gambling at Palazzo. It was either channel 2 or 3. Call them for the specifics. You also might ask them about where the highest foreclosure rate in the US is. Here's a hint: It's not in Atlanta.

I have zero sympathy for those who took on too much debt instead of using their heads either.

Quote: mkl654321

He has no idea. It's a myth that everybody who lives in Vegas is a gambling-addicted fool. 90% of it looks just like any other city, and 90% of its functioning has nothing to do with the casinos.

Of course, there's no data on just how many second mortgages were taken out "to finance gambling habits" (I doubt that anyone would put that on their loan application), so any assertion about those mortgages is, how shall I put it, unfounded. Jerry specializes in such assertions.

Besides, "to finance gambling habits" is a loaded phrase. Most local gamblers lose, and they lose X dollars per month. If they spend a similar amount on eating out every month, and they take out a second mortgage, are they taking out that mortgage "to finance their restaurant habit"?

More famous brilliance from the most prolific bullshitter on the Internet. Cities like Detroit and Phoenix have high foreclosure rates too, but with all the casinos and all the wide-eyed locals rushing around to get a set of cheapass steak knives and $4 bottles of wine "for free" in LV, only a moron couldn't figure out the formula for failure that city has.

Quote: JerryLogan

You need to read the Nevada news more instead of asking for detailed numbers that nobody writes down on a pad during newscasts. I don't even live there and as a visitor I saw it after a night of gambling at Palazzo. It was either channel 2 or 3. Call them for the specifics. You also might ask them about where the highest foreclosure rate in the US is. Here's a hint: It's not in Atlanta.

I have zero sympathy for those who took on too much debt instead of using their heads either.

Jerry I Goggled looking for what percent of second mortgage failures and I came up with no stats. I read the RJ and Sun Daily. Yes Las Vegas has been hit the hardest however do you think that may have anything to do with the insane building boom of the last decade?
In the last 2 decades jobs in Las Vegas were easily obtained and plentiful. In 1990 the population was about 250k. By '09 it was close to 570k. Find me any other city that has doubled in size in that time. Additionally in most cities you will have a mixture of ages of mortgages. In Las Vegas the amount of mortgages that were under 10 years of age would far surpass the rate in any other city. If you ever de-slave yourself from your gambling addiction and get a mortgage you will now that the first several years of the mortgage you pay very little of the principal.

If gambling is to blame it is people who were suckered by mortgage brokers to buy houses on interest only loans on the hopes the market would go up but ended up with houses worth half of the mortgage.

However I think Jerry Boy is mainly doing this for his entertainment.

Quote: JerryLogan

More famous brilliance from the most prolific bullshitter on the Internet. Cities like Detroit and Phoenix have high foreclosure rates too, but with all the casinos and all the wide-eyed locals rushing around to get a set of cheapass steak knives and $4 bottles of wine "for free" in LV, only a moron couldn't figure out the formula for failure that city has.

Wait? It was the casino's that brought Detroit down?
Too funny.

Oh Yeah Jer you forgot to name drop a high end casino you play at in this last post. How else would we know you spend the big chedder

Sorry for going OT, but I simply don't see why people are putting together compulsive gamblers and the housing issue.

A nice shinny graph
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeqrguz/housingbubble/las_vegas.html

The entire US for comparison. Look at any other major city and none of them go up nearly as fast as Vegas did.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeqrguz/housingbubble/

No other city had such a large increase in value so fast.

Unemployment rate in Las Vegas - 14.7%. I don't know exactly where that falls in relation to other cities but that is extremely high. You can look around the entire country and high unemployment correlates very well with high forclosure rate.



Back on the OP. I always through a FAQ like http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/qna.html was more useful than a list of 20 questions. It is pretty easy to come up with reasons why a particular question doesn't apply a person, or why a question may not matter.

Quote: soulhunt79

Sorry for going OT, but I simply don't see why people are putting together compulsive gamblers and the housing issue.

A nice shinny graph
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeqrguz/housingbubble/las_vegas.html

The "value" added is a misleading figure. Developers building on the fringe of Vegas massively overbuilt, and supply started to exceed demand way back in 2004. There's no actual value in a house that will never be occupied. The present devaluation is simply a return to reality, acknowledging that the overbuilding diluted the value of existing housing stock, by dampening demand for older properties.

Quote: Wavy70

Jerry I Goggled looking for what percent of second mortgage failures and I came up with no stats. I read the RJ and Sun Daily. Yes Las Vegas has been hit the hardest however do you think that may have anything to do with the insane building boom of the last decade?
In the last 2 decades jobs in Las Vegas were easily obtained and plentiful. In 1990 the population was about 250k. By '09 it was close to 570k. Find me any other city that has doubled in size in that time. Additionally in most cities you will have a mixture of ages of mortgages. In Las Vegas the amount of mortgages that were under 10 years of age would far surpass the rate in any other city. If you ever de-slave yourself from your gambling addiction and get a mortgage you will now that the first several years of the mortgage you pay very little of the principal.

If gambling is to blame it is people who were suckered by mortgage brokers to buy houses on interest only loans on the hopes the market would go up but ended up with houses worth half of the mortgage.

However I think Jerry Boy is mainly doing this for his entertainment.

Funny you don't watch channels 2 or 3. Guess it's one of those "selective responses" type things.

I once had a mortgage, but I was very lucky in my job and was suddenly able to afford 6 times the house. Instead, we chose to stay and I paid my mortgage off and today I'm free of that burden.

Face it, LV is a cesspool of minorities and white trash brought to town by the attraction of all the money they thought they could get their hands on with ease, along with all the low-life service industry jobs no one else wanted. It is riddled with foreclosures, unemployment, divorce, piss-poor health care, a rotten school system, and has some of the highest smoking and alcoholism rates in the country. The one shining light the city does have, the casinos, are the source of insecure jobs and plenty of acid indigestion. With all that going for it, it's not difficult to see the correlation between misery and gambling in that town. That's what the news reports were all about.

Quote: JerryLogan

Face it, LV is a cesspool of minorities and white trash brought to town by the attraction of all the money they thought they could get their hands on with ease, along with all the low-life service industry jobs no one else wanted. It is riddled with foreclosures, unemployment, divorce, piss-poor health care, a rotten school system, and has some of the highest smoking and alcoholism rates in the country. The one shining light the city does have, the casinos, are the source of insecure jobs and plenty of acid indigestion. With all that going for it, it's not difficult to see the correlation between misery and gambling in that town. That's what the news reports were all about.

You forgot to mention crime.

That's the price of libertarian values. At least in congested city environments, it is. Only they need to legalize prostitution and drugs to go whole hog on the idea.