Is gambling really immoral? A quick Google search on this question will reveal that many people see gambling as Immoral. Indeed, many countries in the world ban their citizens from gambling. Furthermore, these countries put a punishment in place for anyone that disobeys the law. Countries are not the only ones who view gambling as immoral, religion also does. With more than 90% of religious people in the world, it isn’t a surprise to hear religious people call gambling immoral. However, is gambling really immoral? Read on to find out!
Is Gambling Really Immoral? What Is Gambling?
Gambling simply means placing your money on a game in the hope of making more money or winning some other prize. It is not uncommon to hear the word “luck” in gambling because players believe that you need to be lucky to win. Indeed, this is one major reason many people, countries, and religions see gambling as immoral. These people and institutions believe that one should make money from hard work and not betting money. In addition to this, they share the opinion that gambling is for lazy or dishonest people. However, is this true? This article will examine both the positive sides and negative sides to give a balanced answer. By the end of this article, you will be able to fully answer the question of whether or not gambling is immoral.
Positive Sides of Gambling
1. Fun, Bonding, and All-Round Entertainment
One of the major positive sides of gambling is that you will have fun and entertainment. Naysayers always say that gambling is for irresponsible people but they are wrong. Do you know that there are corporate organizations where the workers bet on games? Indeed, you will find wealthy people making huge bets at the casino or sports games. Does this mean these people are irresponsible? Of course not!
The best part about gambling is that you don’t need to be a corporate worker or a rich person to have some fun. You can organize games with your friends and family for the weekend. Trust, laughter, and entertainment will help everyone bond closer together.
2. It Helps Grow A Country’s Economy
It’s ironic how some countries ban gambling when in fact, it could do their economy a whole world of good. Statistics have it that the gambling industry was worth over $400 billion in 2020. Of course, casino owners and players pay taxes on their gambling earnings in most countries that allow for betting. This is to show how countries can grow their economy through the gambling market. So, how does this work?
Usually, when many people gather together for an activity, they spend money. In some casinos or other gambling houses, you will find alcohol for sale. When tourists patronize a local casino, they tend to shop around also. Finally, casinos and other gambling houses employ many people to cater to their ever-increasing customers. All of these involve the exchange of money and as a result, grow the economy.
3. It Helps The Player Sharpen Their Skills
Gambling is entertaining, no doubt but it goes beyond that. Gambling helps the player to sharpen their skills mentally. Some games easy to win and some require strategies. To get the right strategy for a game, you need to think deeply, come up with tactics and analyze the results. For instance, a game like a blackjack requires you to put your mental skills to use. Besides mental skills, some games require psychological use. Through body movements, facial expressions, a player can tell their opponent’s next move. Some players are so good with this that they always guess their opponents’ next steps correctly. Of course, gambling requires a great deal of luck. Yet, mental skills and psychological advantages can help improve a player’s chances of winning.
4. It Improves Your Health
It’s no surprise if you wonder how gambling improves your health; any other person will do too. Well, the number one positive side of gambling that this article mentioned was fun, bonding and entertainment. All of these happen as a result of happiness. When you engage in a fun game, your inner being is filled with happiness and positivity. Science has proven that a poor mood can lead to depression which in turn results in other health issues. However, happy spirits do the exact opposite. So, when you play games with the ones you love, you will have to laugh and joke. As a result, this helps to improve your health.
5. Win Money, Of Course!
Of course, the major positive side to gambling is to win money and more money. When you watch gambling ads, they promise you jackpot winnings and other awesome prizes. However, in real life, people seldom hit the jackpot. Does this mean that no one wins money when they bet? Absolutely not! A simple Google check will reveal that many people have won so much money from betting. In fact, history has shown that some people made a living out of placing bets in different cities. Even today, some people place bets for a living.
So, yes, you can make plenty of money from placing bets. There are games like slots that don’t require specific skills before you win money from gameplay. However, some games require mental math and in turn, they guarantee you huge profits.
Now that this article has talked about the positive sides of gambling, what are the negative sides? Do the negative sides outweigh the positive sides?
The Negative Sides
One can sum the negative side of gambling into two words: problem gambling. Problem gambling is what happens when a player can no longer control the way they bet on games. Of course, this results in different issues some of which are:
1. Debt and Theft
One of the major ways to know if someone is a problem gambler is that they are always in debt. The player cannot control their will to stop betting and so they do until they clear their bank accounts. The worst part is that some players don’t stop at this. They begin to borrow money from friends and family in the hope of paying back when they win. Unfortunately, when they can’t win, they have no way to pay off their debts. Yet, some resort to stealing their company’s funds or family member’s money to continue playing. Such behavior will only resort to trouble with the authorities.
2. Stigmatization
When people perceive someone as a problem gambler, they stigmatize them. Stigmatizing may occur by intentionally removing the person from social circles, family gatherings, and other such activities. Usually, family members must have warned the player to curb their betting habits. Unfortunately, some players do not listen and thus, the only way is to stay away from them.
3. Depression
When a player becomes a problem gambler and faces stigmatization, they resort to alcohol and drugs. Of course, alcohol and drugs only give a temporary high. The truth is they do not solve the player’s problem. In fact, they worsen the issue by leading the player to depression. Thus, the player becomes angry with everyone or withdrawn from everyone. If the player does not get help in time, their depression may even lead to suicide.
A Perfect Balance
Now that this article has examined both the positive and negative sides of gambling, how do you balance them? Well, the first thing to do is to be disciplined. If you’re not disciplined with how you spend time and money, you will easily become a problem gambler. First, have a budget dedicated to money for gambling for a specific time. You must make sure not to take money from other accounts once you’ve exhausted this amount. Secondly, you have to restrict the time you spend playing games. You can limit time for gameplay to three hours three times a week. Gameplay is fun and can consume time so you have to be watchful. Thirdly, try not to take too much alcohol while playing. Most importantly, do not do drugs. Finally, if you feel like you’re losing control of how you bet, speak with a therapist.
Conclusion
Is gambling really immoral? From what both the positive and negative sides have shown, you can tell that gambling is far from immoral. Unfortunately, just like with every other thing, it is open to abuse. When people abuse gambling, it becomes immoral in the eyes of others. So, gambling is not immoral as long as you play responsibly.
