Frank and Ernest by Thaves for September 04, 2013

We’ve become a victim of political manipulation so that gambling no longer exists………… it’s now like life….. a new gaming adventure every day.

Because they are “gaming” the system…………….. some people go to prison for gaming others…….. taking unfair advantage of their environment and human mental lapses to enrich themselves….. (provided the judge is on the right side).

From the casinos perspective, the “players” are investing in the fabulous castles of human pleasures and the casino owners are merely the creators. (The reverse of the "Robin Hood game.)

Ever wonder how casinos can afford to build extravagant buildings?? It’s NOT because the guests are winning.

When players (guests) are caught “gaming” the systems games the casino owners are the first to cry “foul”. Then “gaming” becomes cheating.

Separatin’ Suckers from BucksHugh Laurie approves

Probability and gaming mathematics are fascinating subjects. However, I am relatively innumerate (read, math-lazy) and stay away from gambling as far as I am able (any other areas of life are gamble enough for me)..Mathematical literacy should be taught, but most people shy from any math and thus are prey to sharpies in business and politics – who, I suspect, actually encourage math illiteracy.. What is it in human nature that makes us so unrealistically optimistic? Will it eventually hurt more than help us?

“Is that a game of chance?”“Not the way I play it, no.” old W.C. Fields line.

You play, you don’t win.

Are casinos becoming the “new” churches? …………… so many people pray that they will be lucky when they walk in, again when they lay their money on the line and then say thank God when they win.

If a group of guys get together for a Saturday night poker game and the police get wind of it they get arrested for gambling. If they play the same poker game in a casino they are said to be gaming.

How about gaming-gambling licenses for small neighbor groups so they don’t have to travel to the big city, pay high prices for their beer, get their wives upset and be tempted by other vices.

The money stays in the local economy and the state could have it’s cut at $5.00 per license with no additional fees paid to local enforcers.

The big-time spenders could still go away and do their gaming. (Somtimes gambling sounds more adventursome than gaming.) What ever………………………..

Same with insurance companies, only in that case, you’re betting against yourself. You bet that you will get in an accident, and they bet that most of the people they insure won’t. But if you do lose by winning (i.e., you get in an accident), your premiums go up unless you can prove it was the other driver’s fault.

State lotteries are terrible forms of gambling—most return about 45% on the bet, and that is subject to taxes, which leave most big winners with (in theory) roughly 30%. . . .

(And I agree about diverting the profits—but there is a long history of that. Tobacco settlement income diversions, anyone?)

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The Mob and Casinos are much better—they tend to return about 90%+ of the bet as winnings.

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If you want to gamble with a chance of getting ahead, throw a dart at the listings page of the Wall Street Journal. Companies tend to return over 100% of the investment—or they would have gone out of business.