That " Gambling " Issue !

It seems to be a human frailty that most humans are attracted to " games of chance " in which they may win or lose money.  Gambling - in its many forms - even gets a mention in the Bible and some religions regard it as a " sin " !

There is no doubt that some forms of gambling can be equally as addictive as narcotics.  We regularly hear of people who have gambled away their entire fortune and sometimes it is money stolen from an employer which means that gambling losses will land them in a prison cell.  Both the Federal and state governments impose restrictions to try and regulate how gambling may be kept to a relatively safe level.

The gambling industry sees it differently.  As long as it is legal they employ tactics to encourage people to gamble because all forms of gambling deliver a hefty winning margin to the gambling organizer.  Those profits are heavily taxed by the licensing authorities and these tax returns are important to both Federal and state Treasuries.

Poker machines have long been in the sights of the anti gambling fraternity.   They are present in huge numbers in pubs, clubs and casinos and the machine manufacturers are very canny in making them attractive to patrons.  The question being asked by an enquiry into the industry is whether this attraction has crossed the border and become " compulsorily addictive  ".

What drew the ire of the inquiry was a feature built into most poker machines that convinces a player that they have won - when in fact exactly the opposite has occurred.   It seems that what attracts and keeps players sitting at their machines is the constant euphoria of flashing lights and symbols across the screen, accompanied by frenzied music that signals a win.  Often, this " win " being signalled is less than the amount being gambled in that roll of the wheels.

For instance, the gambler may be committing a dollar bet riding on each roll of the symbols on the screen and the combination win on that play may deliver a return of just twenty-five cents.   The player has actually lost seventy-five cents, but the machine is applauding that twenty-five cent win with bell and whistles to convince the player that the opposite has occurred.

Another incentive is the lure of a huge Jackpot that may be possible if the correct winning sequence is obtained on one of many linked machines sited in a number of venues.   The actual odds of such a win are in the millions to one category, but that is not apparent to most players.  As with most forms of gambling, that big win is an allusion that attracts media attention when it " goes off " after very lengthy intervals.

Now the Internet and the home computer have brought the reality of the " virtual casino " to computer screens.  It is a rare computer owner who has not received unsolicited offers to play a wide variety of gambling games and in many cases this offer includes either a free cash inducement to start the process - or an offer of many " free spins " as an introductory offer.   It usually demands the establishment of a credit card account - on the guise of where winnings will be paid, but both the ethics and reality of what is being offered remains in the hands of unknown people in a distant foreign country.

Government authorities face a dilemma.   If they impose restrictions that make gambling unattractive to the public that reduced flow of tax dollars cripples the economy.  Gambling is a purely voluntary option that most people choose as a form of entertainment and it is a well known fact that the odds are heavily in favour of whoever owns and suppliers the gambling option.  Most people expect to lose money when they gamble.

The odds are that this enquiry will provide fire and fury, and a lot of froth and bubble  - and little will change !