So I was on the internet the other day, as always, reading blogs and I stumbled upon one that mentioned gambling as a path to hell. I must admit, this made me laugh right out loud. Anyone who believes that there is an actual place that you can go to called hell has a few screws loose.

They did bring up some good points however on gambling addiction which is defined as gambling when it becomes compulsive and the person is no longer thinking rationally about what they are doing. The way I look at gambling it’s not a bad thing, a ‘sin’ or something to be ashamed of. I believe, like many modern day philosophers, that as long as I am not hurting my self or others there should be no problem. From here we can debate what the definition of ‘hurt’ is but no matter how you look at it casual gambling using a rational mind, there is nothing wrong with it.

Taking a quote from this article: As the time passes, lying becomes a characteristic feature of the gambler and the family persons learns not to trust the individual. Gambling is always associated with physical symptoms like anxiety, headaches, and depression leading to smoking and alcohol consumption.

I feel that this statement is misleading. It is not the gambling that is wrong, it is the person. Do we not have control over our own actions? Do we not have a choice to make in every second of our lives? If you really think hard about these questions the only answer you have left is yes. These ‘symptoms’ of gambling are just mere choices that the person is making. Gambling does not have the power, the people do and they make the choice to throw it away.

If you feel differently about this, I’d like to hear your thoughts.