Gambling: It’s Not Worth the ‘Thrill’
Michelle Gershfeld
Foreclosure Defense | Bankruptcy Attorney | Debt Settlement | Consumer Debt Relief
The jingly, happy music was playing and the announcer, flamboyantly mused about all “you do” as he continued to praise the listeners’ good deeds and selfless tasks, quickly followed by “You deserve it!” He was telling the listeners to go get a scratch off lottery card, with “hey, you never know” as more incentive. After the flowery music and feel goods, the announcer’s voice dropped an octave (or two) and he ended the commercial on a serious (the static) note, “Play responsibly. Must be 18 years or older to purchase lottery tickets.”
Play responsibly? Really? What exactly does that mean?
Maybe you deserve to throw your money out the window? Or into a burning fire?
I went to the New York Lottery website and learned the chances of winning first prize are 1: 45,057,474. That’s one in 45 million games played!
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Michelle Gershfeld is personal financial planning counselor, and bankruptcy attorney, who coaches people who are in debt, or building wealth, by identifying and overcoming obstacles that lie in their path to securing worry-free, financial wellness.
Area Vice President Global Accounts -- Global High Tech Division
7 年Did you know that the odds of being struck by lightning are 1: 280,000? The chances -- according of Michelle -- of hitting the 1st Prize in the NY lottery is 1 in 45 million. Bottom line is that your chances of getting hit by lightning are -- according to my back of the envelope calculations -- 161 times better! Those do not seem great odds. In fact if you consider the probability of hitting the first prize as .000002 percent you should recognize that it is for all intents and purposes a flat out impossibility. Now consider a couple of better decisions: First -- You could send either Michelle or I a dollar in the mail and you would not be any worse off than buying a lotto ticket -- we might even send you a thank you note which is a lot more than you would get from LOTO .... (I am not soliciting -- I am only saying this for purposes of illustration -- keep the dollar and buy a drink, a chocolate bar or some gummy bears for the kids!) Second -- I've found that gambling raises false hopes .... I've experienced some of those at the slot machines. You play long enough (10 bucks worth at a quarter a shot for me) and you start getting the feeling that with the next pull comes the payoff ...... well it doesn't. It's one thing to set some money aside and think of gambling as cheap entertainment or passing time while waiting for dinner .... it's altogether a different problem when you start heading out hoping to win the month's rent .... Gambling is like smoking -- it's addictive ... You're best off never starting :))) Good one Michelle
Senior Business Development Officer
7 年I really believe this, having seen people lose everything home, career, family to gambling! The only winners are the casino's!
ASC coding/billing/compliance/marketing
7 年or money hungry neurotic
ASC coding/billing/compliance/marketing
7 年those who gamble can loose money that are not effecting their levies, that's called fun, but those who live in it, the worst outpatient ?'
Founder of Berner Financial Services
7 年Great article Michelle Gershfeld. I think we all agree that gambling is destructive on so many levels and in so many ways. In fact, I can't think of one positive thing to say about it. Unfortunately it's a problem that has been growing due to online gambling that attracts younger people. I think "gamble responsibly" is one of the stupidest disclaimers I've heard, and I've heard many. Unfortunately gambling is an accepted activity in today's culture, and as long as it is, many families will continue to struggle financially as a result.