I feel you! Oh my goodness do I feel you!!! Should I feel guilty that I miss my favorite restaurant? How about my favorite coffee shop? What about the smell of buttery popcorn in a crowded movie theatre? Is there something wrong with me that I want to return to work? See my friends? And yes…go back to the casino!
Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer. I will try. It is ok for us to miss normalcy. It is ok for us to want to be social and eat out with friends. It is ok for us to want to go back to work. It is also ok for us to want to return to the casinos…with a few caveats. Just a few thoughts to follow.
After this pandemic is gone, most of us will be able to transition back to our everyday lives without so much as a hiccup! We know our friends and families. Our jobs have become second nature. The staff at our favorite coffee shops and restaurants oftentimes know what we want before we place our order. The athleticism necessary to balance our pail full of popcorn while finding our seats at the theatre will return. But do we remember how to make responsible gambling decisions at a casino after a traumatic experience?
According to Lara Todorova in a 2017 article entitled “When Trauma Affects Decision Making”, Pavlovian Biases, which make us want to take actions to gain a “win” or to NOT take actions to prevent a “loss”, result in confusion. Confusion triggered by such biases resulting in trauma ought to be taken seriously by players and casino properties alike. The last thing I want for my fellow casino enthusiasts is for them to make gambling decisions while they are confused. The Covid-19 health threat has brought pain, suffering and fear to millions of Americans resulting in trauma which has the potential to manifest in confusion.
Slot machine players, table game enthusiasts, sports bettors and Keno lovers all know the adage “Understand the game and know the rules before you play.” Additionally, a new post Covid-19 adage ought to be “Play smart not confused.”
Therefore, I would suggest that when your favorite casino reopens, hopefully it already has, take your gambling endeavors a bit slow. In no way should any of us try to “make up for lost time.” Wins and losses will come as they always do. However, we all need to be careful and not force our hands by allowing ourselves to be confused with respect to our responsible decision making processes. Take it slow until more time has been put in between us and this societal trauma.
Good luck, be safe, stay healthy….and stay smart!
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