A good question to ask yourself before you gamble is: “Do I NEED to win OR do I WANT to win?” It is of the utmost importance to be honest with yourself when answering. The definition of need and want are the same both inside and outside of the casino. But the ramifications of your actions based on need and want are vastly different and possibly more consequential when realized in the casino. This is why an honest answer is the best answer.
People need to breathe, eat, sleep, be social, and most of us even need to be loved. To date however, even though I’ve spent countless thousands of hours in casinos throughout the world, I have never met a single person who truly NEEDED to gamble. The word need, with respect to gambling, simply put is dangerous and self destructive. It connotes necessity which parallels breathing, eating, sleeping, being social and being loved. None of which of course is true! Needing to gamble is a treatable problem…needing to win more often than not is symptomatic of something else. Perhaps poor financial planning, wanting to leave one’s job, a desire for an elusive life change. One thing is for certain…Need should have no bearing on your decision making process while gambling on the casino floor.
Wanting to win is hopeful, borderline playful. Wanting does not hold the same psychological and physical expectations as does needing. As humans, we realize that a want is closer to a hope which is rarely expected and therefore easier to deal with when that which we want does not happen. Wants are goals that when achieved are glorious…but when not achieved usually have few consequences.
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