Gambling

Corey Einarson

Mr Stevens

ENG 4U

Monday, October 29, 2007

Gambling

Who would have thought a simple roll of quarters spent on a VLT could lead to an addiction and eventually destroy your life? The chances of that happening are small, but it can happen. Pengilly portrays this in his play "Snapshots". Gambling can not only lead to a very harmful addiction, but it can also lead to other problems such as depression or suicide, significant debt and family disruption. The ironic part is that gambling is made so easily accessible, not only to adults, but teenagers as well. Throughout this essay, gambling addiction, the effects they have on people and how it is linked to Pengilly's play will be discussed.

Gambling addicts have to gamble to feel normal, but are they happy? They are, in fact, far from it. Gambling addicts lead one of the most depressing and demoralizing lives possible. As the gambler becomes alienated from family and friends, helplessness, demoralization, divorce, suicidal thoughts and other catastrophic consequences occur (Compulsive Gambling Addiction and Treatment Para. 14) How could anybody live a life like this? The thought that goes through their heads is - I'll win the jackpot sooner or later. For most that time never comes. Therefore gambler's lives are hell. This is why suicide is a big issue when it comes to gambling. A survey of gamblers anonymous members in the U.S. found that 48 percent had considered suicide and 13 percent had attempted it. (The Odds of Suicide Para. 12). But what about the people that were successful? That result is unknown and because it is unknown it could either be vast or small. This issue can also be related to Pengilly's play. The father describes his feelings after being kicked out, "The first night on the sofa in my office I imagine killing myself." (Pengilly 201). Eventually the feeling of helplessness overcomes the gambler and one out of two choices must be made, either find help, or kill yourself.

Many people spend their Friday or Saturday nights losing 5 or 10 dollars during a poker game at their buddies. Imagine doing this everyday. Gambling addicts do, do this everyday. The odds of winning vary, depending on the game. However if we take the lotto 649 for example, the odds of winning are miniscule. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, winning the lotto 649 is just about as likely as finding and piercing one specific ant with a pin on a football field while blindfolded (Information about Gambling: What is Gambling? What are Odds? Gambling Industry in Ontario and Fact or Myth? Para. 12). The chances of winning are significantly against the player and it is practically next to impossible to win big and come away with any enormous amount of money. The majority of individuals who gamble have turbulent relationships...Many lose their jobs and almost all savings are wasted away. (Compulsive Gambling Addiction and Treatment and Treatment Para. 15). When you're addicted, you can't stop. You're also unaware of anything around you, including time. Meaning that for gambler's it is considerably effortless to spend hours on end, squandering a ton of money in the process. An example of this can be taken out of Pengilly's play. The father states, "I remember leaving my car in the parking lot behind the Nelson, too drunk too drives, after losing five hundred dollars to the fruit monster". (Pengilly 203). It is unbelievably easy to lose track of your money while gambling. This is a million times worst for addicts because they gamble so frequently. When your gambling starts affecting your job however, you know its time to get help. At work the pathological gambler misuses time in order to gamble, and has difficulty concentrating and finishing projects (Zehr 1 Para. 13). It's easy to see how an addict who constantly loses his money, then his job can become bankrupt and ruined. Most addicts who don't find help eventually end up with an exhausted bank account along with an exhausted set of emotions.

It seems that at this point everything has gone down the drain, but no, not everything has. Some addicts have the luxury of having a loving and supporting family to try and help them get over their disease. For most their family eventually becomes invisible and their support meaningless. In this example from Pengilly's play, the addict is kicked out. The father explains, "Melanie asked me to leave five days ago. To sleep on it. She asked me not to come home until I've slept on it sufficiently". (Pengilly 199). The addiction can completely destroy a family. Imagine the intensity of a gambling addict while playing his game. Now imagine him losing. At home he or she would not be a happy person to live with. They could even be violent. In addition, the dysfunction that gambling creates in a home often includes spouse and child abuse. Children are abused verbally, mentally, and physically by the gambler and often even more so by the co-dependent spouse. (Zehr 2, Para. 4). This can be avoided. The most crucial step that can be taken by a family affected by a gambler is to stop the addiction before it gets out of control. You could be living or working with a compulsive gambler and not know it until the problems are out of control. It's crucial to recognize the signs and know how to get help (Gambling Addiction Para. 4). It may sound like ever getting rid of the addiction is impossible, but it is not. The first step starts with the addict recognizing his/her problem and the last step ends with a happy family.

So how and why is gambling so easily accessible? To casino owners and other gambling organizations the main goal is to make money. There is no doubt casinos make money. Why not make them as easily accessible as possible? Make more of them, advertise a significant amount and do anything to convince people to gamble. The truth is adults even teenagers can access gambling way to easily. The father's take on how close and easy gambling is, is portrayed, "My little office away from home is just down the street from the Lord Nelson Tavern". (Pengilly 199). Gambling is all around us, advertised every minute of the day. It is extremely difficult to ignore. Robert Perkinson gives his opinion on the accessibility of gambling, "our parents grew up thinking that gambling was morally wrong, but children are growing up thinking that gambling is as easy as going to Mcdonalds" (Perkinson Para 5).