Gambling: The Thin Line Between Fortune and Ruin

Personally, I have never engaged in gambling before, but I know of a chronic gambler within my neighborhood, and from what I know about him, I can share what I think of chronic gamblers, as this prompt requested.

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Unlike the Ponzi scheme, where some groups of people team up to deceive investors with money doubling, gambling is more like a transparent activity because you will be aware that you can win or lose in the game. It's a matter of you and your instincts in taking the risks involved. In fact, some places legalize gambling. The likes of sports betting are very common in my country, and a lot of young guys get involved in it, playing it consistently like their full-time job.

Some people gamble with the sole purpose of entertaining themselves, while others engage in gambling on the quest for quick financial freedom. Whatever the reason, I see gambling as a habit that has proven to be too difficult to control for people who consistently play the game, and that could negatively affect their lives because getting addicted to it is very simple. This is because, when you play today and win, you will be motivated to invest more money tomorrow, hoping to win. Even when you lose, you will keep trying, expecting your big win some day for you to cash out and experience financial turnaround overnight.

The kind of hope and unrealistic expectations gamblers have is just super strange. I am aware that gambling can make someone a millionaire overnight, but yet, when you meet a chronic gambler, that person may be losing more than he gains, and it could end up leading such person into addiction and even emotional instability. That brings me to the experience of this chronic gambler in my neighborhood.

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Chibuzo is a young guy with a good skill, a hairdresser. He is so good that before I get him to make my hair, I have to book it two days before the day. This guy has plenty of customers; he can make a wig with his hands, and it will look like machine-wigged hair. He is so fast that he could attend to many customers in a day. Simply put, this guy was making cool money with his skills until he decided to try gambling. Fortunately, his first try gave him one million naira. A betting he did with just #100. That was such a crazy win, and that was it. He said that he has found a cool business. Why spend his energy making people's hair daily when he can comfortably gamble and win for life? Chibuzo became so addictive that no day went by without him gambling with his money. He took no precautions but kept investing with even 500 thousand naira. That was insane. So much greed overtook him as he kept telling us how he would become a billionaire and ride the latest car. Like a joke, this young guy stopped his hairdressing business. It was unbelievable, and I really missed him making my hair.

It got to a point that he got financially drained without making further gain through gambling, and he started borrowing. Hmmm, I saw a young guy whose future looked promising all of a sudden going down the drain. Gambling, I think, has a strong spirit that makes gamblers not to give up but keep hoping to live large through the game. At last, the hard experience he was having got into his mental health, and he started getting drunk, maybe out of frustration.

Wrapping up, as much as everything should have a limit, I wouldn't even nurse the idea of involving myself in gambling, but for gamblers, having a bit of self-control and putting a limit to the level you gamble to try your luck can actually help in not getting you into becoming a chronic gambler with other negative effects that come with consistently gambling.

_{This post is in response to the CLEAN PLANET SIXTH BIWEEKLY PROMPT organized by @nwothini335 in collaboration with #inleo. To get involved, click here}