A gambler, to be or not to be

Since the beginning of the first forms of civilization, man has been under constant stress, always ready to fight or flee.
Adrenaline, which was released in those stressful situations in the human body, ensured its survival through the millennia.
That chemical process that speeds up the heartbeat, dilates the pupils and bronchi, brings more blood to the brain, in a word, increases euphoria.
Man has always gambled, in some situations with his life, and in others to gain benefits...
Gladiators in the arenas of ancient Rome gambled their lives to gain the glory of their master, gentlemen in duels with swords and pistols to gain or restore honor, matadors in bullfights to gain personal glory.
And everyone around them gambled on the outcome of the event, on their lives to gain material benefit, taking some of that euphoria and adrenaline for themselves.
Gambling, which stimulated the creation of adrenaline, made those gamblers (either participants in those clashes, or gamblers on the sidelines) adrenalin gambling addicts.

I'm not a gambler (ie, mostly not).
The little bit of betting when I was younger, I was done the moment I got the first pit.
I didn't become an adrenaline junkie and gambling didn't get into my blood.

When I have stress (both at work and in my private life), I try to reduce it as soon as possible so that my body does not suffer an adrenalin shock.

My friends ask me: "Why do you say you're not a gambler, when you entered that crypto of yours", and they don't understand that entering crypto, is a long-term investment. They gamble in sportsbooks every day, enjoying that euphoria of potential loss and gain.
I don't have that, because I'm not a spot or leverage trader, I don't monitor my portfolio on a daily or weekly basis.
I don't stress about crypto because I went into that investment with money that I'm sure I can regret if I screw it up.
I look at it once a month, purely for information 🙂
I'm not like a gambler, who goes into debt to get out of losing bets.
I didn't take loans and everything I invested in crypto was invested from reserve funds.

Gambling can and has ruined lives. What's your thoughts on gambling, for or against?

And what do I think about gambling?
I think that it is an activity that is not good for a person.
When a person wins something by betting, he loses the reality of the necessary effort that he would otherwise have to invest in order to win that something.
And what I like the least is that in my area (in my city and state), there is an upward trend of places where people can gamble (casinos and sportsbooks at every corner).

There is a law that restricts that within 200m of primary and secondary schools no facility that deals with betting of any kind may operate, but I think that 200m is a ridiculous distance and an obstacle that would prevent primary and secondary school students (young people who are just forming their personality) , to bet in them.

I was very upset when I saw that the NBA basketball player of Serbian origin, the great Nikola Jokić, filmed a commercial for a bookmaker.
Such a public figure, instead of directing young people to sports, sends them the wrong message that through betting they can improve their financial situation and their lives.

The other day I was sitting with the Key account manager of an operator with whom we have business cooperation.
A young man, in his thirties...
He brags about how he signed a contract for the delivery of IT services, with one of the largest casino chains in Serbia, for the opening of a large number of new betting facilities.

When I asked him: "You brag about it, and are you aware of how many young lives, that large number of casinos, will lead them astray, introduce them to gambling?".
He just shrugged his shoulders and told me: "No, there's no way. It won't...", and again turned the story to money (which is the cause of all evil in this world): "So do you know how much profit that contract brought my company?".

I know, I know, my friend, a big profit, for a big ruin of morals and maybe the suffering of someone's life...

"You, young man, if you want the future of your children (who are not the children of some rich people, who take gambling in casinos as entertainment, which in some hand and I support) you risk with easily accessible betting places, instilling wrong life values ​​in those young lives... Nothing education, effort, hard work... Just support casino, to the ruin...".

When I saw the topics posted by @Galenkp, I thought I would write first about relationships with younger and older women in my life 😀 however on the subject of betting and gamblong I have my own opinion, I decided to share it with you... And for sharing adventures from my youth, there will be an opportunity in another #WeekendEngagement.

Have a nice weekend, gamblers or not!