Is Gambling the Problem with Problem Sports Gambling?

Problem sports gambling is something we hear a lot about.  Whether you are a long-time gambling enthusiast and you have to regularly defend yourself to others, or you are just thinking about getting into sports betting and people are discouraging you, it is a topic we all have to think about. 

A lot of people feel that gambling is a social evil in any form, and that gambling itself is what prompts problematic behaviour from punters.  They feel that the temptation to make foolhardy choices is just too great.  They then point out that the “house always wins,” and usually will give you an anecdote or two about people they knew in their past who blew it all betting.  Is gambling really the problem, though? 

I would argue that believing something like that will not only potentially rob you of the opportunity to make a lot of money doing something you love, but may also cause you to gamble poorly if you do decide to wager.  Blaming gambling itself for losing money is a way of shoving off blame for your problems.

Really, if you blow it all gambling, the person you need to hold responsible is yourself.  You are the problem if you are a problem gambler.  Likewise, in all of those anecdotes you have heard about people who lost all their money, those people were the problem, not gambling.

Yes, there is a lot of temptation in the world of sports betting, and yes, most people fall for it.  They take complicated parlay bets that they have little chance of winning, and they wager everything without regards to money management or objective analysis.  They rely on hope and a prayer to see them through to success.  They may even get addicted to the rush of winning and losing.

But there is risk and temptation in every area of life, especially when it comes to business.  Just because you can make poor, undisciplined choices in the world of wagering does not mean you have to follow in the footsteps of so many who have blown it all before you.  And if you do lose money gambling, and you hold yourself accountable, you can figure out what poor choices you are making that have led to those losses.  You can then fix those problems and get back on target.

Is sports betting potentially perilous?  Yes, but only if you do not take responsibility for your wins and losses.  That is what you can tell those people who are trying to discourage you.  When they share their scary anecdotes with you, you can tell them what really caused their friends or family members to lose money, and explain how you will be doing things differently.  No, gambling itself is not the problem when things go wrong.  Bad decision-making is.

And you know what?  If they don’t listen, don’t worry about them.  They won’t be getting down on you nearly as much when you become a profitable sports punter who wins time and again.  And if they still can’t see the truth them, who cares?  You’ll be the one who is getting rich!