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CAMHblog > Posts > Is casino gambling really pleasurable?
  • Is casino gambling really pleasurable?
    Posted by Kate Richards|Nov 21, 2012

    ​By: Stephen Kish                                    Wednesday, November 21, 2012

    Torontonians will soon be asked by city council – always seeking new revenues – to comment on the predicted benefits of a proposed new casino. One question this raises is how pleasurable casino gambling really is for the typical gambler.
     
    Dr. Nigel Turner, a CAMH scientist, addressed this issue in a study focusing especially on those games in which the casino has only a "slight" advantage over the gambler (e.g., blackjack).  As reported in the Journal of Gambling Studies, Dr. Turner discovered that using computer simulations, there was actually a "fairly high probability" (slightly less than 50 per cent) in such games that the gambler would win – but only in the short term.  Not surprisingly, with continued playing, the probability of winning declined. 
     
    This finding suggests that some casino games rather cleverly entice the public initially with short term wins, but gamblers won’t experience the overall pleasure of winning if they continue playing. 
     
    iStock_gambling_1.jpgDoes the typical gambler leave the casino with a smile on his/her face?

     
    Most gamblers leave with less than they started with because the games are designed with a negative expected return or a house advantage. Some people also end up with less money because they felt "compelled" to "chase their losses."

    Given these situations, can the total casino experience really have been pleasurable?

    Should the “entertainment” aspect of casino gambling then really be considered a "benefit" by Toronto City Council Members casting votes for or against a new casino in their neighbourhood?"

Comments:

Comments

kevin

I think you really hit the nail on the head here.  Gambling as a whole is not pleasurable.  Winning is, but the odds are against it.  If you stand out front of Woodbine Slots and watch the people as they are walking back to their vehicles you do not see happy smiling people as you would people leaving a party, bar or other entertainment social experience.  Gambling is not entertainment and is not social.  It is an isolated lonely experience.  Gambling has only one purpose and that is profit for the gambling house which nowdays is the government under the name of OLG.  Unlike other places, e.g. bars, their is no limit on how much damage a person can do to themselves.  Bars close at 2am.  The casino is open 24 hours.  You would unlikely spend more than $100 in an evening at a bar, you can spend $100 in five minutes or less at the casino, which means you didn't win anything, you only fed the machine and it leaves you feeling lonely, cheated, angry and wanting to get even, or at least get your money back.  No entertainment there, except for the people monitoring the cameras and laughing and making jokes about the fools spending their money.  In fact the name should be changed from Casino to Fools Paradise.  The names of the cards such as Winners Circle should be changed to Fools Cards.  The people who the government would probably like to open their bank accounts, the millionaires and billionaires, will not be found at the casinos, they will continue to wisely  watch their money grow.  Only the people who shouldn't be there in the first place are the ones who are filling the casinos.  Shame on our government.
 on 12/17/2012 9:43 AM

Claude

Do you have any Gambling game machine？
 on 12/6/2012 4:40 AM

Councillor Joe Mihevc

Dr. Kish, you raise an interesting point about the perceived benefits of casinos. I am concerned that all of the drawbacks of a casino (like addiction and stress on public health, impact on infrastructure and nearby businesses) outweigh the potential positives, such as revenue (we still aren't clear on how much a casino will generate for Toronto) and entertainment, which, as you point, out is problematic.

The city will be hosting consultations and surveys, and I am also consulting with residents about this issue on a local level. I will be hosting a community meeting in my ward in February and I have also sent out a survey asking residents for their input on this issue. More information can be found on my website, www.joemihevc.com.

Sincerely,
Councillor Joe Mihevc
Ward 21, St. Paul's West


 on 12/4/2012 11:25 AM

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