The constant hum of a ball spinning around a wheel. Two quick taps on the hardwood table. Three columns spinning with flashy symbols. One of the most prolific issues that afflicts people worldwide is gambling. As a teenager growing up in the most technologically advanced era since the Renaissance, there are endless advertisements for various products that are constantly being pushed toward everyone to sell them the art of gambling and betting subconsciously.
One genre of adverts that afflicts me the most is the Las Vegas casino and online gambling ads. I am a total American football fan who wants to watch films on future players, see extensive breakdowns of current players, and embrace the ruggedness of old football. However, while being a fan of the National Football League, I was never made aware of how many betting site ads I would watch. There is a constant push by big-name online betting companies to profit off one of America’s favorite sports, as if they win over the sports fans, they could gain up to 184 million new customers. This blatant attempt to create a major revenue stream from the youth of my generation disgusts me. Not only is the use of the new generation a repulsive action, but also profiting off the retired generation is equally, if not more, evil than trying to indoctrinate Generation Alpha.
When opening any quick content app, like TikTok or Instagram, there are endless videos with hordes of 60 to 70-year-old people staying at casinos for hours, gambling away any chance of a safe retirement. Of course, the argument stating that these retirees can do as they please with their hard-earned money is completely valid. However, when taking a step back and realizing the intricate systems that casinos have created to squeeze people of every last cent, these poor, uneducated, past-their-prime people most likely cannot realize the scam they are falling for.
Casinos are specifically designed to let in as little natural light as possible, constantly keep customers awake, and feed them depressants. Another critical method that casinos use is banning and restricting different skills. If a person is found to be a card counter, someone who calculates their odds of good hands based on played cards, they are immediately removed from the location and barred from every casino that the original who caught them can let know. Although casinos have every right to ban players, they don’t feel it “matches their level of play.” The fact that anyone who actually learns the game and becomes good at identifying strategies to win is banned shows that there is no fairness in the game. Not only is the general concept of a casino extremely malicious, but they will use any means necessary to gain the highest profit margin.
Watching as over, as reported, three million Americans lose their entire lives due to a very prevalent addiction is absolutely disheartening. Although I am not of legal age to partake in this endeavor, I can still see the attraction to such a risky game. That being said, I hope to never fall for the tricks that big casinos play on people to throw away all of their valuables, and I pray for those who have had their lives destroyed by this vicious enterprise.