There’s this quote that I read a few months ago. It was by Charles Bukowski that said- “IF YOU DON’T GAMBLE, YOU’LL NEVER WIN!“
And as far as my beliefs go, I believe Living Every Day is Like Gambling With Death.
You keep winning until you don’t and lose everything.
Such is the Game of Gambling.
But the Form of Gambling that we are going to focus on and talk about here is not that philosophical but more so a reality that we live in.
Let’s dive in deep, shall we?
To the people who don’t know what gambling is, Let me educate you a bit on what is gambling, how gambling works, the history of gambling (India, USA, and Britain), types of gambling and ways of gambling, and whether is gambling legal.
WHAT IS GAMBLING?
Gambling is any game or act of risking something valuable in the hope of some future gains.
Gambling is also known as betting or gaming.
We gamble money (something of value) most of the time in games such as casino games, table games, the game of cards, online betting sites, etc.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF GAMBLING?
Some examples of Gambling include games like dice, cards, numbers racket, roulette, (INSERT LINK HERE_ROULETTE) gaming, casino games, slot machines, poker, bingo, (INSERT LINK HERE_POKER AND BINGO CONTENT) housie, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, stock market, sports betting, and online gambling games.
HOW DOES GAMBLING WORK?
Gambling is a form of recreational pastime where two or more people participate to risk something of value with the hope of realizing a much greater amount than betted value.
Gambling/Betting is always a game of 50-50, where the probability of winning is always equal to the probability of losing.
However, at times, Betting is also about intelligence and wisdom.
Gambling operates on two factors and both factors are equally important for winning or increasing your chances of winning the game.
1. Skill
Gambling games such as sports betting, poker, stock market, blackjack, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, etc. are games where you have to have the skill, strategy, and some knowledge to actually put your foot in and start betting your money.
2. Chance/Luck
Gambling games such as the game of dice,(INSERT LINK HERE_GAME OF DICE CONTENT) lotteries, bingo, roulette, gaming machines, etc. where it’s all based on luck.
While all skill-based games also are based 50% on luck and 50% on your knowledge to better manipulate and play in your favor.
And that’s how gambling works. So, before you step into this world, make sure you have knowledge and experience in this genre.
HISTORY OF GAMBLING
Gambling has been around in this world since humans existed.
The history of Gambling though is very much interesting if you so chose to read about it.
Let me enlighten you about gambling games in the past.
The history of Gambling is quite vast as there are a lot of countries that engaged in Gambling Games, but I’m gonna talk mainly about INDIA, the USA, and the UK.
1. INDIAN HISTORY OF GAMBLING
Gambling has been popular since ancient and colonial times in India.
The History of Gambling in India writes itself back in the Rig Veda, an ancient religious text, that talks about gambling and how the game of dice ruined the whole community and destroyed the lives of all people. There is a popular hymn in Rig Veda known as Gambler’s Lament which talks about Gambling.
In ancient Indian history, Gambling was quite common among the royalties.
You might know of a quite popular game of gambling back then Chausar, also known as Pachisi, Chaupad, or Chopad. Chausar is the original and an older version of the game of dice or LUDO that we play today as a form of gambling.
One of the two most popular Sanskrit Mythologies of Ancient India that was ever written, The Mahabharata, is a great example of proof of the history of gambling and the popularity of gambling in ancient times.
The Mahabharata War resulted from Gambling, done in the Dyut Sabha playing Chausar.
And all of these are not concocted theories, rather it’s based in reality as proof of gambling is written in the Hindu Religious Texts.
Kings and Queens and the normal public used to play betting as a form of entertainment.
They used to bet on minor to major possessions for fun and some to realize a greater value than that risked.
Cut to the past few decades, Gambling has become a casual norm, though being mostly illegal across the country.
The statistics on Gambling in India suggest that approximately 70-80 percent of Indians gamble every year, either once or more than once.
Gambling statistics show that the revenue generated from the gambling industry in India ranges from approximately 10 billion to 100 billion.
2. AMERICAN HISTORY OF GAMBLING
The History of Gambling in the USA dates before the colonization of America.
Native Americans used to play dice and bowl games and gamble their possessions with the hopes of acquiring more than what they bet on.
And then moving on to the nineteenth century came horse racing where the Rich and Privileged Class of people played and betted on. And then there was a rise in state lottery games where people bought tickets and betted their possessions in hopes to win the lottery and doubling/tripling their amount. And it was later uncovered that it was just a form of fraud and lies.
Gambling, by the end of the nineteenth century, fell into displeasure.
Gambling did not qualify anymore as the amusement that it used to be.
In the twentieth century, many gambling/betting games were banned from a few states in the US such as casinos gambling, and horse racing gambling.
However, people still participated in different forms of gambling illegally, some of them legally, which led to legalizing all gambling interests in the States.
During the mid-twentieth century and late twentieth century, all gambling games such as cards, bingo, sports betting, numbers racket, state-sponsored lotteries, poker, charitable gambling, and roulette became quite popular.
Out of all these, people also started betting on political elections.
By the end of the twentieth century, online gambling and gaming such as bingo, lotto, slot machines, etc. stepped their foot into the Gambling industry.
Cut to the past century, Gambling is still legal in the US, under US Federal Law.
However, each state holds the power to control and regulate the gambling industry as they please. At present, Las Vegas is the only state that is the largest hub of gambling and if other states work towards increasing their gambling markets, Las Vegas might not be the only hub for the gambling industry.
The statistical reports on Gambling in the USA show that approximately 80-85% of US adults have gambled once or more than once in their life. And I think it’s proof enough that the gambling industry is just growing its roots deeper and deeper as time passes.
3. BRITISH HISTORY OF GAMBLING
The History of Gambling in Britain dates back to ancient times.
Gambling has been a popular source of entertainment/recreational pastime in England since the 1500s.
The most popular gambling game that people participated in the UK was horse racing.
The first horse racing match was held in Chester in 1539 and King Charles II who was a jockey himself supported the establishment and popularity of the horse-racing gambling market, and by the 18th century, horse-racing betting became popular and deep-rooted.
And then there were lotteries. The first lottery was started by Queen Elizabeth to raise money for harbors. And this led to the popularity of Lottery games in the 18th century.
During the nineteenth century, the Victorian Era to be specific, casino games became quite the rage.
While in the 21st century, Greyhound-Racing Gambling became quite popular and is still popular to date.
The statistical data on Gambling in the UK shows that approximately 40% of adults gamble and the percentage keeps on increasing every year by 40-50%.
IS GAMBLING LEGAL IN INDIA?
YES AND NO, Gambling is illegal in most parts of India.
I’ll tell you why…
The Public Gambling Act of 1867, India made it clear that Gambling is Illegal for the most part.
Most part?
What does the Public Gambling Act of 1867 say about gambling?
The Public Gambling Act of 1867 is a central law passed by the Indian Government that says
running or being in charge of any sort of gambling hall, or gambling house is illegal, and visiting any gambling house is also illegal.
The penalty for breaking the Public Gambling Act and running a gambling house would be imprisonment for up to 3 months or a fine of 200 rupees.
And the penalty for visiting a gambling hall would be imprisonment for up to one month or a fine of 100 rupees.
Talking about online gambling. The Information Technology Act of 2000 was a law that never really stated the word Gambling or betting for banishment, so it was left open-ended and left for different interpretations, which was never really looked into by The Supreme Court for clarification or modification.
But according to the Bombay Wager Act, Online Gambling is an offense and therefore illegal in Maharashtra.
Moving to Casino games and Casino Gambling, there are only three places that allow Casino and Casino Gambling in India.
Goa, Sikkim, Daman and Diu are the three places where you can find casinos.
This year (2022), The Indian Government has said to bring about a few changes in the gambling policies that are in practice currently in India, and replace the ancient Public Gambling Act of 1867.
Also, Online gambling is now officially legal in the states of Sikkim, Goa and Daman and Diu. Also, Sikkim allows online lottery games for people throughout the country.
But for now, gambling is illegal in India for the most part. Online gambling is illegal in areas such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. And advertising gambling or any gambling sites in the name of Betting is also illegal.
And lastly, though Gambling is an offense in India, people still engage in it and there have not been any cases for the large part that an offender got caught and punished by the Indian Government.
TYPES OF GAMBLING
When we hear gambling, we often think of casino games such as roulette, blackjack, slot machines, poker game, or sports betting such as cricket betting, horse racing betting, football betting, etc.
But that’s not all that is a form of gambling.
Gambling is all of the above and also any business, investments, stock markets, cryptocurrencies, bitcoin, or insurance packages.
What are the two types of Gambling?
Well, there are two types of Gambling that people participate in
1. GAME OF CHANCE/ CHANCE-BASED GAMBLING
What is Chance-based Gambling?
Game of chance is a type of gambling which include dice, lotteries, bingo, roulette, gaming machines, etc where the outcome is never certain.
Chance-based gambling means gambling on the basis of pure luck where the players don’t know if they’ll win or lose as the results are very inconsistent and random.
This form of gambling is very much risky, more so than skill-based gambling.
What are examples of Chance-based Gambling?
Well, a few examples of chance-based gambling are lotteries, bingo, roulette, gaming machines, etc.
2. GAME OF SKILL/ SKILL-BASED GAMBLING
What is Skill-based Gambling?
Game of skill is all those gambling games where the outcome is based on skill as well as luck.
Skill-based Gambling is a type of gambling that includes all forms of sports betting, poker,(INSERT LINK HERE_POKER CARD GAME) stock market, blackjack,(INSERT LINK HERE_BLACKJACK) cryptocurrency, bitcoin, etc. where people need skill for betting and winning.
Though winning in a game of skill is also influenced by luck, skill sets do not ensure a sure win.
What are examples of Skill-based Betting?
A few examples of skill-based gambling are sports betting, poker, the stock market, blackjack, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, etc.
WAYS OF GAMBLING
What are the two ways of Gambling that people indulge in?
The two ways a person gamble is the Healthy way of Gambling and the Unhealthy way of Gambling.
1. HEALTHY GAMBLING/RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING
What is Healthy Gambling?
Healthy Gambling,(INSERT LINK HERE_HEALTHY GAMBLING) also known as responsible gambling is when a person indulges in gambling activities in a manner that is not obsessive or addictive.
Responsible gambling involves betting done in a way that’s fun, enthusiastic, and engaging, yet with the responsibility of not losing oneself to it.
2. UNHEALTHY GAMBLING/IRRESPONSIBLE GAMBLING/PROBLEM GAMBLING
What is Unhealthy Gambling (Problem Gambling)?
Unhealthy Gambling, also known as irresponsible gambling or problem gambling,(INSERT LINK HERE_PROBLEM GAMBLING) is when a person engages in gambling activities in a manner that’s obsessive, compulsive, and addictive.
Irresponsible gambling involves betting done in a way that’s greedy, anxious, and compelled leading to losing oneself to it.
SOME ANSWERS TO CLEAR YOUR CONFUSION ON GAMBLING, IN GENERAL:
1. Is Gambling allowed in Hinduism?</H4>
Yes, Gambling is allowed in Hinduism as a lot of Indian rulers and GODs and GODESSes indulged in betting for fun, every now and then.
The proof of this is in the section INDIAN HISTORY OF GAMBLING written a few topics above.
2. Is Gambling illegal?
Gambling is illegal in countries such as India, Singapore, North Korea, Qatar, Korea, China, and UAE.
Whereas Gambling is partially legal in countries such as Thailand (Horse-racing and State Lotteries are legal in Thailand), Turkey (State-owned Gambling Services are legal in Turkey), Australia (Online Casino Gambling is illegal in Australia), Canada ( State-owned Gambling services are legal in Canada), Berlin and Japan (where Gambling is legal only with licensed establishments)
Whereas Gambling is legal in countries such as the UK, USA, Spain, Russia, Italy, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
3. Is the Stock market a form of gambling?
Yes, Stock markets are a form of Gambling. Buying and selling stocks in hopes of gains is gambling.
4. Is Cryptocurrency a form of gambling?
Yes, Cryptocurrency is a form of Gambling.
Buying crypto is gambling. As you sell it when the prices go high.
5. Is bitcoin a form of gambling?
Yes, Bitcoin is a form of Gambling.
6. Is Dream11 a form of Gambling?
Yes, Dream11 is a form of gambling, though it has been suggested by the Indian Government that Dream11 is not a game of chance, it requires skill yet the result is always unpredictable.
7. Is NFT a form of Gambling?
Yes, NFT(non-fungible tokens) is used for gambling purposes too, though it was not originally a form of gambling.
8. Is Gambling allowed in Islam?
No, Gambling is not allowed in Islam. Rather, gambling is considered to be HARAM (harām) in Islam.
9. Is Gambling allowed in Christianity?
Yes, Gambling is allowed in Christianity. Though the Bible does not condemn any gambling activities, it does say that “THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.”
CONCLUSION
Every day is a choice for us and the way we choose to spend it is what matters in the end.
Similarly, What we Invest, How much we Invest, and Where we Invest our possessions is also a choice, a gamble.
In the philosophical words of F.E. Higgins, that I relate to the most, WHAT IS LIFE IF NOT A GAMBLE?
So if you so chose to gamble, why not bet in a way that’s controlled, responsible and aware?
Healthy Gambling/Responsible Gambling is fun and yet fulfilling as anything extreme such as Unhealthy gambling can ruin you, your family, and your community.
I hope you guys enjoy and take something with yourself from the above knowledge.
