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How Gambling Keeps Us Hooked
The devil’s in the details
“So long as the dice are in the air the gambler has hope, and hope is a wonderful thing to be addicted to.” — Norm Macdonald
I don’t believe in the devil in the literal sense — neither monstrous Beelzebub nor silver-tongued Lucifer — but if he exists, in any capacity, then gambling is his domain.
You can feel him before the card’s reveal, within the spin of the dice, upon the bated breath of those who gorge on hope; those who sit before a luxurious banquet that will never bring sustenance.
If you’ve ever had a gambling addiction, you’ll understand that, in those shameful, secret moments, you are not you. Something has wrenched the dark from the root of your soul and buried you beneath it. In those high-octane, risk-fuelled moments, you are gambling.
Yes, the devil is very much alive in hearts gripped by frenzied greed.
But is it greed?
I would wager that since neolithic man was gathering nuts and berries, he was gambling said nuts and berries. Since time immemorial, every civilization has had its many games, temporary winners, and abundance of losers. Gambling cuts to the very core of our nature.
