Quote:
Originally Posted by DumbosTrunk
What makes someone an “obvious gambling addict” anyway? How can you tell?
That description could very well describe most of my plo player pool, depending on how broadly you define it, lol.
^ This -- Ever so often, you hear about clergymen or nun's running off with the offering and blowing the cash at a casino. Does a Mother Theresa look like a gambling addict?
That's obviously hyperbole, but I was trying to make your point.
The best research I've found on gambling addiction comes from Australia... on average, Aussies gamble more than anyone else in the world, so IMO they have the best data points on this topic.
The AU gov says that 1 in 7 people who wager more than once a week is.... or will become.... a gambling addict.
I think that's probably a conservative statistic. If these stats are to be believed, wouldn't you be playing with a compulsive gambler whether you realize it or not?
I think if you guys want to have this conversation, you have to expand it outside of poker. With the online sports wagering now legal in most states, I've seen a huge uptick of people pulling up their wagering apps and betting on sports during the middle of a poker game...
Am I the ******* for noticing that someone isn't paying attention to the poker game, and punishing them on the felt accordingly?
Conversely if someone is a sharp poker player, but dumping all of their money/winnings at sports... Do you feel the same "Ethical Qualms" about playing against the person, even though they may be a solid player but torching their money right in front of you by playing another game on their phone?
In this instance, the person is performing the same self-destructive habit... but no one at the table gets the money, the house gets it through the mobile gaming app.