High Rolling in Detroit

[Carl Remick]

> I opposed casinos at first, but then I started to figure that 
> it is an over moralizing position. ...
> 
> I even developed an analysis ( big surprise, right ?) of what 
> the mentality is. In a word, maybe the average person is able 
> to treat money like it is unimportant when they gamble, LIKE 
> RICH PEOPLE CAN ALL THE TIME. In other words, given that the 
> vast majority of people must suffer a net loss in their total 
> gambling for the casino business to profit, at some level 
> most gamblers must realize that they are losing that money 
> overall.  So, the thrill of winning a lot of money cannot be 
> what keeps people gambling. So, the real thrill is to act 
> like money doesn't matter, to be able to basically throw it 
> away, TO FREE ONESELF FROM THE OPPRESSION AND SLAVERY OF 
> MONEY, just for that illusory moment.

Don't want to sound too moralistic myself here, Charles, but this seems
like a rationalization.  The key point is that rich people *can" afford
to blow wads of cash and prove they're not slaves to money ... but most
people *are* slaves to money and can indulge in that "illusory moment"
of freedom only at great lasting cost.  I'm not categorically opposed to
gambling, but it really disturbs me how big the "gaming industry" has
grown in this society.

Carl