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Have to ever been standing next in line at the super market when some old bloke pulls out a wad of lottery tickets, a few winning scratch cards and, after all that has been tallied up, buys another £50 worth of hopes and dream?
Don’t forget: ‘It could be you!’
Not only have a couple of minutes of your life passed away in the process (I really need to buy one of those dream catchers) but you begin to question what is going on before you.
What I am looking at here?
Unless that person starts jumping up and down, screaming, shouting, crying in disbelief, that they have won a life-changing amount of money [whatever that is in these times of high inflation] they disappear from the shop, still hopeful, that one of those scratch cards or lottery tickets is the ‘one’.
‘Big money.’
Not small money.
‘Big money.’
Inspired by a John Cristani YouTube video. Affiliate marketer.
You see most punters scratching away as they stand outside the shop. I guess it’s less walking if you have a bit of joy and have to come back. It’s like exercise is the middleman. I guess if you are overweight, a heavy smoker, like a few pints each night, all these things need to be considered. I obviously say that as some kind of stereotype of a gambler. However, they often hold a grain of truth.
You get all kinds of people buying let’s say a scratch card. Although a large number look as though they spend more money each week on fuelling their scratch card and lottery hopes than they do buying a decent pair of shoes, a new shirt, pair of trousers or even having a hair cut, shave or look in the mirror. A few of those things don’t really cost any money.
It’s a worry.
Most people, and realistically me included, don’t give a toss. My initial concern being held up by a scruffy bloke, who looks potless but splashing the cash, motivated by money. Which comes, for him, in the shape of a small piece of paper which glows with hope until that neon sign blinks a couple of times and goes out with the realisation of holding another loser.
Cast aside. Worthless.
I think the truth of fixed odds betting would come to the realisation of the individual if they saved up a life time of gambling money and had one big gamble. They purchased £50,000 of lottery tickets. I don’t know what the average return would be on that kind of money. But I will tell you this much. Unless you got very lucky (I should have said very about a million times) you would look at the return from 50K and be horrified.
I doubt you would even win a grand.
It would be such a shocking moment that you would never bet again.
This is the truth of fixed odds gambling. The more you bet, the more you lose. Yes, one person in however million wins a fortune but the odds state that for you to win a million you would have to bet more.
A sobering thought.
But not for the scratch card fan, hobbyist or addict.
I would so love to ask the bloke 20 questions about his gambling.
1) Why do yo bet?
2) How much do you gamble on a day, week, month, year?
3) What’s the most money you have ever won?
4) What motivates you in life?
5) What would you do if you won a million pounds?
6) Are you concerned about your gambling?
7) Why do you look like a tramp, stink of body odour, struggle with life, and base all your hopes and dreams on something which, sadly, is never likely to happen…
You can imagine any question you like. They can be yours. You don’t have to have a question. Who cares? People do as they do! It’s their problem.
True.
A blatant mix of hope against adversity there in a ticket.
This brings back fond memories of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I think people see what they want to see. They behave how they behave. In that I mean, it is very unlikely anything I could say will change their thought process, opinion, motivation, willpower, hopes or dreams. My list of words could go on and on until they got bored and tell me to: ‘Fu** Off!’
I’d be accused of wasting valuable scratch time, jinxing them, scared to be out after 12pm in case they turned into a pumpkin.
I wonder if Cinderella read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the wicked step sisters bought scratch cards.
It’s just a little bit of fun.
‘You’ve got to be in it to win it!’
That’s how it works.
But that first scratch card leads to another, to even more, until every time you go to the shop you find yourself walking outside with a wad of scratch cards, lottery ticks but you still have your hopes and dreams.
Until they flicker like that aging neon sign.
That buzz continues but the light in the eyes has faded away.
Question your gambling.
Fixed odds compared to skill bets are bad news.
Take a look in the mirror and see the truth.
