Fancy a flutter?

So apparently, I am a degenerate...

The deafening silence of disagreement is overwhelming.

According to some I am also either a terrorist sympathizer or facilitator. Now, while I am not qualified to disagree on statistical grounds, I take issue with extremists in any venue. Organizations like PETA, Greenpeace, Democrats, Republicans, Barbie vs Bratz, Apple vs, Mac, Ginger vs. Marianne (Jeanie RULES) and basically everybody else out there usually take a valid point or opinion and push it to the extreme.

There are downsides to gambling...Losing SUCKS but then again I could probably round up more than a roomful of males aged 5-50 who have somewhat negative feelings about the Catholic church. I have no problem with groups that are genuinely concerned about the socio-economic impact of problem gamblers; their addiction and resultant impact on society is something that should genuinely be resolved but as Dr. Sartin so sagely put it "...the cure for losing is winning."
Those individuals that choose every week to pay the stupid tax by either pulling a lever or scratching off tickets are well within their rights to do that but PLEASE don't burden me with their tales of woe.

I don't necessarily enjoy gambling. Handicapping, the hunt for the winner, that's where I get my kicks. I don't bet on a lot of them because I don't enjoy putting my money at risk for such an unpredictable outcome and I'm not very good at it. I do bet, I do it sparingly and I don't bet more than would cause me to fall into a paroxysm of tourettes like rage. Most bettors I observe, seem to be relatively well adjusted individuals-that is to say they don't shuffle around, randomly waving their arms in front of their face, mumbling and asking total strangers "You want a peanut?"

Betting fuels racing, racing funnels into the economy. If one were to take away the betting then what would people want to race for? Breeding strong, fast, sound horses?

What the hell good is that?