Are successful gamblers seen as addicts?

[Docnaster]

It's one thing to be a successful gambler and also an entire different thing to be an addict of gambling.
Reason being that I've seen people who rarely gamble but does win hugely the few times they do stake their money and have also seen people who does act like they know it all when it comes to gambling thereby gambling regularly but would still get little or no winnings at the end. So I think gambling is all about how lucky ones be and not about how experienced one is

[Solosanz]

I have come across many winning stories where people got the money they needed to change their lives, but it is also true that they may have experienced losing a lot of money. Because those who lose big money don't want to reveal their losses, everyone is excited about the win but no one wants to talk about the loss. All of us gamblers are inspired by winning stories but there are many hidden stories that we don't like to hear. In order to win from gambling, the gambler must constantly try his best. On the other hand, luck can favor you at any time if you conduct gambling normally without becoming addicted to winning.

If there are more bad news about gambling, not many people will interested in gambling. The government and the casino only give a slight warning in order to make them can't be blamed when there's a gambler become an addict. Casino is one of big source for the government because they need to pay tax and they have a lot money. The government are forced to accept business that generate a lot money even though they need to deal the bad side.

[fzkto]

Firstly I would like to point out that no one can actually be successful through their gambling because your success will always go back to the source where it came from whether in large quantity or small one.

I disagree with this sir because I've seen and I know over two people who all their success stories today has been accredited  to gambling and there is a childhood friend of mind who played a game of about 30 thousand naira and that's about $60 in btc and meh he won a life changing money in my local currency  and ever since then hisife took a new turn and his a owner of about 3 bet outlets.

Well I won't say that I haven't seen or heard about someone making a huge win that can actually change their life but I always like to think about the whole money he must have spent before he could be able to get that particular big win. Because of all these news about people hitting miracle wins from their bets, the whole gamblers in my neighborhood have all turned gambling addict because they say that the only time they relent on their bets they won't have that lucky win.

I have come across many winning stories where people got the money they needed to change their lives, but it is also true that they may have experienced losing a lot of money. Because those who lose big money don't want to reveal their losses, everyone is excited about the win but no one wants to talk about the loss. All of us gamblers are inspired by winning stories but there are many hidden stories that we don't like to hear. In order to win from gambling, the gambler must constantly try his best. On the other hand, luck can favor you at any time if you conduct gambling normally without becoming addicted to winning.

It is impossible to be consistently successful at gambling. The casino will always win, not those who play in the casino. Yes, you're right. You may get lucky a few times and win some amount of money. But nobody but you and the casino will know how much you lost. It is possible or even likely that the loss will be greater than the winnings. It's a similar situation with trading on the exchange. You may have good trades, but you will never tell how many bad ones you have had.

[Obari]

It's one thing to be a successful gambler and also an entire different thing to be an addict of gambling.
Reason being that I've seen people who rarely gamble but does win hugely the few times they do stake their money and have also seen people who does act like they know it all when it comes to gambling thereby gambling regularly but would still get little or no winnings at the end. So I think gambling is all about how lucky ones be and not about how experienced one is

Exactly  and I also do agree with you that gambling is more of luck based than skills and that's why your example fitted in properly.
But what I really wanted to know is the possibility  of calling someone  who has been an obvious addict and then suddenly  makes a very big win to cover up all his losses during addiction and even made a life changing money and will it still be possible to call such a person an addict ?
Because after reading some of the responses from the thread, it seems people don't want to call anyone who is successful  an addict and this is an evidence that money cancels all insults.

[Silberman]

It's one thing to be a successful gambler and also an entire different thing to be an addict of gambling.
Reason being that I've seen people who rarely gamble but does win hugely the few times they do stake their money and have also seen people who does act like they know it all when it comes to gambling thereby gambling regularly but would still get little or no winnings at the end. So I think gambling is all about how lucky ones be and not about how experienced one is

Exactly  and I also do agree with you that gambling is more of luck based than skills and that's why your example fitted in properly.
But what I really wanted to know is the possibility  of calling someone  who has been an obvious addict and then suddenly  makes a very big win to cover up all his losses during addiction and even made a life changing money and will it still be possible to call such a person an addict ?
Because after reading some of the responses from the thread, it seems people don't want to call anyone who is successful  an addict and this is an evidence that money cancels all insults.

In the particular scenario you are bringing up then in my mind there is no question that person is an addict, if someone is spending more money than what they can afford to lose in gambling and they are even sacrificing their most basic needs then it is not important if they earned a lot of money due to a moment of luck, as it does not matter how rich you are, if you have an addiction problem eventually you will end up poor and struggling to survive.

[Issa56]

I have come across many winning stories where people got the money they needed to change their lives, but it is also true that they may have experienced losing a lot of money. Because those who lose big money don't want to reveal their losses, everyone is excited about the win but no one wants to talk about the loss. All of us gamblers are inspired by winning stories but there are many hidden stories that we don't like to hear.

You are right, most gamblers don’t talk about their losses, just few of them do that, but immediately they win big amount of money, they they will start posting it so that people can see and they will be celebrated, but if those people can show you their gambling history and you see their lost, don’t be surprised that the amount some of them have lost is even equal or more than the amount they win, but nobody knows that. Most people that have won big amount of money in gambling have also lose big amount of money, they will have been trying with big amount and they might be losing, but their will be a lucky day for them that they will win big amount.

[o48o]

I wish I could have posted this in a more better place but since the thoughts came from gambling addiction, I thought it wise to ask this question over here and I hope we can discuss and get this straight.

Just as the tittle already ask, I really want to know if people who are successful in gambling also seen as addicts because I believe  for one to be successful in gambling or whatever they choose to do, there must be some good amount  of time and effort invested in it as well as money and we know that a successful  gambler must have invested  both time, effort and even money to make any reasonable  winning  and these also are features of an addict as there are always excessive time spent on a betting site.

Now let's be sincere, will you also classify a successful gambler as an addict?

Of course they can, success has nothing to do with addiction.
Just like people are addicted to internet, television, jogging or bowling. Those people can have successful lives while being addicted to something. Lots of successful people suffer from all sorts of addictions.

It's just compulsive behavior and you often end up using more time to your addiction than you planned. Time that you really want to use to something else. It's lack of control and often you need more and more of the rush or what ever you are addicted to. Some of the people have more control over their urges then others, but even for successful people addiction can be hard, you just don't see it as well because consequences are not financially ruining them.

[Raflesia]

The point in this case is that there is a difference in professionalism.
When talking about it, there are other things that make the difference such as discipline, rigour and others.
Even though we have said that we are disciplined or meticulous in gambling, it will still not be the same so talking about us as ordinary gamblers and professional gamblers, even though they are both gamblers, in terms of methods, strategies and anything related to us gambling will obviously be very different when compared.

Yes, the difference is professionalism that not all gamblers have; only a small number can gamble professionally. This is why if we want to become professional gamblers, we have to learn many things to become a professional gambler. And to be clear, most gamblers will be different from professional gamblers, so we as gamblers must really try not to get into trouble while playing gambling. But a professional gambler can control his gambling and always try not to get emotionally involved so he can stop before things change.

However, in this context, none of my intentions are such that I still want whatever I want to do with my gambling without any hindrance or some degree of discipline being exercised in it
I still like the fun of gambling and don't want to be restricted to anything especially in the rules and high level of discipline to be professional so in this case I prefer to be normal without any pressure so that I can enjoy all forms of gambling that I do.

Returning to the original context of addiction will be different again in my view for professional gambling because indirectly when referring to the word professional it means referring to work and it cannot be said to be an addiction in this case.

[FinneysTrueVision]

Someone who is successful at gambling would have to be incredibly smart. I would think that a successful gambler is less likely to have addiction issues. Addicts are motivated purely by greed and emotion and will ignore all logic. To be a successful gambler you need to think rationally. If you become so obsessed with winning more and more money that it leads to an unhealthy addiction then it will be difficult to remain successful.

[Josefjix]

Someone who is successful at gambling would have to be incredibly smart. I would think that a successful gambler is less likely to have addiction issues. Addicts are motivated purely by greed and emotion and will ignore all logic. To be a successful gambler you need to think rationally. If you become so obsessed with winning more and more money that it leads to an unhealthy addiction then it will be difficult to remain successful.

Addiction is probably the worst kind of thing that would happen to any gambler in the system. For one to be successful in gambling, sacrifices are paid in full, it might be losses and immense years of difficulty, facing challenges and overcoming them with consistent hardwork. Gambling is never the path that would lead me to finance stability, perhaps my engagement with gambling is very slim, always wager when my peer groups are around, and it depends if I gain or losses, that's my decision to decide if I would gamble or stop for that particular day. Predicting and winning is not an easy tasks as it seems, we ought to craved for the hugh profits which will one day make us stop and find something different to do.

[madnessteat]

^

If gambling brings you joy, you don't have to give it up, the main thing is to be able to control your spending. I know several elderly people who have been gambling almost all their lives and have no problems with gambling addiction. Gambling for them is just an entertainment as a drink in a bar with friends, a walk in the park or watching an interesting movie. In my opinion, this is the way it should be.

[ethereumhunter]

However, in this context, none of my intentions are such that I still want whatever I want to do with my gambling without any hindrance or some degree of discipline being exercised in it
I still like the fun of gambling and don't want to be restricted to anything especially in the rules and high level of discipline to be professional so in this case I prefer to be normal without any pressure so that I can enjoy all forms of gambling that I do.

Returning to the original context of addiction will be different again in my view for professional gambling because indirectly when referring to the word professional it means referring to work and it cannot be said to be an addiction in this case.

But if you don't limit your gambling, there is a possibility that you will exceed the limit that you can afford so you will use money beyond that limit. This is really risky because it can make you lose a lot of money, especially by not having clear boundaries in gambling. By setting those limits, you can still enjoy the gamble and you may still have a few dollars saved that you can use to gamble a few days later. It can also prevent you from gambling addiction which many people have experienced so you can play gambling without worrying about gambling addiction.

[Crypt0Gore]

Professional gamblers always thinks about their safety first, they have a different mindset towards gambling, they are always in control of their weakness, but an addict is someone who is consumed by greed, they chase losses because they can't accept loss, and they also want everything more irresponsibly, maybe reckless is the best word for it.

They have no strategy, they are also ready to go any lent to make sure they win, they get into debts because of their reckless ways, they don't think or plan themselves first, and they end up taking money or even stealing money to gamble.

Successful gamblers have a different mindset, they gamble responsibly, they always have a plan that wont end up getting them broke, they think about the advantages and disadvantages as well, if you think about the losses more that whatever you might win in gambling you will come up with a convenient gambling plan.

[len01]

^

If gambling brings you joy, you don't have to give it up, the main thing is to be able to control your spending. I know several elderly people who have been gambling almost all their lives and have no problems with gambling addiction. Gambling for them is just an entertainment as a drink in a bar with friends, a walk in the park or watching an interesting movie. In my opinion, this is the way it should be.

I support your statement mate, mindset is very influential here. I mean someone who has a smart mindset or has positive thoughts about gambling behavior, of course they will be strict in controlling their finances and know how to manage finances for gambling and for everyday life. it's no wonder that this person has gambled without addiction all his life because I really understand that this person is experienced and knows the risks involved in gambling.
this can be an example for anyone here that good self-control and self-control not to place too much importance on gambling, I think this is one of the successful gamblers.

[topbitcoin]

It's one thing to be a successful gambler and also an entire different thing to be an addict of gambling.
Reason being that I've seen people who rarely gamble but does win hugely the few times they do stake their money and have also seen people who does act like they know it all when it comes to gambling thereby gambling regularly but would still get little or no winnings at the end. So I think gambling is all about how lucky ones be and not about how experienced one is

I agree with you, a successful gambler does not mean he is an addict, after all an addict has a bad connotation, and there are no successful addicts to this day, the average of whom is experiencing severe financial hardship.
So these two things are something different.
Maybe it can be seen subjectively in the assessment of successful gamblers, as you said, a successful gambler is a gambler who gets a lot of wins but only with a few games, in other words he has above average skills who can get wins with a winning ratio which is big, but in my view a successful gambler is a gambler who can play regularly or has limits in his gambling, which keeps him from falling into the lust of gambling.

[Hispo]

Someone who is successful at gambling would have to be incredibly smart. I would think that a successful gambler is less likely to have addiction issues. Addicts are motivated purely by greed and emotion and will ignore all logic. To be a successful gambler you need to think rationally. If you become so obsessed with winning more and more money that it leads to an unhealthy addiction then it will be difficult to remain successful.

I don't think being smart or having a high intelligence has anything to do with being successful at gambling, in my opinion. It does not take intelligence (perhaps a bit of emotional intelligence) in order to get a positive amount of money out a casino.

There is a feature in many casinos which is called automated gambling, you know, so one can roll dices, plinko, mines automatically. I just set it up and leave, when I return I could have either lost most of my money or have reached the amount I set before leaving. In both cases it is the luck what matters and not who is pushing the button on the computer.

[inthelongrun]

Is an excessive gambler already an addict? But successful gamblers can be termed as professional gamblers rather than branded as addicts. Are we going to call Lionel Messi an addict or a successful e-sport DOTA 2 player worth millions of dollars a computer addict? There are a lot of people here in Bitcointalk that spend a lot of hours daily, they're addicts as well right? So it's like all people that excelled in their fields are addicts.

So addiction is not really bad after all. As long as we are benefitting it in a positive manner and we are able to balance our lives then I guess we're good. 

[Raflesia]

However, in this context, none of my intentions are such that I still want whatever I want to do with my gambling without any hindrance or some degree of discipline being exercised in it
I still like the fun of gambling and don't want to be restricted to anything especially in the rules and high level of discipline to be professional so in this case I prefer to be normal without any pressure so that I can enjoy all forms of gambling that I do.

Returning to the original context of addiction will be different again in my view for professional gambling because indirectly when referring to the word professional it means referring to work and it cannot be said to be an addiction in this case.

But if you don't limit your gambling, there is a possibility that you will exceed the limit that you can afford so you will use money beyond that limit. This is really risky because it can make you lose a lot of money, especially by not having clear boundaries in gambling. By setting those limits, you can still enjoy the gamble and you may still have a few dollars saved that you can use to gamble a few days later. It can also prevent you from gambling addiction which many people have experienced so you can play gambling without worrying about gambling addiction.

We know what our boundaries are like and even though we sometimes cross those boundaries but in this case it depends on the person doing it because for me personally I don't deny that I sometimes cross my limits but in this case I don't always feel it happens so often because I realize if it is as frequent as it is we ourselves will be in trouble.
But in this case, it's back to professional gamblers. Instead of being told like that because the fact is not, I might as well say I am an addict because it is said like that, I don't really have a problem for now because basically we ourselves are the ones who limit whether we are addicts or not in gambling as long as we don't cross those boundaries too often and always remember that we have a budget in a day or a week for gambling I think it will not be a problem. at least this is for myself.

[seleme]

Is an excessive gambler already an addict? But successful gamblers can be termed as professional gamblers rather than branded as addicts. Are we going to call Lionel Messi an addict or a successful e-sport DOTA 2 player worth millions of dollars a computer addict? There are a lot of people here in Bitcointalk that spend a lot of hours daily, they're addicts as well right? So it's like all people that excelled in their fields are addicts.

So addiction is not really bad after all. As long as we are benefitting it in a positive manner and we are able to balance our lives then I guess we're good. 

Relativity is used in your example, we can't surely know what it looks like to be a successful gambler since it is not a concrete profession. It only takes one bad day to lose all profit back and then we start to call gamblers not unsuccessful but loser addicts. Gamblers should understand the risks and make decisions based on the odds and probability, I doubt being experienced have any role in such cases. Just my 2 cents.

[Juse14]

I personally think that even successful gamblers are gambling addicts.

I say that because these successful gamblers cannot leave gambling and it needs to be underlined that what are called addicts are those who have an addiction and cannot leave it. The only difference is that ordinary addicts only play to chase victory regardless of losses and strategies, they only follow their passions which ultimately make them miserable.
Meanwhile, these successful gamblers are able to control their addiction to gambling, are able to control themselves and their emotions. They realized that they couldn't give up gambling, so these successful gamblers kept thinking about strategies for winning. They always do the calculations before playing gambling so they can minimize the occurrence of risks.