Is Gambling A Hobby?

[Dewi Aries]

In fact, it doesn't matter if you experience addiction in other things, especially those that don't have the possibility of risk, but if you experience excessive interest in gambling, which means you have entered the addiction phase in gambling, it is clear as you say that something that has the potential for adverse effects that can harm someone can no longer be said to be a hobby, However, a hobby is something that is usually done when someone has free time and does something they enjoy to please themselves, but if for example the activity has an element of addiction which on the other hand also has the potential for harmful adverse effects then it cannot be said to be a hobby if someone has experienced dependence on activities that are harmful. On the other hand, I understand that gambling can be very enjoyable and entertaining, but it cannot be a hobby for everyone because of the possibility that gambling can turn pleasure into stress and tension along with many other problems.

Gambling without breaking the bank and making repeated deposits in gambling hoping for income from gambling are signs of addiction. As long as gambling is a hobby a person can control himself because he only wants to derive fun from it. But this hobby gradually makes a person deeply addicted. and then they don't hesitate to lose money there. Because they think that in the next bets he will win something and recover the previous losses. this is how gambling turns from hobby to addiction so one should be careful in all cases

Well, that's quite true, simply put, a hobby is an involvement that the person can still control, meaning having the ability to control any activity, including gambling, so maybe we can say that it can be used as a hobby, or simply, it is something that is not do it excessively with the aim of just wanting to have fun when you are in a boring free time then yes of course it can be called a hobby, the point is not to let this involvement cause us to experience a lot of problems.

But I think overall if you think using common sense and a rational point of view then you will be able to see that in the end making gambling as a hobby can cause problems, and all of that is because of the temptation in gambling which can look very tempting which in the end becomes clear as As time goes by, there is a possibility of a change in someone's mindset who initially thought that gambling was just for fun and as I said before, when gambling is no longer fun then it cannot be called a hobby because in the end it will lead you to many bad impacts.

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[AprilioMP]

Not all my gambling is based on a hobby. There are only a few types of gambling games that I include in the hobby category such as sports betting.
Viewing gambling as a hobby can prevent us from being trapped by regret when we fail. Mistakes in making gambling a hobby can result in a high level of addiction that is difficult to control.

If you can make gambling a hobby, then whatever the results are, it will only be for fun, not for chasing victory. If you lose, keep chasing until you forget everything.
For me, it's like that in understanding that gambling is a hobby.

[arwin100]

Gambling, like other activities, can be viewed as a hobby by those who enjoy it. For many people, the game of chance, whether it is roulette, blackjack, or slots, provides entertainment and excitement. Just like someone who enjoys playing musical instruments, playing their favorite sports, or any creative activities like painting or even writing, gambling stimulates and provides a break from our everyday lives.

People who like gambling appreciate or like the thrill of risk-taking, the challenge of doubling their money, or having to analyze and have a strategy in certain games. People also enjoy the bond within the person who likes gambling, whether it be at a casino, a simple poker night at home, or even online. 

But still, you need to be a wise gambler if you want this to be a hobby. You should set a limit on the money you are spending. All of our hobbies involve money, so in gambling too, you should better make a limit on it, know when to stop, and be aware of yourself if you are getting addicted.

Gambling is indeed a hobby, but we don't equate this hobby with other hobbies, such as playing a musical instrument, playing your favorite sport, or other creative activities such as painting or even writing. Gambling is very different from other hobbies, as you said, gambling has quite high risks compared to other activities.

You like playing musical instruments, obviously this hobby is very useful apart from being entertainment. If we are serious about exploring this hobby, maybe tomorrow or the day after that you will become a musician. If you like sports and keep practicing, maybe tomorrow or the day after that you will become an athlete or bodybuilder, and even if not, of course this hobby is very useful for maintaining our physical health. Likewise, if you deepen your hobby in painting or writing, maybe tomorrow or the day after that you will become an artist or writer. Meanwhile, when you deepen your hobby of gambling, what benefits can we take, apart from temporary pleasure? Does studying this activity enable us to become professional gambling athletes and make lots of profits? Not necessarily, because the more often we gamble, the more often we will lose.

But in the last paragraph I agree with what was said, that we must apply a limit every time we gamble, whether in terms of costs incurred or time.

It could really be a hobby for some person who enjoys it since there are still lots of people just spend their time on gambling sites since they have nothing to do and want to be preoccupied.

Maybe some other doesn't think its a hobby since they correlate it with addiction which is not really the main case with all people since there's only few percentage of addicted person on gambling industry. Since I still believe that there's still a lot of guy are enjoying without getting any bad complications on this vices they select since they gamble in moderation and still in control on every activities they do. Apply some limits is important since this set something same like warning to other people that they should stop once they reach their limits so that no unwanted incidents would happen to them.

[swogerino]

Not all my gambling is based on a hobby. There are only a few types of gambling games that I include in the hobby category such as sports betting.
Viewing gambling as a hobby can prevent us from being trapped by regret when we fail. Mistakes in making gambling a hobby can result in a high level of addiction that is difficult to control.

If you can make gambling a hobby, then whatever the results are, it will only be for fun, not for chasing victory. If you lose, keep chasing until you forget everything.
For me, it's like that in understanding that gambling is a hobby.

I think you simply cannot have gambling as a hobby as sooner or later it has huge danger that you can become addicted as persons are driven by emotions and emotions can deceive us anytime.I can understand to have hobby videogames,watching a movie or go running to keep yourself fit.I have yet to see someone who has gambling as a hobby and has been doing well over the long run and by long run I mean time span of 5-10 years,no one so far which for me says a lot about why gambling should not be a hobby.

[AprilioMP]

Not all my gambling is based on a hobby. There are only a few types of gambling games that I include in the hobby category such as sports betting.
Viewing gambling as a hobby can prevent us from being trapped by regret when we fail. Mistakes in making gambling a hobby can result in a high level of addiction that is difficult to control.

If you can make gambling a hobby, then whatever the results are, it will only be for fun, not for chasing victory. If you lose, keep chasing until you forget everything.
For me, it's like that in understanding that gambling is a hobby.

I think you simply cannot have gambling as a hobby as sooner or later it has huge danger that you can become addicted as persons are driven by emotions and emotions can deceive us anytime.I can understand to have hobby videogames,watching a movie or go running to keep yourself fit.I have yet to see someone who has gambling as a hobby and has been doing well over the long run and by long run I mean time span of 5-10 years,no one so far which for me says a lot about why gambling should not be a hobby.

Good self-control is the best prevention against being exposed to addiction. So far, gambling just to enjoy while completing the game is still something I do even though I am aware that addiction can occur because players who play to chase victory will be based on emotional outbursts so that self-control cannot apply.

There are differences with me in gambling. Just make it a habit to complete your enjoyment while watching and playing with a financial percentage target that has been prepared beforehand. I don't ignore what you said that it can happen like that to many gamblers.

[Z390]

First of all I will like to define hobby in my own understanding. Something that one like to do always either for pleasure, leisure or entertainment. And example of hobbies which I know. Swimming which can be a game as well, reading which can also be a competition as " reading competition", and anything competition is a game, and sport. Sport can be someone hobby if the person love sports and like to partake in it. And that means something you partake that you have leisure and pleasure can be your hobby.

Why I brought this topic because someone told me here that https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5491756.msg63928115#msg63928115 gambling is not a hobby and from my viewpoint gambling can be a hobby for the addicted gamblers and that argument made me to do some research and I also came up with this Gambling can be a harmless hobby or a serious addiction. and also from another source again Gambling as a hobby is legitimate so long as it starts of as and remains a hobby, which means self-control in order to pursue a satisfactory result with a limited budget
And lot more.

Upon all those sources and explanation, I still need the community input on the argument to know if gambling is a HOBBY so that I and the person will understand more.
Cheers.

If there is no money to make in gambling, will it still be a hobby for those who claimed that gambling is their hobby? I think the answer will be no, when money making is involved in something we like to do I don't think it fits to call such a hobby.

It is like saying your job is your hobby, something you are doing to pay your bills, the smart builder in thr world today spent a lot of time in their private space to build something new, they do it because they love to build stuff.

Gambling will make many people rich if they are lucky thats why they call it an hobby, I like video games and I play it when I am free, I can be called a gamer because its a hobby, I gain nothing but fun from it, not money.
As for gambling, it truly its anyone's hobby, they will end up becoming addicted to it, because you will most times think more about yout hobby, same with gambling too and that will put you in trouble.

[Oasisman]

If you can make gambling a hobby, then whatever the results are, it will only be for fun, not for chasing victory. If you lose, keep chasing until you forget everything.
For me, it's like that in understanding that gambling is a hobby.

Gambling is an expensive hobby. Though it only means that it's just for leisure during free time, but being into it regularly is very prone to addiction. Losing ain't no fun, so chasing for win is inevitable as well as chasing losses. A lot of us knew about the danger of chasing for losses, but there always times that you are out of control and unfortunate things happens as an outcome for being too careless with your betting expenses. Therefore, those people who treat gambling as their hobby are very susceptible to the things that I have mentioned.
IMO, everyone should treat gambling as an outlet to temporarily escape the reality. Twice or thrice a week maybe enough and I'm pretty sure that won't be considered as hobby, since you are not doing it regularly. 

[bettercrypto]

For others, yes, it is a hobby for them, but as time goes by, they always play gambling. This hobby eventually becomes a habit until they develop an addiction to it. And when they reach a point like this, for sure, it's a vice.

It will be difficult for them to get rid of this type of vice; it will take a serious process before they can get rid of it because many will be affected when it is removed from their routine that they did not use before when they were just starting.

[ethereumhunter]

Good self-control is the best prevention against being exposed to addiction. So far, gambling just to enjoy while completing the game is still something I do even though I am aware that addiction can occur because players who play to chase victory will be based on emotional outbursts so that self-control cannot apply.

There are differences with me in gambling. Just make it a habit to complete your enjoyment while watching and playing with a financial percentage target that has been prepared beforehand. I don't ignore what you said that it can happen like that to many gamblers.

Good self-control and limitation will helps gamblers from the addiction but that's not easy as when gamblers involved in gambling deeper, they will lose their self control and limitation slowly. They will not have a chance to holds themselves from playing gambling and when they see the other games in the casino, they will try to playing gambling games and hopes they can wins. We don't have to follows them and must sticks to our rules in gambling so we don't have to gets the same experiences like them. When someone used gambling as a hobby, they will needs to allocates more money to gambling and that can cause them lose control and will breaks their limitations. If you don't wants to becomes addicted to gambling, you should not use gambling as a hobby but as a way to fills your spare time and not use gambling every time you have a spare time.

[Agbe]

If there is no money to make in gambling, will it still be a hobby for those who claimed that gambling is their hobby? I think the answer will be no, when money making is involved in something we like to do I don't think it fits to call such a hobby.

It is like saying your job is your hobby, something you are doing to pay your bills, the smart builder in thr world today spent a lot of time in their private space to build something new, they do it because they love to build stuff.

Gambling will make many people rich if they are lucky thats why they call it an hobby, I like video games and I play it when I am free, I can be called a gamer because its a hobby, I gain nothing but fun from it, not money.
As for gambling, it truly its anyone's hobby, they will end up becoming addicted to it, because you will most times think more about yout hobby, same with gambling too and that will put you in trouble.

Hobby has nothing to do with money. There are some people who just like to play game only for fun without using money and playing games become part of their lives. And as I said gambling is something that one like to do frequently and it became a habit of him. So if you are saying that when we remove money from gambling then gambling is no more a hobby then you don't understand the meaning of hobby. Everyone in the world has their own hobby. And when you read the Op I gave some examples. Travelling can also be a hobby for some people and that does not mean that because the person has no money then traveling will not be his or her hobby. Hobby is very far from money. We have different type of jobs. And if you love your job, like typing setting, teaching, etc can be your Hobby.

[Hirose UK]

Not all my gambling is based on a hobby. There are only a few types of gambling games that I include in the hobby category such as sports betting.
Viewing gambling as a hobby can prevent us from being trapped by regret when we fail. Mistakes in making gambling a hobby can result in a high level of addiction that is difficult to control.

If you can make gambling a hobby, then whatever the results are, it will only be for fun, not for chasing victory. If you lose, keep chasing until you forget everything.
For me, it's like that in understanding that gambling is a hobby.

I think you simply cannot have gambling as a hobby as sooner or later it has huge danger that you can become addicted as persons are driven by emotions and emotions can deceive us anytime.I can understand to have hobby videogames,watching a movie or go running to keep yourself fit.I have yet to see someone who has gambling as a hobby and has been doing well over the long run and by long run I mean time span of 5-10 years,no one so far which for me says a lot about why gambling should not be a hobby.

Everything we do has risks and the risks will vary, apart from gambling having dangerous risks, it has actually been successfully utilized by several people as means of entertainment and having fun.
But regarding the impacts that will occur, I think everything will again depend on the approach, attitude and mindset of each gambler because when everything goes in the opposite direction or goes wrong, the impact that arises can only be bad thing.
Anyone has the opportunity to experience gambling addiction, especially those who are unable to control themselves over time, money and emotions when gambling, so gambling addiction can only be minimized by the attitude of the gamblers themselves.
Regarding whether gambling can be called hobby, this is relatively different, there are gamblers who can say yes and there are those who don't.
But for me, gambling is not hobby because I gamble only for fun and even when there is time and money that is ready to be received when lose.

[danherbias07]

Hobby has nothing to do with money. There are some people who just like to play game only for fun without using money and playing games become part of their lives. And as I said gambling is something that one like to do frequently and it became a habit of him. So if you are saying that when we remove money from gambling then gambling is no more a hobby then you don't understand the meaning of hobby. Everyone in the world has their own hobby. And when you read the Op I gave some examples. Travelling can also be a hobby for some people and that does not mean that because the person has no money then traveling will not be his or her hobby. Hobby is very far from money. We have different type of jobs. And if you love your job, like typing setting, teaching, etc can be your Hobby.

While I do agree with that, I also have some things that I want to point out. It can be about money, but it doesn't mean we are risking it just like how it is in gambling.

There are expensive hobbies but a person would spend his money on them because he likes them and it doesn't mean he will just be wasting it away, he/she will be doing it for his own joy and he is also ready to spend to achieve that.
In gambling it is different. A person will try to win by risking his money and there's an added entertainment with it because of the emotional swings that gambling provides. But, as soon as it gets to the point that we are risking way more money because of different reasons, not enjoyable anymore but more stressful, then I may say it's not a hobby anymore.
Some people do love to gamble, I know a friend who loves playing poker because it became his hobby and until now he ain't spent too much on it. What he does is, he joins tournaments so that it will be a long battle and he can play more while only paying for the entry fee. That's a hobby.

[Mame89]

I think you simply cannot have gambling as a hobby as sooner or later it has huge danger that you can become addicted as persons are driven by emotions and emotions can deceive us anytime.I can understand to have hobby videogames,watching a movie or go running to keep yourself fit.I have yet to see someone who has gambling as a hobby and has been doing well over the long run and by long run I mean time span of 5-10 years,no one so far which for me says a lot about why gambling should not be a hobby.

I agree with you. Gambling should not be used as a hobby because it will be dangerous in the future. because for me there is no point in gambling as a hobby because it will have a bad impact, we know that a hobby is something that keeps us enthusiastic about doing something and makes us try harder in that field so that it becomes something positive. But gambling will not give you anything positive. So for me, gambling is still just entertainment in your spare time, don't make gambling a hobby, let alone a source of income.

Because if you make gambling a hobby, you are afraid you will become addicted. The intention is only to seek entertainment, but if you lose track of time and don't have control, especially gambling excessively can have fatal consequences because even a hobby can lead to addiction. In essence, if a hobby is not controlled it will turn into a mental disorder and addiction.

[Yamifoud]

If you can make gambling a hobby, then whatever the results are, it will only be for fun, not for chasing victory. If you lose, keep chasing until you forget everything.
For me, it's like that in understanding that gambling is a hobby.

Gambling is an expensive hobby. Though it only means that it's just for leisure during free time, but being into it regularly is very prone to addiction. Losing ain't no fun, so chasing for win is inevitable as well as chasing losses. A lot of us knew about the danger of chasing for losses, but there always times that you are out of control and unfortunate things happens as an outcome for being too careless with your betting expenses. Therefore, those people who treat gambling as their hobby are very susceptible to the things that I have mentioned.

Perhaps it was expensive but still, a lot of people do it. No, they are doing this more than a hobby anymore, some people consider this as another source of income dreaming of becoming rich instantly.

If we are just certain in considering this as "entertainment", nobody will able to spend a lot of money. But some gamblers do because they are chasing something unreal. Nobody will spend $1,000 if we are not aftering for something and I can really attest to that because I was in that situation many years ago before I realized that it was wrong.

[summonerrk]

I think you simply cannot have gambling as a hobby as sooner or later it has huge danger that you can become addicted as persons are driven by emotions and emotions can deceive us anytime.I can understand to have hobby videogames,watching a movie or go running to keep yourself fit.I have yet to see someone who has gambling as a hobby and has been doing well over the long run and by long run I mean time span of 5-10 years,no one so far which for me says a lot about why gambling should not be a hobby.

I agree with you. Gambling should not be used as a hobby because it will be dangerous in the future. because for me there is no point in gambling as a hobby because it will have a bad impact, we know that a hobby is something that keeps us enthusiastic about doing something and makes us try harder in that field so that it becomes something positive. But gambling will not give you anything positive. So for me, gambling is still just entertainment in your spare time, don't make gambling a hobby, let alone a source of income.

Because if you make gambling a hobby, you are afraid you will become addicted. The intention is only to seek entertainment, but if you lose track of time and don't have control, especially gambling excessively can have fatal consequences because even a hobby can lead to addiction. In essence, if a hobby is not controlled it will turn into a mental disorder and addiction.

Right.
 The concept of a hobby always means a safe activity that certainly cannot cause addiction or an uncontrollable desire to spend money. Hobbies are usually drawing, music or something similar and harmless. It does not bring capital, but at the same time it does not take it away from the budget: personal or family.
Yes, music or drawing may well later develop into the main activity and bring good money, but gambling is something where money is already heavily involved in the process and most likely is even an integral part of this activity.
Therefore, I personally certainly cannot consider gambling as a hobby.

[0t3p0t]

A hobby is an activity that you enjoy doing in your spare time.

Synonyms: pastime, relaxation, leisure pursuit, sideline

Source: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/hobby

Based on that definition I think gambling can be considered as a hobby though money is involved but as long as you are having fun and responsible on it it is all good.

[Hispo]

For others, yes, it is a hobby for them, but as time goes by, they always play gambling. This hobby eventually becomes a habit until they develop an addiction to it. And when they reach a point like this, for sure, it's a vice.

It will be difficult for them to get rid of this type of vice; it will take a serious process before they can get rid of it because many will be affected when it is removed from their routine that they did not use before when they were just starting.

Sure, It is easy to talk about how a hobby or activity like gambling could turn into a vice or and addiction through time, but it is also important to think why this fact could affect the definition of "hobby" in the mind of some people who would never dare to call gambling to be a hobby.
Having hobbies and interesting things to do in during one's spare time has been associated and understood to be something healthy or even desirable for one's mental well being. There is a good reason so many people who happen to have the means to have a hobby go for it, though, it is very unlikely someone having some hobby like drawing, exercising, or practicing some martial arts will end up with addition to such activity, to be point of decreasing the well being of the person practicing those things. There is where the difference is between the activities some people will call hobbies and other which will not be tagged as such by the same people.

According to the definition of hobby of some people in this thread, we could say drinking alcohol, gambling or even hiring prostitutes are hobbies, but many people out there would raise an eyebrow if suggested those things are hobbies instead of vices.
We must then ask ourselves where the line is, so we can try not to cross and turn our hobby into an addiction.

[knowngunman]

Not all my gambling is based on a hobby. There are only a few types of gambling games that I include in the hobby category such as sports betting.
Viewing gambling as a hobby can prevent us from being trapped by regret when we fail. Mistakes in making gambling a hobby can result in a high level of addiction that is difficult to control.

If you can make gambling a hobby, then whatever the results are, it will only be for fun, not for chasing victory. If you lose, keep chasing until you forget everything.
For me, it's like that in understanding that gambling is a hobby.

I don't think it really matters whether you worry about the lose or not, as far as you like doing it, it is your hobby. Going by the general definition of hobby and as stated by Op, it's anything you enjoy doing during your spare time. Of course, gambling can be seen as ones hobby but it's a dangerous one that needs to be approached responsibly. Hobby are meant to give us happiness whenever doing it but in the case of gambling, that happiness will not longer be there when you allow yourself to get addicted and battling with the loses. Regardless of joy one derive from gambling, it has to be done moderately due to it nature of how easily it can be addictive.

According to the definition of hobby of some people in this thread, we could say drinking alcohol, gambling or even hiring prostitutes are hobbies, but many people out there would raise an eyebrow if suggested those things are hobbies instead of vices.
We must then ask ourselves where the line is, so we can try not to cross and turn our hobby into an addiction.

Lol, these examples you mentioned are hobbies of course but they are very shameful ones that we can not be proud to mention them as our hobby when asked in public. No doubt about it, most of the time these hobbies eventually turn into addiction but we are not ready for this argument since majority don't even know their hobby.

[bitbunnny]

A hobby is an activity that you enjoy doing in your spare time.

Synonyms: pastime, relaxation, leisure pursuit, sideline

Source: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/hobby

Based on that definition I think gambling can be considered as a hobby though money is involved but as long as you are having fun and responsible on it it is all good.

No matter the true definition gambling is hobby as long as it has a form of fun in your spare time and sometthing that you enjoy regardless of final outcome.
At the moment when you relay on gambling as a only source of income or additional source of money it becomes much more serious, you put much more effort and time in it and it can't no longer be defined as a hobby.

[Aanuoluwatofunmi]

Gambling is a hubby and not an addiction, but it is only when the people are wrongly engaging it that will make it turns to something different from what they have intended of it to be, gambling can also be our hubby because its what we like doing and have fun whenever we are on it, we can encourage other gamblers who are just starting in understanding much about these, which will help them maintain a stable and suitable lifestyle with how they are gambling.