The Silent Cost of Gambling: Time, focus, and Opportunities

[Natalim]

Anyway, for me, besides time; I think it's discipline. It's this lack of self discipline that throws a lot of gamblers into addiction. For the parents among us, indiscipline can cost us lack of parental responsibility where one won't have enough family and spousal time.

I’m a parent as well, and I’ve never experienced gambling causing problems in my family. I can still put food on the table and send my children to a good school. So even though I gamble, I don’t see it as a threat that could ruin my financial standing.

Maybe that’s the difference when you don’t treat gambling as a way out of poverty. My mindset has always been that gambling is for entertainment. If I make a profit, that’s a bonus, but I know my chances and I don’t risk more than what I’m supposed to. Being a business owner also helped me a lot when it comes to managing risk properly. That’s why I consider myself a responsible gambler.

[Kelward]

These silent costs of gambling affects irresponsible gamblers who use their productive time when they have to be at work, they loose focus and opportunities to engage in sure productivities to waste on gambling. Responsible gamblers only gambles at their leisure times when they are free and wants to unwind, they can relax and gamble with small amounts because they know that gambling shouldn't be treated like a job. What you are saying applies mainly to addicted gamblers who have become unreasonable, they are the ones who waste productive times on gambling, they don't care about opportunities that they are missing anytime they overstay while gambling.

[Charles-Tim]

It’s written on every casino when we sign up, responsible gambling.
If we stick to that, we usually won’t run into problems. Once we go the other way, that’s when we experience the things OP listed.

I have not seen people should gamble responsibly on any gambling site before when I visit the gambling site or when I am about to sign up, but you are not still wrong because anyone that reads the gambling sites terms of service, it is truly there on all the gambling sites that I have went through their terms of service before. Just like Stake.com, it is included on Stake.com terms of service which I use most of the time to gamble.

We’re not stupid, we’re aware of the consequences. And yet, there’s always that question in my mind, why do we still have to make mistakes first before we actually learn?

Another thing is that after they are losing, some people will not blame it on tlhemselves but be blaming it on the gambling sites. It is innate for humans to know that gambling is extremely risky.

[qwertyup23]

basically, time is a higher price to pay than a small win they get. Of course, big wins compensate for that time, but this don't always come to gamblers. Sports betting may be easier to manage time, but for card and slot players, they can waste more time, so taking a break may not be an option anymore for several gambler, this also become a reason for gambler to continue betting even when losing or following trap to betting more.

Just to add on the extensive list provided by OP, any hobby you dedicated to takes time. Even the simplest thing that we do takes away our time on this earth- it all depends on whether we would consider the things we use our time "well-spent" by any means.

Sure, gambling involves money; losing means less money but we also have the consider the invisible aspect that it gives which is entertainment. That alone is something that time and money can only provide.

These silent costs of gambling affects irresponsible gamblers who use their productive time when they have to be at work, they loose focus and opportunities to engage in sure productivities to waste on gambling. Responsible gamblers only gambles at their leisure times when they are free and wants to unwind, they can relax and gamble with small amounts because they know that gambling shouldn't be treated like a job. What you are saying applies mainly to addicted gamblers who have become unreasonable, they are the ones who waste productive times on gambling, they don't care about opportunities that they are missing anytime they overstay while gambling.

Like what was mentioned, being a responsible gambler solves every aspect of the equation here. If people want to fully maximize gambling, then being responsible and financially settled can be the solution to most gamblers affecting addiction in the process.

[Itz-prisigold]

Anyway, for me, besides time; I think it's discipline. It's this lack of self discipline that throws a lot of gamblers into addiction. For the parents among us, indiscipline can cost us lack of parental responsibility where one won't have enough family and spousal time.

I’m a parent as well, and I’ve never experienced gambling causing problems in my family. I can still put food on the table and send my children to a good school. So even though I gamble, I don’t see it as a threat that could ruin my financial standing.

Maybe that’s the difference when you don’t treat gambling as a way out of poverty. My mindset has always been that gambling is for entertainment. If I make a profit, that’s a bonus, but I know my chances and I don’t risk more than what I’m supposed to. Being a business owner also helped me a lot when it comes to managing risk properly. That’s why I consider myself a responsible gambler.

I get your point and I agree with you that gambling is not always a problem. People that gamble responsible do exists, and you sound like you do a good job managing it.  My post wasn’t trying to say gambling always ruins people's finances or family. I was trying to explain to people who don’t see the other side, especially those who have good self control and make enough money to pay the bills.

And I'm not speaking from assumptions, In the betting shop I was a cashier at, some people would come immediately I open the shop in the morning and lose money all day without ever leaving, they sit in the shop till my closing time busy chasing losses. One of the funniest day was when a man got he's salary and came to the betting shop to bet with he's salary because he wanted to multiply the money 😂 the worst part is that this man loss all the money, I felt so bad for him because he couldn't go home and what will he tell he's wife?  They weren’t all desperate people. Some people were just stuck in a cycle and couldn’t quit.

I’ve seen money that should have gone to family or other responsibilities, end up on a bet with the expectation that they would win it back,  Even my old boss who owns the place and knows gambling the best,  would sometimes get stuck in that thinking. That is why I pay more attention to time more than just money. It's not that I think your story is wrong. I just think it’s one perspective. There is another perspective and that’s what I specifically wanted to point out.

[aioc]

There are always losses when gambling  and when people talk about losses, they almost always talk about money. They talk about how much was lost, how much they could have been won, or how close they were to hitting a big one. To me, money is only the visible part of the cost,  what about all the time, focus, and opportunities you have missed from chasing these bets?

You should first ask yourself what you're going to get in gambling before you indulge yourself. If you focus on your losses like money, time, and opportunities, then you will end up regretting why you gamble.

But if your focus is on the experience, like the fun and the excitement, and you treat your friends every time you win, then gambling is worth the time and money you spend in the casino, only spend money that you can afford to lose, concentrate on the fun side, if you do this then you are good.

[danherbias07]

It's long, but it's worth the read. I guess it's because I have been there, and I experienced it.

In my case, it was time that was taken from me mostly. I don't forget doing other things like household chores, and some stuff about work. It's all in my mind, but I cannot do it because I just want to keep on gambling. I was chasing my losses most of the time, and sometimes it takes hours of gambling before I stop. The added problem was the stress. I was frustrated after ending my gambling session, and not just by the money I lost but also the time.
I have not done what I usually do, like cleaning, and some other things that I traditionally do. Thankfully, it hit me, I lessened my gambling time, and then stopped playing slots. Now, I am back to what I am used to doing.

[Don Pedro Dinero]

All the ‘costs’ listed in the OP only apply if you bet more than you should. Nobody thinks about the cost of gambling in terms of time, money or focus if they only bet once a month.

You should first ask yourself what you're going to get in gambling before you indulge yourself. If you focus on your losses like money, time, and opportunities, then you will end up regretting why you gamble.

But if your focus is on the experience, like the fun and the excitement, and you treat your friends every time you win, then gambling is worth the time and money you spend in the casino, only spend money that you can afford to lose, concentrate on the fun side, if you do this then you are good.

What you're saying is the same thing: the fun side is usually experienced with occasional sessions where you bet within your budget. If you start to think that you're wasting time, money or other things because of gambling, maybe you should be consistent and at least bet less.

[rachael9385]

A well detailed topic, time is a cost that a lot of people don't talk about based on the fact that money is the only thing that is prioritised. But over the years I figured out that the more time you spend gambling the more addicted you become, this is what makes time such a key factor when it comes to gambling. opportunities too can be lost especially when the gambler becomes absent minded and focuses only on gambling

[Sim_card]

This is where self control and discipline plays a major role in your gambling life. As a responsible gambler, you only gamble during your leisure time because that's the time that you are free. After all, all works and no play males Jack a dull boy. As human we have our own time to have fum, use that fun time to gamble.

[Nathrixxx]

If we are gambling the way we should be doing it, then there's nothing to worry about because things are definitely going to fall in place for us, but many are doing it wrongly and expecting for the best result from it, which is mostly impossible, because how we gamble determines if we are wasting our time, money or any other opportunity that could come out way, that is why we ought to be a responsible gambler at all cost.

[purple_sparkles]

Time is a resource that we cannot replenish. And if a person spends it only on entertainment, they will most likely be unhappy because they won’t be fulfilled. Our happiness directly depends on our self-esteem, and self-esteem depends on our self-realization.

[Die_empty]

What do you think is the most overlooked expense of gambling?

In my location I know some young and old people who spend a large quarter of their time in physical gambling shops. Some of them are addicted to gambling to the extent that they have lost their job. Some are just unemployed folks who see gambling as a major source of income. I don't spend much time on gambling. The time are use for gambling is my time for fun. Those who waste time that would have been used for productive activities on gambling will regret it later in life.

Responsible gambling is not just about gambling with an amount you can afford lose. It also involves using spare time for gambling. Anyone who uses time for work to engage in gambling is irresponsible.

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

There is a price for every decisions or choices that we make, in gambling the price paid is time and money, some losses can not be recovered for life while some precious lost times can not also be recovered because same opportunities might not repeat itself again but most of victims to situations like that are irresponsible gamblers. Since I started gambling, I know that at some point I was being very compulsive but there's no important opportunity I lost because of gambling. I treated every opportunity first before gambling or anything else. I don't gamble what the time is not right, for example, if I'm not free, I won't gamble until I'm just less busy. I know most people don't but I'm not party to such approach in gambling.

[danadc]

These silent costs of gambling affects irresponsible gamblers who use their productive time when they have to be at work, they loose focus and opportunities to engage in sure productivities to waste on gambling. Responsible gamblers only gambles at their leisure times when they are free and wants to unwind, they can relax and gamble with small amounts because they know that gambling shouldn't be treated like a job. What you are saying applies mainly to addicted gamblers who have become unreasonable, they are the ones who waste productive times on gambling, they don't care about opportunities that they are missing anytime they overstay while gambling.

There's no doubt about how and when to gamble. When I'm at work, I don't even look at my computer or phone to gamble at a casino because that means a lack of concentration and I could lose a lot of money, so it's not safe to do it Another thing is that when we create ways to gamble, it's better to do it at home and when we have free time , so we don't risk something as delicate as our job or risk our money.

[xbetz.io]

This is a good post and I agree with the core idea that money is only the visible part of the loss. One thing I’d add is that in crypto gambling, the cost is often amplified by time + locked capital, not just emotional attachment. When withdrawals are delayed, limited or segmented (daily/monthly caps), the player is forced to stay exposed to the platform longer than intended. Even disciplined players are then paying an additional “time cost", constantly checking status, support, limits or recalculating what could have been done differently.

This creates a subtle but dangerous loop:
   - Capital is locked
   - Time and attention remain invested
   - The temptation to “use what’s there” increases

That’s why I think withdrawal mechanics matter more than bonuses or RTP in the long run. A casino that pays reliably and predictably reduces not only financial risk, but also the psychological and time-based cost described here. The silent cost isn’t just lost hours, it’s lost optionality. Time and capital stuck in a system you no longer want to engage with.

[adultcrypto]

There is nothing special about these costs, every business require them so it is not peculiar to gambling. There is no business you will go into today that you will not need to spend time, energy and resource in the planning and implementation. This is why these important factors are not too considered as cost in gambling, rather the cash that is invested is the major thing everyone look at. If you lose others and at the end of the day money entered your account, you will feel satisfied but the only time you remember you lost something precious is when you lose money.

[SuperBitMan]

The only people that loses all this you just mentioned are those who are addicted to gambling those who are not addicted to gambling can never lose all that to gambling because they are not addicted to it. Gambling can never take the time of someone who is not addicted to it can only make someone who is not addicted to gambling to lose opportunity of a better life, as for me I only gamble when I’m not doing anything and I just want to pass time with it, I gamble for fun and not to become rich, the reason why some set of people gamble is to become rich and when you gamble for only that reason you will not only lose money you will lose your time and opportunity of becoming a better person.

[DubemIfedigbo001]

1. Time is First Thing Gambling Takes

When you're disciplined enough, gambling does not take away your productive time, you plan yourself properly and apportion appropriate time to it. I gamble at night, and limit my session to max, 2hrs.

2. Gambling Takes Attention From You and You Don’t Realize It

When you gamble during productive times, like during work, this is obtainable. To curb this some institutions require you to not to use your mobile phones until breaks or when you leave the office. Again, this is obtainable from an irresponsible gambler.

3. Missed Opportunities

Do you go for swimming, dates or even casual meetups with your friends?
Maybe you're missing out on opportunities too while you engage in such. If you've learned to gamble responsibly, you don't miss opportunities due to it. Gambling can be treated as a form of recreation and recreation times are important for recovery.

I would tell you for free that people miss more opportunities when they spend a lot of time on social media, streaming channels and gossiping. They miss more opportunities doing those than even gambling.

Lastly:

This post is not about telling people to stop gambling,  people are free to do whatever they want. The post only explains that gambling takes more than money.  Sometimes we lose things that we do not realize are more valuable than money.

Well, your post buildup looks as though you're discouraging gambling, but honestly, these are obtainable only from irresponsible gambling. We still have lots of responsible gamblers who gamble and are very much productive.

[Hispo]

Honestly, I believe if one is responsible enough with gambling, there would not be missed opportunities because one chose to partake in gambling or betting, it rather sounds like a problem from someone who would not know where to stop their session and would have no roof for their gambling budget to begin with.

Though, I agree time spent on casinos and bookies cannot be recovered, however we could say the same of any other activity, because all activities require an investment of our time in order for us to master it. If we see gambling as entertainment and the fact we exchange our time for entertainment (in the same manner we do when we go to the movies, for example) then gambling is not a complete loss of time as many people picture it.