In what way can gambling be called entertainment?

[DrBeer]

I know many people believe that gambling is a form of entertainment, but how exactly do we treat it as entertainment when in reality, we are spending money on it?

[1] reality is, the more we gamble, the more we spend. Have we really noticed that?
[2] if gambling is entertainment does that mean we only see it that way when we are winning? Or can we still call it entertainment even when we are losing?

For me, this is where it gets confusing because when people watch movies, play video games, or go out with friends, they spend money too. They don’t expect to get that money back because they just pay for the experience. But in gambling, it is different because there is always that hope of winning, and once money is involved, some people stop seeing it as entertainment and start treating it like a way to earn, which can become risky.

So maybe gambling can only be called entertainment if we already accept that the money we use might be gone. Once we start chasing losses or expecting profit, then maybe it is no longer entertainment anymore.

What do you think? Can gambling still be called entertainment even when we are losing, or is it only entertaining when we win?

Great topic, thank you for it !
Gambling is only a DISTRIBUTION, and a PAYING one at that.
As I have already written many times - yes, there is a CHANCE that in the end of this entertainment you will get BONUS in the form of winnings. But nobody guarantees you that and there are no mechanisms to take into account the chance of winning without increasing the price of entertainment. And even this does not guarantee anything.B
In a good scenario - we pay for the game and get emotions, adrenaline, dopamine and other events. That's the right approach. But when you set the goal of the game as WINNING, monetary winnings, you actually become a hostage of this entertainment. You want to win and money - take up for example boxing, win fights, get rewarded ! But it is difficult, it is dangerous, and ... there's no guarantee that you'll get anything out of it.) Therefore, most people choose a more comfortable way - to hope to win in gambling
But you should change your approach and take gambling as entertainment, with a manageable budget, life will be very different, more positive and predictable

[Joy- maker]

What do you think? Can gambling still be called entertainment even when we are losing, or is it only entertaining when we win?

To some people gambling become entertainment only when they are winning, but the moment they start losing gambling stop being entertainment, which to me does not make any sense.  If you are like me and you see gambling as entertainment, whether you are winning or losing it should remain entertaining.

Personally, i gamble because i want to entertain myself through gambling, so it does not matter whether i win or lose because i always gamble is an amount of money i can afford to lose.  And to answer your question OP, gambling should be considered entertainment whether you are losing or winning.

[ejikeme24]

What do you think? Can gambling still be called entertainment even when we are losing, or is it only entertaining when we win?

For me the only way I can consider gambling as entertainment is when I'm not betting with money, but as long as i use my money to bet, at that point I'm no longer gambling for fun. Some people seem to be misunderstanding this term "gamble for fun" a fun gambler don't make a bet. What they do is just to watch the game Play, of  course I could remember the day I decided not to gamble and just decide to watch the gamble Play, that day I feel very relaxed because I'm not expecting a particular outcome neither I'm afraid of losing so this is how gambling should be treated if fun is what you want but if you're not for fun (profit) then you can bet with real cash.

[Kelward]

I wonder why some gamblers finds it hard to believe that there are gamblers that are capable of gambling for entertainment just because they cannot do so, as there are serious gamblers that gambles to make money is same way others are gambling to thrill themselves. It is very possible to gamble for entertainment, it is just a matter of shifting your focus to enjoy yourself while gambling just like you will will paying money to watch your favorite games. There is nothing wrong with winning in gambling but as a fun seeker in gambling you're not desperate to win, not like you don't like winning, there is a big difference between both narratives for winning.

[Finestream]

Just accept the fact that having an entertainment comes with a price to pay, and gambling is not an exception. You pay when you bet, but never expect that you will make guaranteed returns because that's where the essence of gambling as an entertainment will be lost. Just keep this mindset, you're lucky when you win, but losing shouldn't be treated bitter. It's okay to lose a minimal amount in exchange of the entertainment you felt every time you are gambling.

Otherwise, you don't gamble to entertain yourself, but you are here to invest and expect guaranteed returns. And when it happens, when you fail on gambling, its hard for you to feel the entertainment anymore.

[freedomgo]

Gamblers are normally greedy and more than the entertainment they experience from gambling, they also want to go beyond that by gambling to make money and earn profitably. But the question is, is this possible in gambling? Maybe yes for lucky ones, but luck does not happen all the time. We get to be even more unlucky than being lucky with gambling.

So in what way gambling remains an entertainment? I guess it highly depends on how you define entertainment. If you get entertained with consistent wins and earn money profitably, then sure you have to gamble to make money, but if you are okay with it seeing gambling itself as an entertainment alone, then just focus on enjoying your game, without getting pressured to maintain a good win.

[Vaculin]

I would still call it entertainment regardless of the outcome, whether it is a loss or a win.

The entertainment we feel is during the process, while we are gambling, so we only feel sad if the outcome is a loss and happy if we win. In short, there is always some kind of entertainment in it, and that is what makes us come back. Because if it is not entertaining, who would come back to gamble while losing money? So that is the best justification I see, and I think some will agree with that.

That should how a gambler define entertainment with gambling, regardless of the outcome, the fact that you still want to keep coming back, that only means that you enjoy your game, that you get amazed with different features in gambling.

And even if we are desperate at times when we are heavily at loss, I think that's just normal. Don't expect for someone to get happy after a losing streak. But knowing that gambler still decides to come back gambling, either to chase his losses or just continue to enjoy gambling, or whatever his reason is, that justifies that gambling still called an entertainment even after that, a huge loss is waiting ahead.

[Orpichukwu]

Whether, you're losing or not the sole purpose of gambling is for entertainment and not a means of making profit. Just like you said about paying for your ticket to watch a movie, after the movie, you don't get your money back and if you want to put it that you're losing, then you are wrong. Same with gambling, you pay to use the casino and profit is a reward to say thank you, but not to all because it's only for the lucky ones

Just like the saying "If you want to enjoy gambling, treat it as you treat every form of entertainment," you pay to enjoy a service, and the service doesn't give you anything back in return. You pay to drink beer, which doesn't give you anything back in return aside from the feelings and many others which we can't get monetary value out from.

[knuckey]

I know many people believe that gambling is a form of entertainment, but how exactly do we treat it as entertainment when in reality, we are spending money on it?

Entertainment does, in fact, cost money. That's relatable and natural. It's right to call it entertainment. The problem is, I believe this entertainment is actually a mask for people who gamble. Everyone can say it's for fun, but they'll also be sad, disappointed, and even angry when they lose. That's normal because gambling is a game. The problem is easily solved if you understand which money can be used for daily living and which is free money that can be used for gambling.

[Franklyn-wood]

I would still call it entertainment regardless of the outcome, whether it is a loss or a win.

The entertainment we feel is during the process, while we are gambling, so we only feel sad if the outcome is a loss and happy if we win. In short, there is always some kind of entertainment in it, and that is what makes us come back. Because if it is not entertaining, who would come back to gamble while losing money? So that is the best justification I see, and I think some will agree with that.

That should how a gambler define entertainment with gambling, regardless of the outcome, the fact that you still want to keep coming back, that only means that you enjoy your game, that you get amazed with different features in gambling.

And even if we are desperate at times when we are heavily at loss, I think that's just normal. Don't expect for someone to get happy after a losing streak. But knowing that gambler still decides to come back gambling, either to chase his losses or just continue to enjoy gambling, or whatever his reason is, that justifies that gambling still called an entertainment even after that, a huge loss is waiting ahead.

Sports are majorly for entertainment from origin. As we know that gambling is what make sports sweet interesting today, as a lot of people derives joy in the opportunity available to get more money from the site, is the joy that is in gambling environment. If gambling   is competitive which means that there must be a winner and a loser, managing risk involved in gambling should be able something to be considered every now and then to avoid losses that causes depression.

[alastantiger]

The fact that something is for entertainment, simply means that one's priority shouldn't be on whether that activity is fetching money or it isn't... Meaning that any gambler who plans to gamble for entertainment should gamble without placing their attention on if gambling is being profitable or it isn't... Anyone who is majorly concerned about profits isn't gambling for entertainment, and the implication is that it could very well make gambler to start chasing their losses in the hopes of getting more profit and also recovering what's was lost...

Someone can also make a living from what is entertaining them but what makes it different from it being a job and a hobby is the fact that you'll be willing to do that thing despite you being paid or not. When something is an entertainment it means you enjoy doing it and you don't mind being rewarded for what you are doing or not hence for gambling to be as an entertainment to you then you don't have to have any intention of making money from the games that you are playing but that does not mean if you are fortunate to receive some reward that you will forfeit it. Gambling is quite difficult for it to be classified as an entertainment despite we are trying to make it one but that does not also mean you can't have fun while gambling without having money at the back of your mind.

[Italian Panic]

Gambling is fun when you can spend small amounts, or at least amounts you can afford to lose and, quite simply, you don’t feel a compulsive urge to bet or play.
For example, there are those who spend money on slot machines whilst having a beer in the pub, and there are those who lock themselves in their room and spend money on buying a costume/hat/weapons in an online video game... what’s the difference? Is one okay because it’s a game and the other isn’t because it’s a slot machine?

[livingfree]

It's the same going to the arcades.

We spend money in entertaining ourselves playing those games that gives fun. If we fun, that's just a consolation.

But the real value comes from the usage of the facility and the arcade and that's the same with the casinos, we use them and we pay them through losing.

[Russlenat]

Gambling is fun when you can spend small amounts, or at least amounts you can afford to lose and, quite simply, you don’t feel a compulsive urge to bet or play.
For example, there are those who spend money on slot machines whilst having a beer in the pub, and there are those who lock themselves in their room and spend money on buying a costume/hat/weapons in an online video game... what’s the difference? Is one okay because it’s a game and the other isn’t because it’s a slot machine?

Small amount for me does not make gambling fun, why? Because I would not feel the thrill with it. It has always been about what you can afford to lose, since we do not have the same financial status in life. For some, $100 in gambling is just a small amount, while for others it is already big.

So there is really no specific amount, the amount we risk should be something that gives us some thrill so we can really feel the entertainment value of gambling. Otherwise, the gambling session will be boring, just my own definition.

[mirakal]

Gambling should always be a form of entertainment, no if's and but's. That's how it was specifically designed, those who gamble for income are just motivated by their greed factor, but gambling platforms do not allow these people to gain sustainable income from gambling, that's against with the nature of their business as every business seeks for constant profits, not to experiences losses just because gamblers are winning on the other side.

And regardless if gamblers are winning or losing, the fact remains that gambling is still in its best form of entertainment, even if others accused gambling casinos for creating rigged games just to secure their wins.

[Churchillvv]

At every point gambling is entertainment until you decide it’s not going to entertain you anymore.

You can be gambling and one day you find yourself needing the potential outcome of your stake and from that moment the thing which used to be mere fun based on how you perceived it will automatically turn to a financial breakthrough for you and hence it immediately declines from the point of fun to a point of recovery.

[Orpichukwu]

At every point gambling is entertainment until you decide it’s not going to entertain you anymore.

You can be gambling and one day you find yourself needing the potential outcome of your stake and from that moment the thing which used to be mere fun based on how you perceived it will automatically turn to a financial breakthrough for you and hence it immediately declines from the point of fun to a point of recovery.

I always believe that before someone starts thinking about chasing losses in gambling, they have already started viewing gambling as a place to double their money; if not, they will be wise enough to risk only what they can spare, and such an amount barely triggers revenge. It can only cloud your mind with sadness, but you can easily get over those losses, but it's a different case when you have risked too much more than you can bear.

[Floczy]

Gambling is for entertainment, but not everyone take it as entertainment,
The individuals that take gambling for entertainment actually have fun and they don't worry about their losses
But the other individuals that take it seriously actually get hurt when they face losses
So it is for entertainment for those who take it that way

[AmoreJaz]

Gambling should always be a form of entertainment, no if's and but's. That's how it was specifically designed, those who gamble for income are just motivated by their greed factor, but gambling platforms do not allow these people to gain sustainable income from gambling, that's against with the nature of their business as every business seeks for constant profits, not to experiences losses just because gamblers are winning on the other side.

And regardless if gamblers are winning or losing, the fact remains that gambling is still in its best form of entertainment, even if others accused gambling casinos for creating rigged games just to secure their wins.

However, most gamblers treat gambling as a way to earn money. That's the usual dilemma of most gamblers as they find a way how to earn money from this activity and not really just to play and enjoy. That's when they will encounter some hiccups especially if they are using money that is not for gambling.

[lombok]

Gambling is for entertainment, but not everyone take it as entertainment,
The individuals that take gambling for entertainment actually have fun and they don't worry about their losses
But the other individuals that take it seriously actually get hurt when they face losses
So it is for entertainment for those who take it that way

Excessive seriousness to the game is a usual start of the tragic addictive use. The tendency to concentrate on winning in order to recover losses is not the right way to go and might aggravate the situation. The only correct action is to get out of such a setting and get the assistance of professional in order to get back to your peace of mind.