Recently a "not-so-close" family member called and asked for my help.
She hoped that I can "save" her by lending her a few thousands ringgit.
She is a notorious gambler which is always debt-ridden.
Other family members have helped her to pay off her debts in the past but she somehow will get back into debt again and again.
And she never pay back the money she "borrowed".
What will you do if you were me?
My answer is a definite and firm NO.
If she asks me why, I will tell her the truth that my debts are hundred times more than hers.
I spend the minimum I can everyday, I work hard and save hard for the future of my children and family.
Do you think that I will give her the money to throw into the river?
There are other people who are more deserved to get the money.
To be frank, I hate gambling, even though I am not totally against it.
For me, if you want to gamble, please use your own excess money.
If you borrow to gamble, then you are digging your own grave.
If you borrow to gamble, then you are digging your own grave.
I believe that there are lots of "pathological gamblers" around us.
These are the people who are so addicted to gambling until it becomes a disease or disorder.
Most of them are in the lower socio-economic group such as hawkers, renovation/construction workers, small business owners, drivers, salespersons, operators, housewives etc.
They all have financial difficulty and naturally they want more money. So gambling will be the easiest & fastest way for them to get rich.
If you advise them to save their money every month and learn to invest wisely so that they can have a chance to live comfortably in 20-30 years time, they will laugh at you.
For them, they can have a chance to get rich in few days time, why need to wait for so many years?
Sometimes they win but most of the time they will lose.
They will finally succumb to the euphoria of winning small and just cannot stop from gambling after that.
They will finally succumb to the euphoria of winning small and just cannot stop from gambling after that.
Since they are basically poor, where to get the money to gamble then?
The easiest way is to borrow, from relatives, friends and even Ah Long.
The fact is, they will lose all the money eventually. What will they do next?
They will borrow again from other people to pay back the earlier creditors, and then gamble again and hope they will have more luck this time.
If the creditors are too kind and not going after them, definitely they will not pay them back. They would rather use any available money to gamble.
More money in means more chances to win.
If you don't have a pathological gambler around you, then you are damn lucky.
I'm not that lucky though. I have a time bomb very very close to me.
I know what those gamblers' behaviours are like.
They will give you one thousand and one reasons on why they need to gamble.
They are expert in telling lies especially when borrowing money and when dealing with creditors.
They will steal when in dire need for money.
They can have more than 10 debtors at a time.
They always make empty promise on quitting gambling.
The best part is, they will never learn. They never learn the fact that the more they gamble, the more they lose.
Even though they are hassled by Ah Long, they will also never learn from that bad experience.
These are what we call "pathological".
Can they be treated with counselling etc? It is easier said that done.
If I rule the country, I will ban gambling.
There will be no casino, Toto, Magnum, online gambling and those stupid internet cafes etc.
Gambling has made the poor poorer, reduced the productivity of our workforce, ruined the future of our teens besides giving rise to so many family and social problems.
How about the stock market?
For me, stock market is a heaven for gambling, but it just cannot be banned, right?
Gambling in the stock market is absolutely legal.
I can foresee that in the near future more and more young people will engage in stock market gambling.
In casino, we play Big & Small. In stock market, we play Up & Down.
I can foresee that in the near future more and more young people will engage in stock market gambling.
In casino, we play Big & Small. In stock market, we play Up & Down.
People can easily get addicted to this excitement, operated just by a few clicks in front of computers, or a few swipes on the smartphones.
Not enough money to "play" stocks?
No problem. We can legally borrow money to gamble in stock market as well.
Again, I'm not totally against gambling in stock market, as long as one is disciplined enough to control their greed and use only excess money.
No problem. We can legally borrow money to gamble in stock market as well.
Again, I'm not totally against gambling in stock market, as long as one is disciplined enough to control their greed and use only excess money.
Sometimes we read news that gamblers lodge complaints because they are being harassed by Ah Long or their family members want to cut ties with them.
I think they probably deserve that.
Please forgive me for being harsh to such gamblers.
You may not share the same feeling with me may be because you never face such gamblers close to you in real life.
