Author: horse-racing-free-tips

Not many people argue that gambling and playing at casinos is great fun, especially when you have hit a winning streak and feel yourself confident. Some casino games require skill besides luck, so you may think that more you learn these games the more you’re going to win, depending on what’s your game. Compulsive gambling and gamblind addiction makes you realize that only thing you will ever master is skill of losing your money, besides that bigger skill often means more money lost… in the long run.

Blinking slots, blackjack and baccarat tables mixed with humble atmosphere and attractive female dealers creates a mixture of seductive environment, I admit. And if you are not prepared or don’t have the knowledge of the games and the odds, you can get addicted quickly and your addiction may become a compulsive need. It does not mean you are retarded, it’s actually quite “human” and coded into us.

Gamblers Anonymous homepage describes compulsive gambling as an illness that is progressive in its nature, which can never be cured, but can be arrested. Before coming to Gamblers Anonymous, many compulsive gamblers thought of themselves as morally weak, or at times just plain ‘no good’. The Gamblers Anonymous concept is that compulsive gamblers are really very sick people who can recover if they will follow to the best of their ability a simple program that has proved successful for thousands of other men and women with a gambling or compulsive gambling problem.

Gambling can be compared with addiction to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or junk-food. It’s very often as destructive and dangerous as other addictions, often ruining relationships, careers and even ones life. It’s very important to start seeking help ASAP when you think you can’t control your gambling habit anymore!

Gamblers Anonymous say that compulsive gambler needs to be willing to accept the fact that he or she is in the grip of a progressive illness and has a desire to get well. Their experience has shown that the Gamblers Anonymous program will always work for any person who has a desire to stop gambling. However, it will never work for the person who will not face squarely the facts about this illness.

Gamblers Anonymous offers the following questions to anyone who may have a gambling problem. These questions are provided to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling.

TWENTY QUESTIONS

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
3. Did gambling affect your reputation?
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5. Did you ever gamble to get money to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
12. Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?
13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?
16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20. Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.

We take you through the first week that Arlene made the conscious decision to stop gambling. This was a very emotional period where Arlene’s self esteem was at the lowest in her life. She’s a single woman who was just about to turn thirty-six years old and her life was crumbling around her.

Arlene decided to share her story of how she made it through her first week as a non gambler. Her goal was to reach out to others who also have a compulsive gambling addiction because she remembers the pain she went through.

From the first day until the seventh day, Arlene went through various emotional revelations that helped her to achieve her goals. She was a special person with a good sense of humor. Even through her self destructive period she always had a smile on her face. For this reason alone people close to her never realized she had a problem gambling.

Arlene easily made it through her first day because she had already depleted her checking and savings accounts. She had also maxed out her credit cards. She fortunately would have to wait three more days till pay day before she could gamble again. In the past she borrowed from friends and then would have to give them half her pay check to pay them back. She remembers the pain she was in with no one she could tell or talked to. She was afraid her family and friends would not understand. She didn’t even understand how this happened to her. She decided to go online and find help. She tried a year earlier Gamblers Anonymous, but it was something that she could not relate to. She found a website called I Stopped Gambling So Can You http://www.istoppedgambling.com. She liked the name of the site and decided to give it a try. She purchased a self help manual and a year membership to the chat room. Her first thought was “How can something under fifty dollars really help a person who has lost thousands of dollars gambling in one year?” Then she thought maybe she shouldn’t spend any money right now. Her mind was playing tricks with her. During this time she was confused, had major amounts of guilt for losing so much money and her self esteem was at her lowest. She decided to make the investment in herself. This was her justification for the purchase. She eagerly read the manual and joined in the I Stop Gambling chat room. A whole new world opened up for her.

In the chat room she met others who could relate to her and help her understand what she was going through. Each and every day she would follow the manual and pop in and out of the chat room. There were times where the chat room was quiet, so she left messages on the tag board of when she would be chatting and other members joined in.

As each day passed during Arlene’s first week, she noticed changes in your behavior. For the first time she was taking it one day at a time. She was planning for her future and starting to realize she could live with out gambling. She admitted to people that she was contemplating suicide because she felt there was no way out. She once told me she wouldn’t mind living in a cave as long as her life was peaceful. Her self destructive behavior and low self esteem was taking its toll on Arlene.

The one other thing that kept Arlene from going back to gambling was the pain she was in and finally realized she can now move forward with an anticipated positive future.

Some people have close friends they can talk to. What ever it takes to share what you are feeling will speed your recovery. It’s going to take time to talk about how you feel. Listening to others that have walked in your shoes will help you start the healing process.

Colorado is a state rich in history and environment. From cosmopolitan cities like Denver or Vail to smaller municipalities, there is a fresh-air, get-outside appeal to every activity in Colorado. It is a state famous for bike-laden residents going to and from their various destinations as well as its world class skiing.

However, not to be too far outdone by its westerly neighbors, residents of the state love the Colorado casinos. There are a number of Colorado casinos dotting the state, with most run by Native American tribes, which offer a perfect day indoors.

Black Hawk, Colorado probably has the largest concentration of Colorado casinos. One of the largest casinos in Black Hawk is the Black Hawk Station Casino, with its offering of more than 900 slot machines and roughly eleven different table games. This Colorado casino also features live entertainment.

The Colorado Central Station Casino is next in line with more than 800 slot machines, several dining options and more. There are also table games and a cozy coffee shop on the premises.

Slightly smaller, but just as entertaining is the Mardi Gras Casino, featuring 700 slot machines and several table games.

Still trolling around Black Hawk, there is also the Golden Gates Casino, a smaller operation with about 250 slot machines and a sole dining option. This would be ideal for those who want an evening of gambling, with the flash and noise of larger Colorado casinos.

Moving over the Central City, Colorado casinos like the Famous Bonanza, with more than 200 slot machines, a restaurant and more or the Doc Holliday Casino with at around 209 slot machines, table games and more.

Not to be outdone, there are also several dog-racing tracks scattered around Colorado. One of the larger-scale operations is the Post Time Greyhound Park, a dog-track in Colorado Springs, featuring a restaurant, among other amenities. The Cloverleaf Kennel Club is another dog-track, this one located in Loveland, also featuring dining options, race books and more.

There are numerous other small-scale casinos around the state, most of which feature slot machines in the hundreds, various table games and a host of amenities. Dining options are usually plentiful at most Colorado casinos, with restaurants offering delectable specialties for casino visitors. Colorado casinos also offer variety; entertainment and fun for those who love to gamble, whether professionally or for something unusual and interesting to do in their spare time.