Gamblor

It's been in the news lately about the Government attempting to cap the amount people can lose on poker machines and I'm starting to see why.
A couple of years ago, while at the wake from my aunt's funeral my dad gave me $50 to spend and after looking at the horses I decided to throw it in the pokies.
As almost always happens when you do something like that which you don't normally do, I won about $100. They call it beginner's luck.
After that I started throwing $20 in now and then. Eventually this rose to starting at $50.
Yada yada yada, you get the drift.
Now I need to get out of the habit of doing it. I know that you can't beat the machines, you might get lucky and have a win now and then but in the end you will lose.
That is why there are so many of them around.
I love having a bet on the horses and that is a lot more a game of skill than the pokies. While surprises to happen in racing there are elements you can take into consideration to rule horses in or out and make educated gambles.
There is an episode of The Simpsons where Marge gets hooked on the pokies and Homer describes to the kids that she has been consumed by a monster called Gamblor. We all laugh but it is so true that this can take you over.
I don't know what it is about them, the flashing lights, the cool features that promise the chance to win large-ish amounts, the jackpots that are attached to the machines. Again, I don't know.
Whatever the reason people get addicted I need to stop using them - it's not even fun any more, it used to be just throw in 20 and hope you come out with 30 - before it gets to being a big issue.
So here I go - I know it will take a bit of willpower but I vow to stop playing them from this moment.
I like to think I can keep a promise to other people - now I need to prove I can keep a promise to myself. Money is far too important these days to be throwing it away on pure chance.