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The lottery is something that I have seen mentioned on various threads by many people with varying opinions.
A few £ or $ in the lottery each week can’t possibly be a problem can it? My own view is that yes it most certainly can.
Reasons:
First of all – yes it is gambling; it involves a stake with the possibilitty of a small/medium/large win
We have a gambling addiction, I have seen those few £/$ a week increase rapidly once a persons usual form of gambling has been cut off.
They are generally sold right next to the scratch cards in a shop – it is then a very small step to starting to buy them as well. They are even more addictive.
Whilst hitting the jackpot is unlikely a small or medium win brings thoughts of “Oh, it must be my lucky day.” We all know where those thoughts have taken us in the past.
Many find financial accountability useful as a barrier to stop gambling. That small or medium win instantly gives us unaccountable money. Unaccountable money that we can’t even tell others we have if partners think we are not gambling at all. It gives us that unaccountable money at exactly the same time we have those “It’s my lucky day” thoughts.
Last but by no means least we have the Dreamworld of the Compulsive gambler. By the time we finally decide to stop gambling most compulsive gamblers have various things they need to address – financial issues, other problems caused by past gambling, previously exisiting problems that we might have been gambling to avoid. Addressing those things is all part of recovery. I certainly had lots of things that I had to address, if I had continued to do the lottery, even if it had remained at a few £ a week, I would not have done so. Why would I need to address things when I am going to win the lottery??!!
That last point means that even if we keep it at that “safe” £/$ a week doing things like the lottery can still stop/delay recovery. Worst case scenario it will also stop our abstinence.
My advice – it is a gambling addiction so avoid all forms of gambling. If an alcoholic switched from drinking vodka to just drinking “safe” shandys then I doubt they would have a successful sobriety either.
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Hi Charles
I am just going to copy a post I wrote on my own thread :Buying a lottery ticket isn’t really that big a deal except for me it kinda does there following
1. Keeps alive the idea of the big win which
2. Removes my motivation to look after my money and save which
3. Makes me feel flippant about money which
4. Makes me think a small gamble won’t matter which
5. Sends me back into a full blown relapse .
For me , I think about the lottery such a lot but I don’t want to do it because it’s the thin edge of the thin edge of the wedge for me
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Here are my thoughts on the lottery:
Anything is only a problem if it becomes a problem, and to really know if it’s a problem, you have to be 100% honest with yourself. For me, the lottery has never been a problem. I really do not spend money on any form of entertainment (not even cable), so I play the lottery often as my entertainment. I probably spend between $20-$80 a month on the lottery, which is very much in my budget.
Here’s the interesting thing though, I know the odds, but imagine if you actually did win a jackpot. What do you think would happen if you came into all of that money all of a sudden? History has not been kind to a lot of lottery winners because most people that play the lottery are poor, so they have never had that kind of sum in their possession. I laugh at the pictures of planes and boats that they have advertised. If you live that life style for a couple months, you’ll be broke. This is a harsh reality for some winners.
But back to the topic about gambling. While I agree that the lottery is gambling, the level of addictedness that it provides is no where close to slot machines or other casino games. There are no lights, sounds, smells, and it is played at a very slow pace. The level of triggers casino games give off that release dopamine are (I would argue) at least 5-10 times higher than that off the lottery. I have never felt not in control when buying lottery tickets, but perhaps it is different for different people.
I am not trying to argue that playing the lottery is a good idea for anyone here. But it has never been an issue for me. As long as I stay honest with myself and my loved ones about money I’m spending, that’s fine with me. Casino gambling is a BIG problem, and to healthy people it is only something that should be enjoyed very rarely with friends. Once you start going by yourself and being secret, it becomes a massive problem. Hope everyone is doing well. Stay strong
–Nick
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I concur with your thoughts on the Lottery… However, just recently I had signed up to buy lottery tickets online for convenience…I have only played this way for a week, and I can see it becoming a much bigger issue than going to the convenience store with a little bit of cash to do it..
My personal struggles, as you have suggested, mostly have come from playing “when I am bored” or to have something to do… Online –anything gambling related — is pure evil to me. Slots and table games in a casino can create a huge issue on their own… Nobody should be able to gamble from the comfort of their own home… it can lead to nothing but problems (in my opinion)
Gambling (for non CG) was meant to be an escape, and a form of entertainment, like going to a movie or the such. When it is too easily accessible, especially for us who have had some issues, it can be a problem.
So in short, I think it is all of our rights to choose to do what we feel is right, but we all must be honest with ourselves , and if it seems like it is opening a door…we should close it immediately…none of us want to know what is on the other side.
Johnny B -
While I still play the lottery, when I buy the tickets in person I spend between 10 and 20 a week. I found in the week that I was able to buy online I was up to $80.
I have no desire to play but a couple plays on the big games where the odds are ridiculous, and I play a smaller daily game for $1 a day….
When I went online, I started playing pick 3 and pick 4 which I never had played before. I don’t need that kind of fun, and as we know, small amounts turn in to big amounts over a period of time…I would rather have those savings in my account that pissed away in lottery… especially in Illinois USA (most corrupt state in the country) -
Hi Johnny,
I agree with everything you have just said. Everyone’s situation is different, but my problems really arise when 2 conditions are met:
1. Being isolated/by myself with no human interaction required
2. Easy access to money
The second point is probably the hardest to control and is usually there in our lives. Whenever I get paid, I pay my bills for the 2 weeks immediately, and then right after transfer the rest to my online savings. It takes a couple days to actually get the money back, so I found this to be a good blocker for the time being.
The first point is really 100% in my control. I would agree with you that any form of gambling online is 100% forbidden for me. I see massive red flags because I can do it by myself/in secret, and it is super easy to put money online. I know of the sites you talk about, but never got into it because they jack up the price to buy tickets. Going in person is not an issue for me because of what I mentioned earlier. Even if I do spend all my money on the spot (maybe $20), the urge to go to the bank to get more only to go back and buy more fades quickly, especially if it is from the same clerk. Also, in my opinion, the lottery is far less addictive then machine gambling. No lights, sounds, or constant fast action. It just has never been a problem for me, but then again, everyone will handle situations differently. The bottom line is you just need to be honest with yourself. Take care
–Nick
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