Foreword｜SuperAce88
Casinos and the gambling that takes place in them may seem like a perfectly harmless and wholesome pastime, but is it possible — just maybe — that behind all the glitz and glamor there is a dark and dangerous underbelly? In this issue, we count down the most exciting and ridiculous facts about casinos and gambling.
1) Gambling may threaten national security｜SuperAce88
Enjoy having a well-prepared and well-armed army guarding your borders? Well, no more, because according to a massive 2009 study titled “Gambling with National Security, Terrorism, and Military Preparedness,” gambling cripples the overall economic engine and ultimately hurts defense spending. On an individual level, gambling addiction can affect not just their luck, but their luck. It also influenced great American heroes. As the incidence of problem games has been on the rise, the G.I Joes are pouring their hard-earned dollars into slot machines and craps tables. In fact, Russia said gambling was such a threat to its national security and military that it closed more than 2,000 casinos in 2006.
2) Dazzling lights and music turn rats into gamblers｜SuperAce88
Have you ever walked into a casino and had an immediate seizure? Well, this is no accident. Flashing lights and musical cues encourage gamblers to take bigger risks…at least, for rats, research from a UK university has proven. Scientists have made mice behave like addicted gamblers by building a little mouse casino that flashes lights in their cute little eyes and plays music into their tiny ears. These cues caused the rats to take greater risks for the sweet treat when they gambled than they would otherwise. Rats were reported to be immune to visual and auditory aggression as long as they were constantly served fresh cocktails and regular ATM withdrawals. By the end of the night, they’re applying for ridiculous loans just to keep their addiction hidden from their families – just kidding. The researchers were also able to chemically reverse the behavior by blocking a specific dopamine receptor associated with addiction, offering hope for future real human addicts.
3) Citizens of Monaco are banned from gambling in their casinos｜SuperAce88
You heard me right, Monaco is not allowed to gamble in their casinos and it’s not because they are good at card counting. Charles III, may he rest in peace, imposed this restriction to prevent the citizens of Monaco from losing all their money. The monarch is credited with building casinos to bring in foreign money in the late 19th century, when Monaco was poor. Charles reasoned that allowing citizens to place coins there would be counterproductive. Instead, citizens can work there as long as they don’t spend a dime on gambling. I guess they have to resort to other forms of gambling, like betting on when the sun will set, or how many pool balls a person can hold in his mouth. Or they might just be playing poker online. Yes, they can send gambling funds out of the country. woo woo woo.
4) FedEx was saved by blackjack｜SuperAce88
Fred Smith (real name) saved his business by coming to Vegas to play blackjack with their last five thousand dollars. Yes, he didn’t just go to the local race track or the back alley casino, he went all the way to Vegas. While most called it embezzlement, Smith was revered for his business acumen. He turned that $5,000 into $32,000, enabling them to pay their $24,000 weekly fuel bill and keep their planes flying during critical days. Then he raised another $11 million, presumably because he didn’t mention to investors those who were actually betting on his company’s future. So, bailed out from financial distress, FedEx can resume shipping packages much later than expected, losing people’s orders and not spending a dime on customer service of any kind. Thanks, Vegas!
5) Your brain says it’s as good to be close to victory as it is to win｜SuperAce88
No, this isn’t a whole bunch of neoliberal “everyone wins” bullshit, this is science. A whole body of research has shown that almost winning at a game of chance creates a response in the brain, especially of a gambling addict, that is almost as good as actually winning the jackpot. A close win, or “narrow win,” stimulates the part of the brain responsible for reward processing. But that’s a near miss: objectively speaking, it’s a loss. For example, you put a dollar into a slot machine, hit the “spin” button, and you win twenty-five cents. Your brain says “Win! Do it again!” But your wallet says, “Hey, I just lost seventy-five cents, the other way around” but your brain is like “Sorry, can’t hear those bells and The sound of the dopamine surge, in turn, causes gamblers to wager that they put even more dollars and dimes into the slot machines, which increases the likelihood of a close win, perpetuating the cycle of hell until the bouncer drags you behind Lane and ring the bell.
