"I'll Mostly Be Doing The SLOTS."

It's difficult for me to comment on gambling, having never done it. No not even the Lottery! I suppose the only reason people do actually gamble is because they feel they have a chance of winning some money (or some other item of value). I think also one of the reasons I don't gamble myself is because I have an addictive personality. I would devour many-a-wage packet in doing so and lose the ability to function in everyday society. No, in that respect, alcohol is my forte.

Probably one of the most popular forms of gambling in this country - I would say - is the Lottery (Or "Lotto" as it's now called. What's next? "Lot" or the even lazier "L"...anyway...). It's easy to see how it's has gained a stranglehold on our society: you pay a measly pound to select a few numbers, and then BAM! you're holding a giant novelty cheque for several million in front of news cameras and sipping champagne. Most people (myself included I must confess) dream of being able to "escape from it all" with all that money. But there has to be a certain point you reach where you realise you've spent more money over the months than what you were saving for that holiday to the Spanish Isles on something where the odds of winning the jackpot are something like 1 in 14,000,000.

Does nobody else find this figure a little disheartening? Okay, there are smaller prizes that can be won but the odds are still against you. Check them out here.

Then there are scratchcards. If lottery draws twice a week just simply isn't enough for you, you can always head into your local Spar and buy a scratchcard. Oooh and they come in all kinds of themes and designs. How fun it is to hand over your hard earned cash to a small bit of card covered in silver.

Some people may argue the fact that the money they pay on Lotto often goes to worthy causes. OK I am willing to accept that. But what bothers me is that things like a new sports hall for an under-funded school does not seem such a "worthy cause" when there are families starving and people homeless and diseases that have yet to be cured. There is something rather aesthetic about these so-called "worthy causes".

So, no gambling is not really for me (I know I've only spoken about one aspect of gambling but it's the one that I would say everyone can relate to). It may seem hypocritical of me to not want to spend my money on a lottery ticket but be willing to purchase obscene amounts of alcohol. But at least with booze I'm guaranteed a result!