Think it's time for GA to update these questions...a lot of them are well out of date or irrelevant.
•Did you ever lose time from work due to gambling?
Silly question. Do March Madness brackets count? If they do, then the majority of Americans who work will answer yes.
•Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
I get moody after a losing day, but it'll wear off after an hour or so. I don't take it out on the old lady though...not like it's her fault.
•Did gambling affect your reputation?
I told a girl in my class who to bet on for the Kentucky Derby, and it ended up winning this past year. Animal Kingdom was a 21-1 shot...so she told everyone I'm a genius at betting ponies (which is the absolute opposite of the truth, but that somehow became my reputation). Does this count as a yes? Not sure what reputation has to do with anything.
•Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
No, I feel great after losing. What the hell kind of question is this? It's more along the lines of feeling like shit, but trying to figure out why I lost so I won't make the same mistake twice.
•Did you ever gamble to get money in which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
Finally a question that makes sense. I won a ton of money last year betting bases that I otherwise wouldn't have spent or used to pay off bills (pay for a wedding, apply money towards my student loan balance, etc). Does that count?
•Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
I don't understand this one. Is it asking if I wanted to suddenly give up on my career because I would have rather played a hand of blackjack? If so, the answer is no.
•After losing, did you feel you must return as soon as possible to win back your losses?
As soon as possible? Not really. But I've been stuck in a rut for months betting sports...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxiously awaiting the turnaround. In the mean time though, I'm down to playing about a tenth of what I usually do on games until the storm passes.
•After a win, did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
Sure. But show me someone who takes a trip to a casino and wins one hand, spin, bet, whatever...then just gets up and goes home. Silly question.
•Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
Of my gambling budget? Sure. Of my normal expenditure budget? Never.
•Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
When I first started out, yeah. Not now. Ironically, a payout of $100 was devastating to my psyche back in college. Now if I have to give my book a dime, I consider that to be just a bad week and just grab it from my stash.
•Have you ever sold anything to finance your gambling?
No.
•Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?
No. The other way around applies though. I'd never risk mortgage/food money on a game of chance. Besides, compulsive gamblers don't exactly have a starving family around them with a big wad of cash they won't touch locked in a safe somewhere. Silly question.
•Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself and your family?
This is the 3rd or 4th time they've tried to ask the same question here. No.
•Did you ever gamble longer than you planned?
In Vegas, who hasn't?
•Have you ever gambled to escape worry our trouble?
No. Can't concentrate on gambling if I have something more important on my mind.
•Have you ever committed or considered committing an illegal act to finance gambling?
No.
•Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
Yes, but not for the reason they might think. Before I put a max play on something (which might happen once or twice a year at the most), I like to look at every conceivable angle of the game and try to play it out in my mind before it happens. And I like to have the latest info available before making the decision if I can, so the night before, I might lie in bed thinking things through and making my final decision before I fall asleep. Is that a yes?
•Do arguments, disappointments, or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
No. But gambling can strangely create the other three.
•Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
Any good fortune? Kind of a weird question. If I get a promotion or new job, I'll ask the old lady if she wants to spend the weekend in Vegas celebrating.
•Have you ever considered self-destruction as a result of your gambling?
I don't have to. Some of the brutal losses I've suffered through the years will play their own role in making me age beyond my years.
