Quote:
Originally Posted by Half Smoke
I wasn't suggesting it should be taken away or that we would be better off without it - that will never happen
my point was that for some, it might be beneficial to think about how it has changed (if indeed it has and I would surmise that it has) changed their wagering style - and if it has, as I'm suggesting, influenced them to make a great many more bets, to think whether or not that has been a positive thing
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I can only speak from my own personal experience, which tells me that the online betting experience has been beneficial to me...both financially and psychologically. Yes...it was better and more empowering when I left the track or the OTB with my winnings folded in my back pocket. But on the losing days...the loss was much more "real" when I actually saw that the money that I had in my pocket earlier in the day was no longer my own. With online betting...I fund my account and that money is quickly out of my mind. I bet with it and the account balance goes up and down...but I'm not as emotionally attached to it because I'm not operating "out-of-pocket", so to speak.
Plus...I used to stay longer at the track and the OTB than I do now at my computer. It took considerable time for me to get to a live betting place...and I felt obligated to stay there for a considerable length of time in order to justify my travelling time. Plus, I found acquaintances there who prolonged my stay even longer...usually to my detriment. Now when I cash a decent online bet, it's easier for me to walk away from my computer and turn on the TV, read a book...or go out and get something to eat. I don't feel as confined when I am at home as I did when I was betting "live". Even the "change in my betting style" has been for the better, I think. I have a wide selection of bets available to me, I survey my wagers carefully...and I have the distraction-free environment that such an undertaking demands.
For me...it has been an altogether pleasant experience.
