Morality of Gambling

Last week I was at the Ascot Horse Race. I was fortunate to get into the Premier Admission because of Amy, who's working for one of the main sponsors of the event.

Four of us at the Ascot Racecourse

I had a great time there. The weather was good and there was great vibe. Probably because everyone had to dress smartly, made the event looked a little "pomp".

Once inside, we headed for the grounds. There were many bookies at the grass area.

Ascot main building

I initiated the idea of betting the horses. I felt a little guilty instigating the group to bet with me, as they may not have such intention and could be just as happy watching the race without any money involved.

Amy's winning bet

My reason was simple. There's really no fun coming to a horse racing event without putting in a bet, even if it's as little as £1. The whole idea of going for horse racing is so that people can join in the crowd to cheer, groan or moan for their winning or losing horses. Of course, some may argue that I'm being naive because horse race is also where alot of money are at stake. We're talking about hundreds and thousands of £ in each race!

Regardless which was true, I was convinced I should put in at least a bet for a race to justify for my 2-hour train journey to and from Ascot! I likened not betting to be going to a beach and not touching the sea!

But I asked what makes it morally wrong to bet or gamble actually? Is it when money is involved or greed? I think it is both.

And they're off!

I lost £3 in the race but I was happy. I had an exhilarating time throughout the race, cheering for the horses I bet and completely forgotten about how quickly time has passed. Before we knew it, four hours have gone and it was time to go.

I don't think we could have enjoyed so much had we just sat down and watched the race. There's always a price to pay for entertainment. It would have cost me £15 on the London Eye or £60 if I had wanted to stay on it for four hours, £25 or more to be on the Daytona for four hours, £30 in Disneyland and £40 for a 2.5-hour musical, to get the equivalent level of entertainment experience from Ascot.

So, I thought £3 as entertainment was such a bargain. And if you're lucky, you may even get paid and be entertained as well! Just as long as one exercises self-control and that no greed is involved, there's entertainment to be found in horses. Unfortunately, these two attributes are not always present in everyone.