You may have already heard the big news: I’m turning FIFTY YEARS OLD next week, and to celebrate, I’m gonna do 50 spins at $5,000 apiece, LIVE at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Yes, your math doesn’t deceive you – that’s $250,000 in total. (And I’ll be sure to post the live link here at my online calendar, just as soon as it’s active). Trust me when I say this is going to be one of our BIGGEST LIVE STREAMS EVER! And I’m UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED!
But you know who’s trying to rain on my parade? No, it’s not the people close to me who know that even if I lose all $250K, it won’t even really make a dent in my net worth. Instead, it’s some nosy distant family members, and yes, total strangers on the internet. Can you believe these people are actually nosing into my business and telling me what they think I should be doing with my own time and money? It’s outrageous, and if you play slots regularly, I’m sure the same thing has happened to you, too. Well, here’s what you can tell all of them, just like I do: YOUR gambling isn’t THEIR business!
Sure, maybe you’d say something if your loved ones were sloppy drunk every single day, but you wouldn’t butt in if they had a twice a week, would you? I don’t play slots every single day, and I’m not sloppy with my money; and I’m willing to be the same applies to most of you. I generally only do one day of live casino play per week, on a set budget, and I only bet what I can afford to lose (because I probably will).
Do you know how much money people spend on other hobbies, like stamp collecting or coin collecting or sports card collecting? It can get to INSANE levels! But do you go around ridiculing those people over it, in the same way they might ridicule you about your slot play? Probably not. But why not? What’s the difference? All of these things are hobbies, all of these things can cost a lot of money, and all of these things can bring the hobbyists a lot of happiness, so why is only ONE of these things taboo? And why is only ONE of these things thought of as acceptable to butt into?
It’s because too many people are busybody puritans who can’t mind their own business. Just like stamp collecting or coin collecting or sports card collecting, my gambling doesn’t hurt anybody. Not ANYBODY. And if you’re responsible about it too (like the vast majority of gamblers are), then don’t let their criticisms get under your skin. It says a lot more about them than it does about you.
Of course, there are always extreme cases. If you’re gambling away, or drinking away, or snorting away your kid’s college fund, or your mortgage payments, then it’s admirable for a loved one to step in and offer to help. But short of that, people need to close their mouths (and their laptops) before they jump into your affairs. And if they don’t? Then you just offer them this message, straight from the mouth of The Raja: YOUR gambling isn’t THEIR business.