Gambling has been the cause of many family and marital problems. It is easy to get into gambling, but extremely difficult to get out of it. As a student, I do not think that gambling is good for a person's future. The idea of getting rich overnight is what tempts people to gamble. However, what are the odds of winning? Lotteries are a form of gambling. In Singapore, there are many different forms of lottery, such as 4-digits. The reason why so many people buy lotteries is because they are easily accessible and cheap. In the long term, gamblers usually end up incurring a huge debt. Each time someone loses money in gambling, he or she will want to win the money back. Even when gamblers are on the process of recovering from gambling addiction, it is the notion of "one last try" that can let them get hooked again. My father often reminds me,"It is best to stay out of gambling as once you get addicted, your future is ruined." Some people gamble as they are desperate to earn money in a short time, while others gamble for the thrill. Whatever the cause, they will still be addicted. Gambling does not only harm the gambler, it affects his or her family too. Young children may be influenced when the adults in a family gamble. The family will experience financial problems when a gambler in the family loses a lot of money. Nowadays, in this modern society, there is also online gambling. What this means that it not only removes the geographical barrier for people to gamble, it allows people to gamble whenever they want. I think that online gambling should be banned. Many children use the Internet, what will happen if they get addicted to gambling online? It is difficult, or impossible, to place restrictions to prevent children from gambling online as anyone can use the Internet. If online gambling is not banned, it will only place more stress on parents to ensure that their children do not get the wrong influence. My father thinks that although lotteries in Singapore give out prize money to those who strike lottery, they actually earn more through the money placed on bets. This is indeed true. If a thousand people each bet five dollars, it will be five thousand dollars gained by the lotteries! Furthermore, many adults gamble in Singapore, and the number will continue to rise. In the Youtube video "Gambling addiction", an ex-gambling addict reveals that "a compulsive gambler will do whatever it takes to gamble". I think that this is a serious problem. This may lead to more robberies and crimes as gamblers are in desperate need of money. In conclusion, gambling is a habit that not only affects one psychologically, but also tears apart relationships.
