The Destructive Impact of Gambling on Society : หน้า 110/207

These penniless people, who have lost all their money on gambling, will then turn to the bookies for loans. If they cannot come up with the money to repay their debt, they will resort to criminal activities, corruption and prostitution, in order to repay the debt. The idea of working in an honorable profession disappears from their minds as they bury themselves deeper and deeper in the addiction from gambling. The addiction is difficult to break because the only agenda is to get back the money they lost. Since we are all Thai, we have to consider the best interventions to help those with this addiction in order to create the best results. There are four things that we should consider: 1) We must not involve ourselves in gambling. 2) We need to prevent our children from becoming gamblers, by explaining to them the harm and danger of gambling. 3) We should not promote or encourage a gambling environment at home, work or school. 4) We should explain to loved-ones the destruction caused by gambling, and how it has never made anyone rich. Why do gamblers not become rich? It is because gamblers have already destroyed their inner true worth. The Warm Hearted Family Gambling Never Made Anyone Rich 1) Gambling destroys one’s human quality. The quality of being a human depends on our level of honesty. The instant we become involved with gambling, deceit automatically arises and honesty is lost. Wherever gambling takes place, deceit will appear. If cheating does not occur while gambling, please understand that it is because the opportunity has not yet arisen. 2) Gambling destroys one’s wisdom. Gamblers who have lost their money will perceive money as a deity that can provide them with everything. They forget that there are many things which money cannot buy. When they have money, they will spend it on useless things, since they do not know how quickly it will switch hands, or when they may lose it to gambling. They become wasteful and do not know the true worth of money. They view money as only a piece of paper. Once they spend it, they crave more money again and again, for the rest of their lives. Instead of using the wisdom they possess in a beneficial way, they use it to devise ways to cheat others. 3) Gambling wastes one’s time. When gamblers gamble, they forget everything. Even when they win, they will forget everything. When they lose, they will try even harder to find ways to get their money back. They will not quit until they do, unless they are forced to quit.