I often ask this question: ‘Who inspired you to bet?’
I guess I should start with my own answer to this question. It was my Dad. He loved to have a bet at the weekend and went to the Eastern Festival at Great Yarmouth every September. It always coincided with our family holidays. We stayed at Caister-on-sea in a caravan. It was a lovely time where we all enjoyed ourselves.
Perhaps if Dad hadn’t enjoyed a bet we wouldn’t have been interested in horse racing or gambling. We may never have considered going to Great Yarmouth.
We are an interaction of nature and nurture.
I don’t regret my nurturing to be a gambler. I have freewill to bet or not. However, I am sure there are many people in life who regret being brought up in a gambling environment if they have become addicted to gambling or it damaged or destroyed their life.
Two of my cousins, who we go racing with and venture to the casino, were influenced by their Dad who enjoyed a bet and they had greyhounds which ran at the local track. I’m not sure if they would say gambling was a blessing or a curse. I’m pretty sure it is the former or the lesser of two evils.
My gambling has always been secondary to learning. By that I mean, I have always been interested in the pursuit of knowledge about my given niche of horse racing which is two-year-old thoroughbreds. At least with something skill-based there is reason why you can possibly win rather than fixed odds which, basically, mean the longer you play the more money you lose, such as the lottery, roulette, blackjack & slots.
To this day we still venture to the Eastern Festival at Great Yarmouth. It is a Merry Pilgrimage in memory of my late father.
For me, I was inspired by my Dad.
Who inspired you to bet and what impact did it have on your life?
