Many people will not agree with me and money is often a taboo subject whether in everyday life or during your trip. In this article, I am going to talk to you about one of my passions: gambling, and I have been a sports bettor for 3 years.
Gambling and casinos, a thrilling activity.
During my travels around the world, I have been to casinos in South Africa, Macau, Australia, New Zealand, Las Vegas, and many other places. While most people seek pure adrenaline rushes (skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding, or scuba diving), I look for all kinds of thrills and I can tell you that gambling gives me just as much. By the way, I also practice the thrill activities mentioned. Some anecdotes:
Casino in Australia:
I often tell the story of my last day in Australia in 2011, when I went to the Sydney Casino with 60 dollars and/or almost left with 4 times that amount playing blackjack for an hour, before going all-in on my last hand and losing everything. On a stroke of genius/or rage, I played black or red at the roulette with the 100 dollars I had withdrawn 5 minutes earlier and by luck that day, I won, which was not always the case during my previous trips.
The idea was to leave for Thailand with a small stash and enjoy to the fullest. In the end, although I did not have that stash, I may have had my best month of travel in my 20 months of traveling.
There is also the story of my 2 months in Cairns, including 3 weeks when I went exclusively to the casino for several reasons. Why did I start going to the casino? It was the time of the 2010 World Cup, the casino was broadcasting the match, and the coffee was free. I went with a friend to the casino, we were in a positive/negative spiral because we were looking for work and hoped to hit the jackpot at the casino. At that time, I had developed a feeling of gambling addiction.
Result: I started well and won 500 dollars the first week but by the end of the operation I lost 900 dollars (my excuse: it would have cost me as much or more in activities).
Casino in Macau:
There was also the time in Macau, I had been traveling for three weeks with a friend in China, we ended up spending 3 days in Hong Kong partying. My friend left 2 days before me for France and where did I end up: at the casino or almost. Why? A fairly simple answer: I have family in Macau and I had gone to visit them for 2 days, a good or bad deal? I would say it was a good deal because it is the only time I did not lose money :D. I enjoyed other activities Macau has to offer such as the Macau Tower. Maybe this time, I had no choice because I was accompanied by my family and we targeted other activities because there are many other things to do.
Asia has nothing to envy from the world and I explain it here Asia versus the world.
Casino in New Zealand:
After 45 days of a successful trip without spending more than I had by hitchhiking, sleeping in hostels, and managing well to do as much as possible at low cost, I was spending my last day in Auckland, New Zealand. I had already been several times to the Casino in Queenstown and I was in profit before arriving in Auckland. I was supposed to leave for Hawaii the next day. With a positive attitude in mind, I went to the casino.
Result of the matter: I lost 150 dollars and to be honest with you, I was never in a position to win so I had no illusions.
Gambling has always been an integral part of my trip. It has sometimes allowed me to come back down to earth and keep my head on my shoulders, to avoid overconfidence or at least manage it better even though I have lost much more than I have won. To tell you the truth, it is the kind of experience I need, the sensations I get are intense: sometimes I go from ecstasy to depression, the kind of experiences I can’t have while traveling.
The goal of my travels is to have as many experiences as possible even if it means giving up some money. It may seem absurd to people who don’t gamble but that’s how I operate.
Casino in Las Vegas: the trap
Casinos in Vegas are often traps. Why? They have everything you need, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, free alcohol, pools, shows to keep you inside the casino. I watched a dance show, acrobatics, or did various attractions. Casinos in Vegas also have pools where there are “pool parties”. At some of them, alcohol flows freely. Unlike in Europe, people who go to Vegas are there to let loose like in the “Hangover or Very Bad Trip movie” whether in nightclubs, pools, or the casino and they bet big because they have little time to enjoy their vacation unlike in Europe.
Gambling and betting, a different kind of fun
Society is based on a consumerist society and casinos are somewhat the same. At the casino, you have to play and it’s true that it’s not for everyone because money is taboo. On a round-the-world trip, you will visit many new countries, discover new cultures, different cuisines, and meet people opposed to you. You will open yourself to a new way of functioning so why not open yourself to the experience of gambling during your round-the-world trip?
Gambling and betting are risky activities:
A phrase often heard in the gambler’s world is: “you have to play what you can afford to lose”.
Most people will tell me that I don’t have money to waste betting or losing at the casino. I rather think that you just lose your money in another way. Gambling has allowed me to “play” with money but more importantly, it has allowed me to better manage my money, to see the risks compared to the gains.
I don’t have a set daily budget or I don’t control my expenses but I know that when I spend my money, I spend it in the best way and it’s hard to do better.
Conclusion
Maybe the reason I managed to travel for so long (4 years of travel since 2009) is that I took more risks and managed my money better than most people. Due to my different perspective, I made money where people see no opportunities because there were too many risks.
You are going on a round-the-world trip to do unconventional things, aren’t you?
Ps: although I win, I think I have lost much more than I have won.
