Gambling: A Mix of Pleasure and Discomfort

Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition, March 6, 1999

The appeal of gambling lies in the dream that one can become rich overnight. However, when people come into a large sum of money, they often squander it, and the concept of diligence vanishes from their minds. Once someone experiences the thrill of winning, even if they end up losing five or ten times their annual income, they continue to bet, clinging to the fleeting hope that they will eventually win it all back. The final destination is personal bankruptcy.

In fact, gambling addiction stimulates the instincts of both pleasure and discomfort, and it has been pointed out that it bears similarities to alcohol dependency, drug addiction, and binge eating disorders.

The 1989 film Let It Ride, starring Richard Dreyfuss, depicts the essence of an everyday gambler. On the verge of being abandoned by his wife, Dreyfuss resolves to quit gambling, but decides to place one last bet and heads to the racetrack. There, he wins big twice, and goes for a third round.

The film humorously portrays the differences in how people perceive gambling. It’s endearing to see ordinary folks betting small amounts of money for fun. But things are different when it comes to financial speculation at securities firms.

The British film Dealers (also from 1989), set in the City of London, opens with a top securities dealer taking his own life after incurring massive losses. A new dealer is brought in to fill the gap, teaming up with a woman scouted from Merrill Lynch. Together, they engage in a high-stakes money game to save the company. But by the end, they are emotionally exhausted and leave the firm together.

Both films, while highlighting the dangers of gambling, ultimately feature last-minute wins and happy endings in the realm of romance. That’s the convenient nature of cinema.

If gambling posed no threat of emotional devastation or family breakdown, it wouldn’t be gambling anymore. The allure of betting lies in the primal energy it evokes—like a beast chasing prey.

“I want to take risks to make money, but I don’t want to destroy my peaceful life.”Modern people carry this contradiction within them.