The National Lottery, Scratch Cards, Fruit Machines, Bingo, Casinos, The Football Pools, Horse Racing, Raffle Tickets, Stocks and Shares ... Easy ways to get rich quick? Or just different ways to throw away your money? The following five people were asked to give their opinions and experiences of different types of gambling. Read their accounts and then try the activities that follow.
Double-click on any word and see its definition from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.
Read the article and then do a comprehension activity and a vocabulary exercise. Finally, do some writing yourself.
“The only time I have ever won anything was in a school raffle a few years ago when I won a bike. I have tried the National Lottery once or twice but when I didn’t even get two numbers the same I decided not to bother again. I used to live in South Africa and we went to the Horse Races in Cape Town a couple of times. We placed a few bets but never won anything. South Africa has a problem with gambling addicts but I suppose it’s the same almost everywhere. If I won a lot of money I would move to Australia and buy a big house there.”
“My mother always taught us that gambling was sinful. I have never been inside a betting office or a casino. I imagine them to be full of suspicious characters. My husband’s cousin is a compulsive gambler and he has got into all sorts of trouble. Fruit Machines are a waste of time and money and I don’t know anything about football so it wouldn’t be very wise of me to do the Football Pools. The National Lottery is a bit different. They give money to charity so it seems more respectable. I buy tickets when I remember and I have won about thirty pounds. If I won a lot of money I’d import a wooden house from the USA and buy a plot of land. I would fund a special centre for the elderly and buy a big car to take them on day trips.”
“I used to do the Football Pools every week with a group of friends. We never won anything but it was a bit of fun and made the matches more interesting. I like betting on the horses too, especially a big race like the Grand National. I never buy Lottey Tickets but I do buy raffle tickets and last Christmas I won a turkey but I gave it away because I am a vegetarian. If I won a lot of money I would pay my debts off first and then go on holiday somewhere exotic. I wouldn’t give up work but I’d consider working part time instead.”
“I think people who gamble are nuts. My brother is mad about horse racing and even has shares in a horse. I sometimes bet on the Grand National but that’s all. I find Bingo boring and the idea of a night at the Casino is not very exciting. I occasionally buy a raffle ticket if it is for a good cause and I once won a bottle of wine. If I won a lot of money I’d travel around the world, help to pay for my nephew to go to university and make sure that my parents were comfortable.”
“Most types of gambling irritate me. I hate sitting anywhere near a fruit machine and I’d rather give money directly to charity than buy a lottery ticket. Bingo is an old people’s game. It doesn’t appeal to me. I have friends who buy scratch cards but I never do. They seem to win all the time but maybe they just don’t tell me about the times they lose. I have won a few prizes in internet competitions but not for gambling. If I won a lot of money I’d buy some land in New Zealand and build a house with my girlfriend. I’d spend some money on travelling, give some to charity and save the rest.”
What do you think about gambling? Is it an easy ways to get rich quick? Or just a way to throw away your money? Is gambling a problem where you live? In what way? Is it legal where you live? If not, do you think it should be? Send us your opinions.
Wikipedia: gambling
GamCare: promoting responsible attitudes to gambling and working for the provision of proper care for those who have been harmed by gambling dependency.
Gamblers Anonymous: Questions & Answers
HowStuffWorks: how lotteries work
HowStuffWorks: how slot machines work
HowStuffWorks: how blackjack works
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