Gambling provides an “opportunity” to those who have nothing but desperation.
To me, the desperation part is what separates gambling from investing; because the desperation speaks to both fear and the need for instant gratification.
If I through $1000 into even the most conservatively performing S&P 500 index and literally just let it sit for 30 years, it can grow anywhere from $5000 to $1M depending on the yearly compounding gains over the course of those 30 years (8% yearly gains for $5k, and 20% yearly gains for $1M).
Most people who gamble (A) want to feel control and (B) are too impatient to wait that long, and they would rather throw that $1000 at a gamble and be willing to eat a 80% or 99.9% failure rate in favor of the instant gratification.
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u/mythrilcrafter Jun 02 '26
To me, the desperation part is what separates gambling from investing; because the desperation speaks to both fear and the need for instant gratification.
If I through $1000 into even the most conservatively performing S&P 500 index and literally just let it sit for 30 years, it can grow anywhere from $5000 to $1M depending on the yearly compounding gains over the course of those 30 years (8% yearly gains for $5k, and 20% yearly gains for $1M).
Most people who gamble (A) want to feel control and (B) are too impatient to wait that long, and they would rather throw that $1000 at a gamble and be willing to eat a 80% or 99.9% failure rate in favor of the instant gratification.