Sense of impending doom.

[Mytical]

My mother has what is called an addictive personality. She is addicted to cigs and to the internet. Well recently in our town a casino has opened and she wants me to go with her to show her how the slot machines work. I think this is a BAD idea...how do I broach this tactfully?

[AnaKhouri]

This is where your health roblems come in handy. Just never feel well enough to take her!

I honestly can't think of a way to tell her without hurting her feelings, but maybe if you always find excuses not to go, eventually she will realize it. Does she know she has an addicitive personality?

[Dytchdoctir]

Try this:

Mytical: "No, Mom."

Mom: But why not?"

Mytical: "No, Mom."

Lather, rinse, repeat. No explanation warranted.

Sorry, I don't know how things are between you and your Mom, but this situation bodes ill for both you and Mom if you do what she's asking.

[Shpepper]

Try this:

Mytical: "No, Mom."

Mom: But why not?"

Mytical: "No, Mom."

Lather, rinse, repeat. No explanation warranted.

This exactly. There is no reason to need to say more than no. Good luck.

[Seshat]

If she's aware of the portential for addiction, & reasonable about it, go ahead & say why.

Also, perhaps find something non-harmful for her to become addicted to. Building houses of cartds, playing solitaire - those have the same element of random-reward that gambling does, but cost nothing other than a deck of cards,

[Andara Bledin]

I have an addictive personality.

Strangely enough, casinos have no pull over me, despite the fact that I've walked away ahead every single time I've been in one.

Solitaire, however, I have been known to play for an unreasonable and unhealthy amount of time. >_>

^-.-^

[Mytical]

At one time I was obsessed with playing World of Warcraft. I mean 16-18 hour days just playing WoW (on weekends). On work days I would play before work, and come home and straight to playing..would do without sleep to play. No more of that for me. So I kinda know how addiction works (though not as bad as some). I sat and talked with her about it.

Swears she is just going to 'check it out'. We shall see. Can't stop her, she is a grown woman..but I did explain to her that she would be going without me. I have better things to spend my money on then throwing it down a drain.

[Pixilated]

Try this:

Mytical: "No, Mom."

Mom: But why not?"

Mytical: "No, Mom."

Lather, rinse, repeat. No explanation warranted.

Sorry, I don't know how things are between you and your Mom, but this situation bodes ill for both you and Mom if you do what she's asking.

I heard that called the 'broken record' technique and it's very hard to defeat because you don't give the other person any argument that they can then try to top. They just keep banging their head against your "Sorry, Mom, no" until they get a headache and have to go lie down. Okay, that's being facetious but it's got a good chance of leaving you a lot less frazzled and aggravated than trying to give her actual reasons, which she may not want to hear or accept.

If she's aware of the portential for addiction, & reasonable about it, go ahead & say why.

Also, perhaps find something non-harmful for her to become addicted to. Building houses of cartds, playing solitaire - those have the same element of random-reward that gambling does, but cost nothing other than a deck of cards,

Would she enjoy a site like pogo.com? They've got a section called casino games, which include slot games (ooooh, Spooky Slots is back!!) but if I'm not mistaken (haven't played there in quite some time) you only gamble with cyber-coins and not real money.

[Andara Bledin]

No real money on Pogo.com.

Though they do their best to part you from yours, still.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

I have an addictive personality.

Strangely enough, casinos have no pull over me, despite the fact that I've walked away ahead every single time I've been in one.

Solitaire, however, I have been known to play for an unreasonable and unhealthy amount of time. >_>

^-.-^

I tried casinos twice in Mississippi. The first time I broke even - yay, fun without the cost! The second time I lost 60 bucks. Yeah no longer fun.

Since then the only gambling I've done is penny arcades. And most times those were winning games cos I knew to stop if it wasn't going well.

[Seshat]

Although addiction is in my lineage, it seems to have gone down a different branch from mine - my parents have escaped it, and so have my brother and I. We're crossing our fingers for his kids, but they seem clear so far.

My take on gambling is that it's entertainment: set a clear budget for your 'gambling night out', take with you only that money and your trip-home money. If you need to or might need to, leave your credit cards, debit cards and ATM cards at home. If you really think you're a risk, make your trip-home money a public transport prepaid ticket.

My father-in-law (or was it my father? One, maybe both) had good advice: put your gambling budget in your left pocket. Put any winnings in your right pocket. When your left pocket is empty, you're done. Cash out the winnings, go home.

That way, you never spend more than you'd planned, and you get to keep everything you win - even if it wasn't much.

[Andara Bledin]

That's the way my mother and aunt do it.

They can usually spend a good chunk of time for not a lot of money, and they get free drinks.

^-.-^

[Flying Grype]

That's how my mom did it, and how I did it the one time I went to a casino. (I got out of there fast and went to the mall. I couldn't stand the lights and sounds.) Mom's plan was to spend no more than twenty bucks, and by the time she'd spent it she'd won a couple of hundred, so we had casino buffet dinner.

[Estil]

There's always casino games on computer and various video game consoles! I strongly recommend Super Caesars Palace for SNES or Caesars Palace or Golden Nugget for the GBA.