Casino Slot Machines and Depression

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Mira Nair's film is set in Biloxi, Mississippi famous for gambling.

I don’t have enough money. It is cause for alarm when it shouldn’t be. There is never enough money because it was not meant to be. The ‘enoughness’ is an illusion because money has no value.

Believing that we can ever have enough money leads to despair, even suicide in some cases. You’ve seen the despair in gamblers’ faces in Las Vegas Nevada, Atlantic City New Jersey, Biloxi Mississippi or Sun City South Africa.

Men and women sit at those slot machines and pull levers, not for a few minutes but hours. If it wasn’t for bathroom breaks, they’ll be glued to them till casinos close for the day.

Some addicts even get attached to certain slot machines. They only play machines they believe are productive. Isn’t that superstition? Some gamblers feel suicidal when they sit at a machine for a long time and finally give up. You come, sit down and the same machine spits coins.

BAD EFFECTS ON FAMILIES

Women in South Africa and Lesotho are active in cooperative schemes where members get loans for school fees, home improvement, sending kids abroad for college, weddings or saving for Christmas.

These co-ops have office bearers such as treasurers. There are reported cases of how some of them gambled money in their trust, with the hope of doubling it.

Money can never be enough, but gamblers don’t understand that. Very few say I’ve won, let me go home. They do it again only to lose their winnings.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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