Few would gainsay that gambling is deep-rooted in British life, an eagerness pursued at each level of society from the bingo hall to the bridge parlour however naturally, particularly connected with horse racing. Nonetheless, regardless of, or maybe due to its wide-reaching nature, betting has its critics. It is frequently attacked as a unnecessary evil, as a unethical and sterile activity seducing its protagonists into over the top inclusion and tantalizing them into crime and corruption. Admittedly the comparatively tax—free rewards of betting have attracted a criminal element, and definitely reliance on the level of Dostoevsky’s ‘hero ‘, masochistically losing his cash, his outlays a prelude to orgasm, is a clear exhibition of sickness.
Most gamblers nevertheless , are some distance from being social deviants. The overt rationale behind betting on horses is to earn money, however aside from those owners, trainers, and jockeys in the know, and an elite group (though one hesitates to use the collectivity with such highly individualistic men) of pro gamblers, most backers can’t hope even for a regular income and certainly not for a fortune. Most of them do not have the means to finance the huge outlays which gigantic winnings require.
Also, to achieve success in the longer term the hacker needs to know form, genealogy, and probability concepts; the bookmaker merely has to wait for the punters ‘ mistakes. Over a period most gamblers lose; they know they lose; yet they continue to bet. What they are looking for is the infrequent windfall, the finance for a spree be it in the tavern or mall. In effect , for them gambling is an ineffective but exciting alternative option to saving.
Indeed, excitement is perhaps the genuine motivation for most gamblers. Win or lose, gamblers get ‘a substantial quantity of excitement. And a diversion from the cares and worries of daily life’. Gambling has a crucial temporal aspect, the delay between making a bet and knowing the result. The result is that on the racecourse ‘some of the most stimulating moments in a man’s life. Are those which pass between the time when the horses have flashed by the post and when the winner’s number is hoisted ‘, and off the course the strain can be prolonged until the press rush out the early editions.
For most gambling is a chance to brighten up their lives; taking a chance destroys routine be it the daily grind of the factory operative, the unending unrewarded jobs of the housewife, or the boredom of the leisured classes, encircled by the requirements of the social calendar. Maybe for the rich gambling is a form of conspicuous consumption, a way of putting their wealth in evidence. For the poor betting is, in the words of George Orwell, ‘the least expensive of luxuries’: an outlay of ten new pence or even less gives them an opportunity to beat the system; for a second they are able to try and control their fate. And make no bones about it, gambling on horses has more to do with ability than luck. Although they utilize imperfect info, most backers make a genuine mental effort, selecting their selections by a calculated application of rational criteria. Ultimately, betting also performs a social function in providing an open sesame to certain sub—cultures: ‘What won the 3.30? ‘ is a safe conversational gambit in any working-class bar. In such cultures the facility to pick winners brings social recognition, and the eagerness to share horse racing systems particularly the hot tip directly from the stable thru dubious casual friends, serves to cement relations. Clearly gambling has its positive side and is not just the reckless, anti-social activity, caricatured and condemned by the anti—gambllng brigade.
Harriet Harman is a betting fan and correspondent on horse gambling systems, including popular manuals and software like Cash Master.