Documentary and thoughts "Holy Rollers"

I am watching a documentory called "Holy Rollers" which is about Christian Black Jack players who are trying to take as much money from casinos as possible by card counting, but the more I watch it the more I think they are dumb and hypocritical. I know gambling in the USA is different to Australia, but seriously, their little group is not going to make an impact on human nature doing what they are doing.

I really think they enjoy what they are doing as they are now talking about losses and losing $60-100,000 in one session, which means that they aren't getting up and walking away when they have a bad night. I believe some of these people may have a gambling problem, and are using their "Christian" views to justify it. Especially as I watch more of it. They are now losing $10,000 in an hour, so their system isn't working, and being Christian does not justify anything.

Also, the Christian investors who fronted the money for the players received a 35% return on their investment which is more than the casinos get from the patrons (in Australia anyway), so you could say that the investors are actually worse than the casinos, as the money they are winning is coming from the other punters, who have already lost it to the casino.

Long and short of it, I don't think what they did actually had an impact on the casinos or gambling, was just a really good way to make a lot of money...

Humans have the tendency to gamble. I know casinos have the reputation of being places that lead to sin, and that they promote themselves as being places to be entertained and the chance to win big, but I think most people know when they walk into the casino there is the chance they will lose whatever they are willing to put on the table. I even have had that conversation with patrons.

Casinos, especially in Australia, are places where gambling is regulated and has to follow certain laws and regulations. We are not allowed to deal to players who have had too much to drink, and those players are escorted offsite when they are recognised. We don't serve free alcohol.

They are also safe places where the regulars know each other and are reasonably social with each other and with the dealers. Where else can you go at 1am any day of the week and know that you will be safe, warm and be able to get food, drinks and people to be around. I know most people would say what are they doing about at 1am, but we get all sorts of people in the door. People with insomnia, people who really don't cope with being alone, people who normally work night shift and want to do something than staying home alone for their days off.

A casino is not a good or a bad place. It just is. I am not justifying it because I work in one, but I do understand human nature, and how it works, and understand that a well regulated casino is better than an underground game with no regulations, where cheating and nefarious schemes can occur. As a dealer I have seen people win and lose, some walk away happy, some distraught, but at the end of the day, if you were going to gamble that money anyway, isn't it better to do so in a place that is governed by the law?????