Most people posting here engage in some form of advantage play. It seems that advantage players are capable of profits over the long-term.

But what about some of the personal consequences of engaging in this activity? It is said that gambling is "theft by mutual consent." Yes, you are winning, but there is something about gambling that stimulates aggression in an individual. Card counters would carry tension and other effects of trying to "grab something from someone else." Didn't the blackjack king Ken Uston die young? Then there is the mind-numbing, unproductive nature of most of this "advantage play." Is this really how you want to spend the hours of your life?

Of course, each person has to make his/her own decisions. The one card counter I know personally is not a healthy individual.

Casinos are parasitic on people with problems. There are so many negative externalities that accompany this increasingly-acceptable form of government revenue. The advantage player can benefit from the addictions of others, but aren't there spiritual consequences?