<p>The money in question was earned during a summer internship. This student is on a full scholarship, so any money earned does not have to go for tuition, room, or board.</p>
<p>You might simply ask your d. what she thinks rather than offer your own opinion. I say that because college students see a lot of risky and inappropriate behavior among their peers – drug use, heavy drinking, sexual promiscuity, etc. – and college culture tends to discourage kids from policing one another. If you ask your d. to share her feelings – without first offering your own – you may get a better picture of the situation, and you’ll also get a much better sense of your daughter’s viewpoint.</p>
<p>You’re right, Calmom. Thanks for the reminder. It’s always better to ask than to tell.</p>
<p>One of my kids discovered online gambling. I was hoping he’d lose his shirt and learn his lesson when he spent time on it last summer, but darned if he didnt make a lot of $$!! Apparently he is pretty good at it. He says he has cashed in his winnings and the account is inactive, but I have no way of knowing. I do not support this at all and he knows it, not only b/c I dont like a 20 yr old gambling, but it takes time to enter tournaments and make $, and its time, IMO, he should be spending elsewhere. He says it averaged out to no more than an hr a day, but he is too busy with schoolwork to mess with it now. </p>
<p>I have a friend whose nephew went to Harvard and is now a fulltime professional gambler. Sooo out of my comfort zone!</p>
<p>I have a cousin who was a professional gambler as well. It’s well out of my comfort zone as well. Calmom is right that it’s so much better to ask kids what their view is of the behavior than trying to offer an opinion. You can get a feel from what they say–they generally do have an opinion one way or another about what they see around them and you hope it’s one that you like, but good to hear what they say and how they say it.</p>
<p>How many hours would you have to flip burgers to make up the lost $1000? Let’s assume that you make $10/hour. That would be 100 hours–5 weeks of part time work for a college student. (Of course, it is more hours, since you gamble with after-tax money…) </p>
<p>That sounds like way too much!</p>
<p>Many college students don’t get jobs that earn $10/hour before or after taxes. I know my D didn’t. The campus job she felt fortunate to get was barely above minimum wage. Science/math/tech jobs are paid somewhat better, but $8 or so is what a lot of campus jobs pay, I think, which is even more hours of work–clerical, flipping burgers, sales, or lab, IF you can get it.</p>
<p>Fortunatley or unfortunately, my s made that kind of $$ on his ()$#+&*^ gambling website! Dont know how many hours he spent, but thats an interesting way of presenting it to him, should he try it again…</p>
<p>Has anyone read" Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions "-----smart people try to outwit the casino.
Good luck with that. </p>
<p>Also, Sports Mama what if that person, tells your daughter they have won more than they lost, and usually win. Ie Jym626’s son ???
I’m definitely not supporting this behavior - I just know how gamblers justify it. </p>
<p>Oh, and have I said that gamblers tend to exaggerate the wins, and minimize their losses?</p>
<p>I’m just back from Vegas – and did not gamble a cent. It seems like such a rip off to me … and I was totally freaked out by the slot machines in the grocery store!</p>
<p>I was out there for a conference, and tacked on an extra two days for a long weekend. Saw a great show, hiked in the mountains, visited Hoover Dam, checked out some real estate offerings, had some great dinners – but NO gambling. For myself, I can’t even be bothered with the $20 for fun … because it doesn’t look like fun.</p>
<p>One thing I remember about Vegas-- there is NOWHERE to sit in the hotels except in front of a slot machine or at a gambling table. Not a SINGLE chair in any hotel lobby. When I was there with my s briefly one xmas break (we flew through to get to another city, and stayed a day) he met up with a friend and ditched me for a few hours to go ride the NYNY roller coaster. I finally found a 5 cent slot machine (quarter but you could win 5 ways or play 5 cents at a time). It cost me $20 to sit for an hour and a half. I had to pay to sit. I am NOT a gambler.</p>
<p>^^add a free drink into the hour and half for $20 and not such a bad deal. It’s no fun when that $20 goes in 10 minutes.</p>
<p>Usually by the 2nd ‘sea’ day on a cruise ship, I wander into the casino. But I learned from my mother – who usually makes about 1/2 her fare back – to only take in $40 bucks. If you lose it, you leave. If you double it, you leave. She also told me to only play during the first half of the trip. Though they deny changing the odds, she notices that the machines most likely to pay off are mysteriously ‘out of order’ by the 5th day…</p>
<p>Other than a couple of hours a year on a cruise, I never gamble. Not even bingo. It’s boring…and there’s no skill involved. The turn of a card, the spinning of a wheel or a dial…yawn.</p>
<p>Southjerseychessmom-
I never seem to get offered a drink in the few rare and brief times I am in a casino sitting at a slot machine. Maybe its my youthful appearance and they think I am underage 
Nah-- if that was it they’d boot me out of the casino.</p>
<p>The odds on a slot machine can NOT be changed,and there are no machines more likley to payoff then others…it is random</p>
<p>The odds on a machine can be changed in a jiffy. They are basically a computer. Just reboot with different PAR sheet table. (whether a casino changes them or not is different). Yes they are random.</p>
<p><a href=“From the Back Office, a Casino Can Change the Slot Machine in Seconds - The New York Times”>From the Back Office, a Casino Can Change the Slot Machine in Seconds - The New York Times;
<p>From the Back Office, a Casino Can Change the Slot Machine in Seconds</p>
<p><a href=“http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_casinos_alter_the_payouts_on_slot_machines[/url]”>http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_casinos_alter_the_payouts_on_slot_machines</a></p>
<p>For the most part, I have zero interest in gambling. I find it boring to gamble for small amounts,and would not be even slightly inclined to gamble the amount that would be necessary to make it any more “exciting.” We were in Vegas last year (a side trip to a business meeting) and I got a voucher for credit on a limited selection of slot machines at our hotel. I ended up fifty dollars ahead by the time I used up all my credit, cashed in my winnings, and didn’t play any more the whole time. Hard to believe that wasn’t rigged to make it look easy, since it happened to both H and me. </p>
<p>I’d be unhappy if a kid of mine wasted “only” $150 on an evening of gambling. IMO, spending (losing) a thousand dollars on gambling would be an unwise choice for anyone in any financial position or earning any salary, let alone a college kid being supported by parents. Full financial aid? What an abuse. If there is any way the student is still being supported by parents, ie clothes, extras etc. that should end until the gambling stops.</p>
<p>From that link above…</p>
<p>It’s a common myth that casinos change payout % in the games on a whim. The reality is that there is nothing to be gained by doing this…</p>
<p>The bottom line is that you are trading $$$ for time of the game. However, the higher the payout %, the more opportunities you have at hitting the jackpot!</p>
<p>Obviously with the machines having computer chips,it is feasible to chnage settings,but it is very rare to do, and there are regulations set by the casino authorities that have to be adhered to…</p>
<p>qdogpa: I was responding to your post # 55 that stated:</p>
<p>“The odds on a slot machine can NOT be changed”</p>
<p>The articles I linked said it CAN BE CHANGED in a jiffy. Whether a casino changes them or not is entirely different. I did acknowledge that in # 55. </p>
<p>"and there are regulations set by the casino authorities that have to be adhered to… "</p>
<p>The regulations in NV sets the min. payback. and to change payback % machine has to be idle for 4 or 5 mins before it is taken out of service and 4-5 mins after whatever service was done.</p>