Play Your Game

With the Stanley Cup playoffs kicking off as I write this, game broadcasts are saturated with ads for gambling sites. New additions to the clamor are ads for the new prediction market sites (gambling, except players “bet” against each other, not the house – of course the house takes a cut of each “prediction”). As the field is getting more crowded new slogans keep popping up to grab viewers’ attention.

“Play your game” is the latest of those calls to action. In Sports, “play your game” means to stay poised and continue to play the way your team has practiced, not letting the other team dictate how the game is played. In other words, control the game. Using this common sports term for a gambling site is a clever way to get two meanings out of three simple words. First, it is telling potential gamblers that this site lets them place bets their way. Second, and much more subtle is the use of the sports meaning to plant the seed that the player, not the house, controls the game. Call me cynical about the second part, but ad agencies make big bucks using psychological principles to maximize the impact for their clients.

      On gambling sites, no matter what game you play, you are playing their game, not yours. In the end, the house always wins. That’s why there are so many competing sites trying to lure players in with ever-more-creative slogans and offers. By the way, the same goes for all those auto and home warranty companies. Like the gambling sites they know that even though they sometimes have to pay-out, in the end, they will come out ahead.

      If gambling is your thing, by all means, pursue it – within your means of course. And be savvy about how you use the sites. A friend got into online gambling but used the new customer offers on several sites to minimize her risk and maximize her returns. Once the offers were used up, she moved on to the next site. A pretty good strategy, just make sure to read the fine print before you deposit your hard-earned cash into their pockets.

      As in sports, in life give it your all. Be yourself and follow your bliss. The best part is you don’t have to limit yourself to just one “game”. Variety is the spice of life, so go ahead and play your game(s).

       Enjoy the 4^th of July holiday and the 250^th anniversary celebration of America, and please remember the values this country was founded upon and help us to get back to them.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  06-29-2026