Gambling as Play

Abstract

Individuals are socialized into a culture by means of various myths and rituals characteristic of that culture. Among the rituals that reflect, articulate, and transmit cultural myths are play and games. Materialism and competition are two distinguishing traits of the American character that are reflected in the games children and adolescents play; and in a world that encourages great expectations while offering diminishing opportunities for fulfillment, the playing of gambling games provides a form of recreation that is a product of and a contributor to prevailing cultural myths. The cultural context of childhood and adolescent socialization is discussed. Within this context, selected games combining chance and skill illustrate ways in which individuals learn to bet. As teacher and mirror of cultural values, such games may actually predispose Americans to gambling behavior, and it is not surprising that commercial gambling among adults has become such a significant social, economic, and cultural issue in contemporary American civilization.