Topic: The Dangers of Gambling Purpose: to persuade
Specific purpose: to discourage the audience from engaging in gambling
Thesis: Gambling is a very dangerous activity that should be avoided at all costs
Attention Step
I. (Attention Getter) Available data suggests that 80% of American adults gamble on an annual basis and that as many as 750,000 people aged 14 to 21 are addicted to gambling (Addictions). These scary figures clearly indicate that gambling is much more common than many of us imagine.
II. (Topic Justification) Over the past few decades, church bingos and state lotteries have normalized and dignified gambling, presenting it as a perfectly harmless recreational activity. As a result, many people tend to approach Russian roulettes, slot machines, poker as well as other games without really considering the potentially devastating impact that gambling could have on their lives.
III. (Credibility Statement) I personally know several people who started gambling for fun and ended up losing everything, including their loved ones.
IV. (Preview) My main goal is to make you realize how dangerous gambling really is, despite policymakers, betting providers and casino owners’ efforts to depict it as a harmless activity.
Transition: Let me start by listing the main dangers associated with gambling – both online and offline.
Problem / Need Step
I. (Statement of the Problem) One does not simply wake up one day with a gambling addiction. In most cases, gambling starts out as a casual pursuit that gradually develops into a pathological condition that causes gamblers to lose control over their impulses.
II. (Extent and seriousness of the problem) Similarly to other forms of addiction, gambling prompts people to sacrifice everything they have – money, family, relationships, friendships, happiness and financial stability – to support their “hobby”. The more money they lose, the harder it becomes for them to stop gambling, as if they did, that would mean that they have failed.
A. The main dangers associated with gambling are:
1. Loss of control and resulting inability to stop gambling;
2. Undesirable lifestyle changes, such as job loss, deteriorated relationships, deception and financial difficulties;
3. Loss of sleep, lack of appetite and emergence of unpleasant physiological symptoms
B. On top of that, gambling is associated with the following health problems:
1. Depression
2. Anxiety
3. Stress-related health problems such as migraines and increased irritability
III. (Audience Involvement) Chances are many people in this very audience are currently struggling with their gambling addiction.
Transition: I will now illustrate what I believe is the only possible solution to gambling addiction.
Solution / Satisfaction
I. (State the solution) My solution is to avoid gambling at all costs, as that is the only way to prevent yourselves and your loved ones from developing a potentially devastating addiction.
II. (Explain the solution) My solution rests on two simple assumptions:
A. If you do not gamble, there is no risk of becoming a gambling addict.
B. If you do not gamble, you will never have to deal with the undesirable consequences of gambling.
III. (Refutation) Some might claim that people have always gambled in one way or another since the beginning of time, and that gambling can also be a harmless recreational activity if one is capable of controlling oneself. Besides, who says that gamblers always lose their money? After all, one may be lucky enough to place a successful bet or discover a brand new method to trick slot machines as well as other popular casino games. What about those who win the lottery? Don’t they owe their wealth and happiness to gambling?
Transition: Indeed, there are a few lucky people who have been fortunate enough to win money without actually having to earn it. With that being said, I would like to share a couple of stories with you.
Visualization Step
I. (Negative Visualization) Mr. Bristow started gambling at the age of 8 and kept gambling on dogs, horses, poker machines, sport and bingo for over fifty years, until he found himself desperate and broke (McIlwain, 2012).
II. (Positive Visualization) Traumatized by her father’s addiction, Ms. Doust claims to be fortunate for being aware of the risks and behavioral patterns associated with gambling. She has never gambled in her whole life and wants to help young people, who are a high-risk group, learn to identify the factors that may trigger a gambling addiction, so that they can stay away from them.
Transition: In view of these considerations, I suggest you stick to the following action plan.
Action Step
I. (Summary) Today we identified the main dangers of gambling.
II. (Action Step) I strongly suggest you avoid any kind of gambling activity.
III. Even if your favorite team is playing and you think you know how the match is going to end, do not place a bet. Should you lose, you may feel the need to place another bet in order to make your money back. This is exactly how many people end up developing an addiction: they place a bet and lose their money. Being most human beings too proud to admit that they made a mistake, they would rather keep gambling hoping to prove that they can outsmart the whole system, which is impossible. Remember that there is no such thing as a permanent occasional gambler. All gamblers are potential gambling addicts. Under certain circumstances – such as job loss, financial instability, depression, troubled relationships – a gambler may choose to devote more time, energy and money to gambling in order to distract themselves from their problems.
- Addictions. 5 Alarming Gambling Addiction Statistics. 2017, https://www.addictions.com/gambling/5-alarming-gambling-addiction-statistics/. 27 July 2017.
- McIlwain, Kate. “Victims of gambling share painful stories.” Illawarra Mercury. 17 May 2012, http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/113282/victims-of-gambling-share-painful-stories/. 27 July 2017.
