Martine Rolls: odds on you will lose

Without meaning to sound too condescending, gambling is not in my culture. I soon found out when I came to New Zealand in 2004 that it certainly is in yours. Most of the people I met in those early days placed bets on horses, greyhounds, cricket, tennis, rugby and any other sporting event that was going on.

It's easy to say that a dollar each way doesn't hurt anyone. It's just a bit of harmless fun, right? I disagree, and I really don't see the appeal.

Pokie rooms and casinos are the most depressing places I can think of. Personally, I think gambling is about the stupidest thing anyone can do. Surely there are better ways to get some excitement?

Gambling is as addictive as drinking or smoking, and even if you win big every now and again, the odds are always against you. Always.

If you don't believe me, take a look at www.gamblingproblem.co.nz

One of the comments on the homepage says: "The worse thing about going to the pokies is to walk out with nothing." Another good one to have a look at if you are worried, for yourself or someone you care about, is www.choicenotchance.org.nz

I think betting is rather boring but I will enter a raffle if it is for a good cause. Every now and again I buy a lotto ticket, but that's about it. I read somewhere that you are more likely to be struck by lightning twice than to win first division. So why bother counting on Lotto for an early retirement?

I've been to the races but don't place any bets when there. I don't see the point of losing my hard-earned dollars that easily. I do like the atmosphere at the racecourse, though, the kids always have a lot of fun and it's nice to see that so many people make an effort to dress up for the occasion. It's the people-watching I enjoy, and I find the thoroughbreds fascinating too.

I heard on the radio on Monday that Sunday had been the biggest day in New Zealand betting history. About $3 million was bet on the Rugby World Cup final. That made it the biggest day for the TAB ever.

The final broke the previous TAB record, the David Tua v Lennox Lewis boxing in 2000, on which the betting agency took in $2.1 million.

Someone who obviously had more money than sense had placed a $50,000 bet on the first points to come from an All Black penalty. Piri Weepu took that penalty, and as you all know - he missed. That must have hurt. I'm sure this punter was totally gutted.

Always, there are the lucky ones though. I received a text a few minutes after the game from a friend who had picked the score closest to the actual 8-7 win with her bookie.

Thanks to the French not getting the chance to pull off their notorious drop-goal tricks; she was $10,000 richer on Sunday night. Bet you she opened up an extra bottle of bubbles.

Did you know you can put your money on who is going to have the most popular global tweet this year? Or who Katie Price, aka Jordan's, next boyfriend will be?

Google shows a whole range of strange wagers. Checking that out was more fun than watching a bunch of horses run around a track or chucking cash into a slot machine.

But of all the things that annoy me about gambling, it's the marketing team behind Readers Digest that really drives me nuts. Without realising I would receive so many fat envelopes in my mailbox with offers of books and DVDs for ridiculous prices as well as the notion I could win millions, I subscribed to the magazine a few years ago.

I find Readers Digest quite a good read, but the sweepstakes are just too much. Honestly, have you ever heard of a person winning anything more than a pen or some other cheaply made useless item in one of those sweepstakes?

I have emailed them several times to send me the magazine and nothing else, but it is getting me nowhere. Their marketing clogs up my inbox now too, and I still have not been taken off their snail-mail database. Never returning envelopes or not ever ordering anything obviously doesn't do the trick. They'll probably keep sending me the stuff even if I cancel my subscription. I may need to move house.