Love and Casinos

10 December 2024

By Frank Scoblete

Frank: I introduced you to Roulette Ralph several years ago. He is a heavy thinker about casino games and, as his name suggests, he is an inveterate roulette player.

He has a new idea that he has been toying with (mentioned as the title of this article) and I find it quite interesting. He is of the opinion that pheromones have something very real to tell us about casino playing. It is an interesting idea but there isn’t any real proof that it is true…still…

Ralph: A pheromone is usually a scent exuded by the breath or skin of a creature to control or enhance a member creature to do the right thing by his or her species. Insects have many different types of pheromones while humans probably share some of these invisible agents which have a lot of power over us. Many creatures of varying types exude pheromones too.

Humans are thought to have some half dozen different pheromones— both male and female ones no less. They can be the reason why Janie fell in love with Jimmy and vice versa “just like that.”

Frank: So, love at first sight among human beings may actually be love at first smell.

Ralph: This could and probably is the same thing for our fellow creatures. Yes, it may be the reason why some of us hook up and some of us don’t want anything to do with each other. The truth is in the scents.

Frank: Makes sense!

Ralph: Okay, pheromones are largely known for their ability to control or enhance a creature’s sexual drive, work ethic, support of the individual’s group and the waging of war. Pheromones can be smelled by members of the “tribe” and direct those members to do what they must to help the group. That even means the individuals can die if the situation — the smell — is right.

Frank: Those little ants (and somewhat bigger ants) toiling away in your backyard, mating, working, warring with other ants and other species are examples of creatures enhanced by their pheromones to do the right thing for their comrades. And those termites toiling away on your house, in the walls and basement, have pheromones pressuring them to continue to dig and “darn it!” eat that wall, eat
that house, eat little Timmy’s crib, until nothing is there.

The Limits to Pheromones

Ralph: Are pheromones the be all and end all of these creatures’ existence? Can they actually stimulate a love of things not of the tribe, not even of the living, but just things? Or must pheromones be strictly directed towards other living beings of their genus and/or group?

We know that when male bug meets female bug or when this bug meets that big bug giving birth to all those other ugly bugs – you can think of the movie “Aliens” to get an image of this – something is going on behind the scenes and it is something real and vibrant. It is thought that pheromones are indeed smells or chemicals that can be absorbed by the skin. That is how they are transferred from one to another.

Pheromones and Casino Play

Ralph: I do think a case could be made that a kind of pheromone is involved in casino play – at least for some players, maybe very few players, but some of them nevertheless. Follow me on this; I’m speculating but I think I have hit upon something real.

We have often heard casino players say “I love this game!” Now, I like playing many casino games but I do not live and die when I play a game. It is a pastime, nothing more, nothing less. “Love,” as a deep-seeded emotion has nothing to do with it; really, for me, love has nothing to do with playing a game. “Enjoy” is the better word for me. I enjoy certain games.

Still, who are these players who “love” the games they play? As in “love” as in something much more than liking is involved?

One could make the case that all of us players excitedly anticipate playing (and hopefully winning) when we play casino games. That type of anticipatory excitement can be seen in lottery players and sports bettors too. Yet, do a percentage of these players really “love” the games they anticipate playing? As in “I love you” and “You love me.” Are they like human insects propelled and compelled to “mate” with their preferred game or games? Are they more in love with a game than the love for their spouses? Would they consistently choose the game first?

Maybe they are in such love and maybe they do choose the game above all else. Could pheromones be the reason for this? Next week!

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete's books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries and bookstores.