Jen and I spent the weekend in Atlantic City for her birthday, which was a little surprise I'd been working on for some time. She knew we were going somewhere, she just didn't know where (although she guessed pretty quickly, because I'm about as subtle as a train wreck). I chose A.C. because Jen has an affinity for the slots and actually has a history of winning at them. A few years back, she racked up $1400 in a single afternoon. In a vast sea of slot machines, she always picks the good ones. If you ask her secret, she'll tell you it's ADD intuition.
We descend the escalator into Bally's Wild Wild West Casino (chosen for its kitshcy western theme by yours truly, who can't resist an animatronic donkey). Jen walks purposefully up and down the rows of slot machines, reading their energy and trying to make the best selection. She finally settles on a machine that feels right, and proceeds to rake in the dough. We don't always come home with cash, but she makes it last a lot longer than most people.
I have heard that many people with ADD can't gamble at all, because they get sucked in and can't shift out of gambling mode. I can understand how an ADDer could hyperfocus on a slot machine. Even overcautious little me was sitting there, at 1:00 in the morning, going "One more spin. One more spin." Jen is unlike most ADDers when it comes to gambling; she knows her limits and can stick to them. So we can take these little getaways to Atlantic City and have a good time.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, there are numerous ways to get help. One of them is the National Council on Problem Gambling.
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