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Honestly, Bennett's opinion on virtue and morality still the same, not insignificant, amount of weight for me. Sure, high-roller gambling isn't the most virtuous of behaviors - but I do not recall a large part of Bennett's moral message having any relation to gambling.

If someone has the money to gamble, and they find it an enjoyable and entertaining activity, I have no quarrel with it. To me, it seems no more frivolous than a millionaire spending millions on a classic car collection. Let him do with his money as he pleases - he can afford it. The immoral part of gambling comes when someone is gambling away everything they have in the hopes of getting rich quick.

That said, if he sees it as a problem, then he should fix it. I see no, or virtually no, moral component to the gambling habits of a multi-millionaire. If he can afford it, then he should be welcome to spend his free time as he chooses. It's still probably cheaper than golf. :)

Cordially,
ADE

I see no, or virtually no, moral component to the gambling habits of a multi-millionaire. If he can afford it, then he should be welcome to spend his free time as he chooses. It's still probably cheaper than golf.

Fine, but it certainly calls into question his judgement and his character. I judge people by all sorts of behvaviors. When somebody has an obsession that causes him to piss away millions of dollars, I question his judgement, and that affects what I think about his leadership.

I'm no liberal, and I think that people can spend thier money however they want. But when I look at "the book of virtues" of my book shelf, it is hard not to think that the book just doesn't have the same effect when you know that they guy pissed away 8 million dollars on a game that he had no chance of winning.

He made a promise to the Missus. If he's faithful to his wife, I don't have a problem with him. And he isn't a hypocrite since he never lectured others on the evils of gambling. He may have overdone it but the $8 million loss was indeed an exagerration and in any event the casinos had no right to release a customer's financial details to the media.