Should one start with gambling or investing first?

Kamal531

When I was in my senior year of college, I asked my father to buy stocks, and he gave me a sum of money to invest without questioning. Of course, I ended up losing that money in the stock market.

When my son turned eighteen, he asked his mother to buy stocks, but she insisted he should wait until he finished college. However, when it comes to playing blackjack (21), my father and my son's mother were against it.

In reality, playing 21 at a young age is not a big deal in some foreign countries. Leaving aside biases against gambling, the question arises: should one start with investing or gambling (playing 21)?

Back when I started buying stocks, I didn't learn how to manage my funds properly, nor did I have the skills for research and analysis. It wasn't until my thirties that I truly began learning about gambling, including money management.

I often wonder if I had learned about proper money management through gambling first and then entered the stock market, would I have avoided such devastating losses?

Now, I believe my son is heading in the wrong direction because he started with the stock market without even having the basics of investment knowledge. Could he end up like I did back then?

I think what concerns them is that the casino environment can be complex, and there are many people with negative experiences. If we compare a casino to a stock brokerage, the casino dealers are like the stock brokers; the dealers follow the rules, and their impact on the players is limited. On the other hand, stock brokers aim to earn commissions and may sometimes provide biased advice.

So, the question remains: should one start with gambling or investing?

Samiksha

In the adult world, it's not a multiple-choice question; one can engage in both gambling and investing simultaneously.

Kahn332

Certainly, gambling should be placed at the bottom of the priority list.

Isha000

Just play whichever one can make money steadily; there's no specific order.

Yamini003

This question is like asking whether the chicken or the egg came first.

Ritu13

One needs to have money first before thinking about other things, just like in both gambling and investing.