By Jess Kirley

Gambling for fun or gambling for a living? I would be interested to know what percent of punters are actually interested in treating gambling as more than just an enjoyable hobby. Granted not everybody would like to pursue a career in gambling. Many are no doubt content with treating their gambling pursuits as simply a very enjoyable hobby which can more than pay for itself.

I am bewildered by those that unjustifiably assume that any form of gambling edges the participant closer to the poor house. Maybe you enjoy gambling but also hold the same belief either consciously or unconsciously?

Are you interested in gambling simply for the entertainment and enjoyment, or are you interested in making a serious consistent income from the game? If you are in the former and are attracted to gambling purely for the action, fun and excitement, then by all means continue.

Contrary to what you may think, I certainly don't oppose gambling for the fun of it. Gambling is great entertainment and there is certainly no harm allocating a certain amount from the weekly budget to having a flutter; just as you would allocate funds for other forms of entertainment, such as going to a movie. That is providing of course that you accept the fact that the longer you play, the more you will loose IF you are not skilled.

If you are interested in gambling for a living, then you must have the belief and the knowledge that money can really be made from it. Please understand though that the path is not smoothly paved in gold. There are many potholes along the way which I hope to help steer you past or help you out of if you have fallen. You may be now asking, so - can I make a good income from gambling? The answer is -

Undeniably Yes!

Many people not involved in the industry have no real grasp of how this can be achieved. How can somebody achieve the dream of many and turn gambling into your full-time profession? YES it does take a little, patience, persistence and certainly a willingness to learn and continue to learn as you progress. These little annoyances are the main reason why more people don't take up gambling full-time which suits me. If it was as easy as eating a meat pie, then making a living from the punt would become much tougher with a greater percentage of players turning from mug punter to skilled and disciplined punter.

Gambling for a living is certainly within the grasp of just about anybody who would like to seriously pursue the profession. Like all things in life you have to start from scratch. Gone are the days when there was a stigma attached to the gambling world. Very few these days still hold the view that your average gamblers sit around in dingy, dark rooms smoking their lungs out with their seedy mates.

In the last 10 years there has been a change in the general public's perception of the gambling industry. Gambling is now widely accepted as an exciting form of entertainment and an enjoyable pastime.

It may even surprise you to know that many bankers, accountants, managers and even university graduates have chosen a life in the gambling arena rather than a life at the office. Many professional gamblers of today hold tertiary qualifications and many come from white collar backgrounds.

If you would like to pursue a profession in the gambling world, we will have a look at the personal attributes you will need to succeed in this challenging and rewarding profession in Part Two. Not surprisingly, many of the attributes mirror those required for success in any field of endeavour and each one can be developed.

Of course the degree to which you may pursue the points in part two is dependent on the level of punter you wish to become. You may only want to make a relatively modest part-time income or you may like to concentrate on becoming a full-time professional gambler.

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