But all is not negative when it comes to gambling as there are untapped benefits of gambling which cannot be seen within the walls of the casino, or the race track, or in the bingo social hall.

Employment

In Las Vegas, a whopping 60 percent of the employment ratio is attributed to the presence of casinos. Imagine what would happen to Las Vegas if all the casinos suddenly stopped operating.

Entertainment

Self-discipline is the key. Gambling is for entertainment, as it was intended to be. Others just couldn’t handle a loss and always kept right on thinking that the next card would be the one to salvage all that has been lost. But it never does. And these types of gamblers only comprise one-fourth of the gambling population who cannot gamble responsibly.

Imagine the other 75 percent who responsibly gamble. These are the people who find the entertainment value of gambling and they are never blinded by the illusion that hitting it big time just once is the key to financial freedom.

It is sad that only a small percentage of the gambling population gets the bad rap of how gambling can be so destructive. Families, friends, properties, jobs, crimes and deception permeate the destruction brought about by gambling but it is still a small portion of the gambling population.

Charity Work

Winnings from gambling activities have contributed in providing the needed financial support of worthy causes. They use gambling activities such as bingos or lotteries with a percentage of the jackpot winnings tied with charity institutions.

Some celebrities even show their prowess in card games like poker to provide entertainment for the viewers and winnings for the charity institution they represent.

Health benefit

Studies have been found that retirees 65 years old and above who gamble have less health issues such as depression, alcoholism and bankruptcy as they find gambling to be therapeutic as it exercises their mind and keep them alert.

The study was not conclusive, however, because retiree gamblers are the recreational gamblers who find the entertainment value of gambling. They are healthier because they are healthy to begin with and not because they gamble.

Some people play bingo games online if they dont have the chance of going to the gaming halls. This helps the elderly who can’t travel and in the end still makes them very happy, especially with the bingo bonuses they can acquire.

In the end, it is not the gambling act itself that makes it beneficial or harmful to the individual. It is the decision of the individual if gambling would rule him or he would rule his gambling habit.

While the live band may not consist of household names, their excellent renditions of golden oldies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s were performed with class and energy this past Saturday night. The temperatures soared to the high-30s on the day and the South Easter which had been fanning veld-fires across the Peninsular for the past 2 weeks dropped, creating a balmy evening on the soft sandy beach.

Young and old, black and white, locals and foreigners all congregated en masse from late afternoon to find themselves a space on the sand, enjoy a sunset picnic and cool off in the icy water. Meanwhile, the band got themselves together and ran through a few practice numbers, giving a melodic hint of what was to follow.

The yachts and catamarans of a local marine club dropped anchor in the bay, creating an off-shore event of their own as their lights reflected on the darkening waves below and echoed the emerging stars above.

The event, sponsored by BP Garages, is in aid of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). One of their helicopters did a fly-by before the entertainment kicked off at 18h00, with the crowd standing to salute the work of the men and women who save numerous lives in Cape Town each year.

The MC for the night, Aiden Thomas, introduced a marimba band to start the night’s entertainment. The group warmed up the crowds with some traditional African tunes before the main band got many dancing on the sand under the stars with hit after hit, beautifully performed and accompanied by stringed, wind, brass and percussion instruments.

The spectacular sunset stole the crowd’s attention for a few breath-taking minutes, then candles and glow sticks (sold by the NSRI) took on the job of lighting up the relaxed revelers. As no alcohol was allowed, the event was extremely mellow, with no unpleasant incidents to mar the family-friendly fun.

The night drew to a close on schedule at 20h30. We left the beach with happy memories, vowing to return to next year’s Moonstruck.

For a relaxed, free evening with fantastic music and a great Cape Town vibe, look out for Moonstruck 2009 which will be, as always, in the month of February, a perfect way to get into the mood for Valentine’s Day.