Gambling is a game, a contest. When you gamble, you take a chance that you will increase your money. You give your money to a casino or other gambling venue and hope that you will get the right role, the right cards, or the right horse will win. You could make a lot more money or you could lose it all depending on whether or not something happens. There’s no way of knowing what will happen.

Investing is a game for some people. When you invest, you are putting money into something that you feel will be successful. If and when they are, the money you put in will increase. It is a game for those who do it for enjoyment. Many people invest not for enjoyment, but to make money. Why is this not a game for them?

Investing is not the same as gambling. There are many different ways to invest your money, and some ways are not even close to gambling. When you invest in a government bond, you are guaranteed your principle and interest. It’s not a gamble if you know for sure you’re going to be paid back. There is a slight possibility that they government won’t pay you back, but the government would have to be in a lot of trouble for that to happen and getting your money back would be the least of your worries.

When it comes to stocks, investing is still very different from gambling. When you buy a stock, you buy a piece of the company. You own part owner of that company. You are invested in that company which means when they make money, you could get dividends, or when they are doing well, the price of the stock will go up. When you put money down on a football game or when you give your cash to a casino, you own nothing. Your earning power does not depend on the success of anything or anyone. It depends simply on chance.

Investing is another way to earn an income. When you invest, your money is earning money, not simply taking a chance on itself. If you ever fall into a large sum of money and you aren’t sure which way to go, remember that investing is much less risky and could earn you a lot more money over the long run. Let’s say you inherit $10,000 from a long lost Uncle. If you have a chance to gamble your money and double it, you could have $20,000. You could double it again and have $40,000 and so on and so forth. The problem is that the possibility that you’ll even double it the first time is slim to none. If instead you invested it into the stock market and got an average 8 percent return and didn’t touch it for 30 years, you would have about $93,000. Which would you choose?

By Samantha Asher
If you want to know more about how to find a good stock investment and investing in the stock market, go to StockInvestingMadeEasy.infofor more information.