He met only one gambler who consistently won, he said. Everyone else accepted their small losses as the price of a day’s distraction, and the losses of others as a small reward. More than money, Mr. Zierock said, “the thing they like is being right” — making a prediction before a race, then throwing it in the face of the naysayers if it comes true.

“That’s why they don’t care if they lose,” he said. “They gamble for gambling’s sake. They know no one wins.”