You should look up addiction and see what it really means. I've been a poker player for 43 of my 58 years, retired in my 30's - it's just a hobby that I control. I travel around Oz playing poker frequently; I quite often merely cover my expenses and then go do something else in the capital city I am visiting. As long I maintain my Virgin Gold status and my 3 hotel chain memberships each year, each decade, I'm not interested in making money from poker beyond that. All major Oz casinos are co-located next to Convention Centres. I combine attending expos/conferences (some of which are related to the ASX, others not) with poker activities.
A diverse range of cultural and sporting opportunities are always on your doorstep around the country.
But as a 58 yo retired for over 20 years now, my retirement strategy has evolved into one that embraces diversity, engaging new ideas, interacting with younger people, maintaining health and fitness through self-management, writing and creating my own version of futurism.
I have been known to play poker 16/20 hours straight on occasions, but that doesn't enter into my definition of addiction. I perform health checks when I travel (this includes taking a BP monitor with me). I take a lot of natural supplements (GP cross-referenced) on my travels {including 5-HTP for brain health}.
I approach my retirement lifestyle scientifically, sensibly and dynamically. I wonder if you can say the same? And I certainly don't have an addiction for the sharemarket; it's just one slice of an ever-expanding pie of engagement.
