Gambling was always a major no when I was in....I still have a vague uneasiness about it...
It's kind of a pity that it still makes you a little uneasy. A day at the races is really a great day out (as well as a great movie) Running down the stairs between races to place your $2 bets (and collect, if you were good), grabbing a bbqed corn cob and a baked ham sandwich, running back up the stairs and finding a seat as parallel to the finish line as possible in time for the next race. You'd be surprised how quickly an afternoon flies.