...that the stock exchange uses put options. I mean it's like going to vegas and playing a bit of Blackjack and doubling down on your hand. Why anyone gets into this form of gambling is beyond me......

Kinda like a high rollers table but for idiots and con artists.

Oh and the house always wins.....

All trading is gambling - it's managed risk. PUT options, as long as you calculate the minimum profits and maximum loss and have an idea as to what the underlying stock is going to do, are just as easy to manage as any other sort of trading. A very nice way to get a monthly income from an otherwise long term play. Dedicated options traders (ie those at Chicago Board Options Exchange) on the other hand, are all mad.