What I mean is that for a typical gambling junket (2 or 3 days), I get free room and food & liquor. My “gambling budget” would be the amount I figure I can afford to lose at the tables for that trip. I would include tokes (i.e. tips for dealers and servers) in that, since you usually toke them in casino chips, but not other planned expenses (like golf, shows, whatever). I usually divide this up into however many sessions I think I want to play, and go roll the dice, deal the cards, or whatever. I try not to roll over winnings into the next session, but that’s more of a guideline than a rule.
If I go down fast in a session, I find something else to do. If I get ahead, I play for as long as I want.
I make no pretense that this is a moneymaking exercise. I take it as escapist entertainment. I often remind myself that the friendly people working in the casino are really just friends with my money.
What you’re describing here is setting off all kinds of alarm bells for me. This is the kind of stuff that ends marriages. I think you and your husband need to have a looooooong, serious talk about this. I do think that your MIL is heading for trouble. She’s gambling a lot, and being addicted to gambling is pretty common. And I think your intuition that she’s going back to work because she’s blown all her money is dead on.