Not quite following your logic. Millions of private investors have become wealthy by investing in the market.You are correct sir - it is to take money from private investors and transfer it to the big banks, hedge funds, and Wall Street, in other words the big boys.
Now, millions of private investors have lost everything in the market as well. Those people, IMO, were greedy and always chasing the big score and lost. If you take a pragmatic approach to investing and adjust your risk tolerance to a level that is realistic to your ability to absorb losses, you'll make money in the market in the long run.