Essay on Gambling Addiction

Pathological gambling is a chronic and progressive condition that disrupts the life of the individual and those close to him. Not only is pathological gambling associated with financial problems due to the large amounts of money spent on the activity or the loss of a job, but this disorder increases the likelihood of other emotional and psychiatric problems, and general health problems in the individual or his family (Lorenz V, Yaffee, R. 40-49). Suicide is a possible consequence of pathological gambling. Other consequences might be mood disorders, schizophrenia and some neurological conditions.

Will Set a budget for how much you will spend in one session and in one week.Limit the time you will spend gambling. Keep a daily diary to record your gambling. Use a notebook to record the amount of time gambling, number of occasions, wins and losses.Debt or other financial problems. Relationship problems – arguments, disagreements or loss of connection with friends and family,Loss of a job or problems at work due to lack of motivation, absences, inability to concentrate on work, Mental and emotional health concerns – increased stress, depression, panic attacks. Negative impacts on family, especially children – may start getting in the way of being a good parent. Loss of control – gambling can be addictive and starts to take over, it can be hard to stop even when you know it is causing you and your family harm. It can be hard to know if your gambling is getting out of control. A common reaction is to minimise, hide or deny gambling problems and the harm it could be causing. Some people will lie to themselves and others about how much money or time is being spent on gambling. If you suspect you may be developing a gambling addiction, or if you recognise risk in someone you love, get help immediately. Spend more money and time than you intend to gambling, Feel guilty and ashamed about your gambling, Try to win back your losses, Miss important things in life such as family time,

Based on information from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), the National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) states that there are two and a half million individuals who fall into a state defined as a pathological gambler, another three million are considered problem gamblers, and roughly fifteen million more could be considered “at-risk” (NORC, 1999). A pathological gambler is one who has a severe uncontrollable urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. This project proposes to address the need to keep a casino patron from developing a pathological or compulsive gambling problem. The project will entail investigating the driving factors for a person gambling themselves into problems and

The excitement and risk taking associated with gambling is what gets the adrenaline pumping and stimulates the brain into wanting more. Hence, why gambling and betting on the lottery can lead to addiction in some cases. Other addictions associated with alcohol and drugs have similar effects to a gambling addict. Both addicts are vulnerable to lose themselves by the constant urge and desire to have the adrenaline rush from the substance. Regardless of what harm can come from alcohol, tobacco, or gambling it depends on the individual and how they respond to the

According to national surveys, 73% of British adults wagered on gambling activities (including National Lottery) in 2010 [2]. In some instances, this behaviour can become problematic and is characterised by persistent gambling that precedes gambling-related harms [6]. Whilst personal accounts of disordered gambling behaviour and harms related to specific gambling products have garnered a large amount of media exposure and research interest in the UK, the provision and understanding of treatment-seeking behaviour has received less attention. Conservative estimates indicate that approximately 1% of the UK population report gambling behaviour that warrants a diagnosis of either pathological gambling (ICD-10, [7]) or gambling disorder (DSM-5, [5])

One serious outbreak caused by the act of gambling is the production of problem gambling. Problem gambling is actually and impulse-control disorder, where the gambler cannot control his or her obsession. People easily become obsessed with winning the more they play, but when they lose it all, the only goal in their mind is to obtain that next

This study was done on 150 people seeking treatment for drug problems, and found that 32 of the participants were pathological gamblers, 19 were problem gamblers, and the remaining 96 were social gamblers. Among the studied pathological gamblers, 56.3% were seeking treatment for cocaine use, and 25% were seeking treatment for alcohol. One of the prevalent findings in this study was the rate of suicidal thoughts or actions; 26 out of the 32 pathological gamblers (81.3%) had reported serious thoughts of suicide, and 12 (37.5%) had actually attempted suicide at least once. It was also found that, on average, most of the pathological gamblers started gambling before they started using

“The state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducted a study before the first Maryland casino opened in 2010, and published it in 2011. They found that nearly 90 percent of Marylanders had gambled, and that 3.4 percent were either pathological gamblers or problem gamblers.” (Massimo) There has been numerous stories of addicted gamblers in debt, gamblers that have lost family and friends from their addictions. There was a man $400,000 in debt, his wife threw him out of the house and told him he could not see his kids again unless he gave up gambling. Also, another gambler went on a 48 hour binge without sleeping and barely eating. A woman faced a jail term for stealing $135,000 to feed her gambling

The untreated conditions that pathological gamblers have may compound an unfortunate situation. Not everyone who gambles becomes addictive. However, the casino industry recognizes that some people have gambling problems and casinos provide help and education for those that do have problems. All gamblers do not have broken homes or abuse their children. Plenty of broken home have nothing to do with gambling. Again, there is no imperial evidence that substantiates every time a hand of cards is lost a child is beaten.

Gambling can be done at a casino, racetrack, or online. Compulsive gambling addiction can lead to criminal behaviors. There are several phases in gambling. The winning phase lead gamblers to win several winnings, which leads them to believe that they will keep winning. The loosing phase often begins with bragging about their past wins and start gambling alone and begin to borrow money. The loosing phase leads to debts. The desperation phase can lead to suicidal thoughts, arrests, divorce and alcohol and drug abuse.

Gambling is all around the United States, and it can be a dangerous game for families. Many casino’s find gambling as a profit for their Company, since many people from around the United States will come to their casino and try to win it big with their own money. Gambling has been around for many years and a statement made by Worldcasinodirectory.com, stated “To begin with, gambling did not originate in the US- it came to this country with immigrants from Europe, Asia- especially China, and other parts of the world.” The United States was just another victim of an ongoing addiction. By, understanding how gambling reached the borders of The United States, how a notorious gang leader started the empire of gambling, and how an addiction pushes people to their limits, can help understand how gambling has become such a demanding element in a society.

There are many different forms of gambling. Whether one is betting on a lottery ticket, a horse race, a sports game, or slot machines, to name a few, they are spending money with unfavourable odds of winning that money back. Many people cannot control when they walk away from gambling, as they will continue to bet in an attempt to win back the lost money. The issue is - for the most part - that the losses continue to increase. In Victoria, in the fiscal year of 2000-01, gamblers lost a total of $14.38 billion, including $2.36 billion on the leading cause of losses, poker machines (11). This can result in problem gambling. Based on different surveys in Canada, it is estimated that approximately 1 in 20 Canadians either have a gambling problem, or are at serious risk of obtaining one. 1 in 20 Canadians adds up to 760,800 problem gamblers (12). In the US, an estimated 3 million people are problem gamblers, and another 15 million are at risk of developing gambling problems (13). Problem gambling would not be as severe of an issue if it only harmed the gambler themselves, as it is their choice to gamble and displays a only a lack of self control. The issue is that people are indirectly affected by problem gambling. It can result in problems with personal relationships, neglect of ones family, bankruptcy, and stress related disorders such as depression, or insomnia (14). Problem gambling also has a positive correlation with crime. This means that the more problem gamblers there are, the more crimes are being committed. Statistics from a published survey show that only 3.3% of responsible, low frequency gamblers have been convicted of committing a crime, while a staggering 28.3% of problem gamblers have been convicted at least once (15). These numbers show that problem gamblers do not only harm themselves, but the consequences have a continuous ripple effect,

There are a lot of dangers when it comes to gambling, since gambling is a legal vice with a profitable basis that drives the development of the industry. Usually, a gambling addiction is commonly considered a hidden problem; a gambling addict does not display the obvious physical signs and symptoms of a drug or alcohol addict. Loved ones are often blindsided by the consequences of a gambling addiction, realizing the problem only after the person has spent huge sums of money and incurred significant debts. In the Article “How Gambling Can Kill You Faster Than Drug Abuse or Alcoholism” from the website AlterNet, Author Chris Write claims “The suicide rates among gambling addicts are staggeringly high. The National Council on Problem Gambling

     Gambling addiction is an issue found in numerous areas where gambling is legal. People who are addicted to gambling, also know as problem gamblers, face many health risks including depression, suicidal thoughts, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, migraine and anxiety in addition to marriage breakdown, problems at work and bankruptcy (9). About 2 percent of adults are thought to be problem gamblers (1). In today’s society this costly addiction is not often considered to be a common problem among those who gamble. Only a small amount of states in the U.S. give enough attention toward this rising problem of people that are sometimes even willing to commit crimes just to aid their addiction. In the past our

They are often too busy to deal with their personal needs and allow their health to waste away. The compulsive gambler is costing an