What You Should Know About Compulsive Gambling

Gambling has become more popular in the past dozen years, a rapid progression. It is a $13 billion a year industry. Gambling includes: Internet gambling, casinos, pull tabs, scratch tickets, lottery, poker, and VLTs (video lottery terminals). Socioeconomic factors are the social and economic advantages and disadvantages of gambling on communities and society in general. 


Advantages of gambling on society are that it generates revenue for the government, deficit reduction, job creation, expands economy, increases tourism, supported by Aboriginal communities, and an increase in prevention programs in various types of addiction, compulsive gambling included. 


Disadvantages of gambling on society are compulsive gambling (addiction to gambling); damages individuals, families, and communities; can lead to bankruptcy; can hurt mental health, i.E., anxiety, stress, and depression; job loss and unemployment; loss of parental attention, neglect issues, family fights, break-ups, substance abuse; affects a number of people in a widening circle of distress and loss; and lastly, suicide. 


Gambling is a game playing with probabilities. We can never predict the outcome of a win. Always the odds are against you. By gambling you are taking a chance. Chance games include VLTs, bingo, slot machines, and the lottery. Skill games are games of chance but more skill is required when betting or wagering. These games include poker, horse races, and professional sports betting. 


Maladaptive gambling behavior that disrupts personal, family , or vocational pursuits is considered compulsive gambling. Individuals may be preoccupied with gambling. Pathological gamblers say that they are seeking an aroused, euphoric state that gambling gives them, which appears more exhilarating than the money. 


Is there a cause to compulsive gambling? The promise of winning; a gambler is willing to invest that there is a possibility and a hope that they will win; social function with friends; leisure activity; people like spending money to play; starts to become a habit; helps to pass time; and ignorance, many people don't know how badly the odds of winning are stacked against them.