John Ford | September 8, 2020 | Updated on: January 11th, 2024
While we may recommend the best online casinos for US players, it would be irresponsible of us not to expand on the risk of gambling addiction that players face daily. Having a healthy relationship with gambling is important. A healthy relationship means that casino games should not take precedence over every other important thing you have to do on a daily basis.
Once you or someone you know begins to gamble nonstop, it may be early signs of a problem. This guide is meant to help players and those around them in recognizing signs of gambling addiction.
There are early signs of gambling addiction that, if caught early, can be addressed before damage is done.
Go through our in-depth analysis of problem gambling to discover the gambling addiction treatments available to players. Also, you will find out how to exclude yourself from the casino before a losing streak turns into a problem.
How to Spot a Gambling Addict
First and foremost, casino gambling should be for entertainment purposes. Any motivation beyond that should look closely at the pattern of behavior that may lead a player down a dark path.
By definition, gambling addiction is a psychological impulse to gamble that cannot be controlled. There are many ways in which the urge to gamble compulsively can present itself in players:
Problem Gambler
A problem gambler is some who presents signs of erratic behavior and often pulls a disappearing act to go to a casino. It is the least harmful stage of the addiction, but if not dealt with, can develop into a bigger problem.
Some of the signs to look out for include gambling the whole night and lying about your whereabouts to close ones.
Binge Gambler
Just as the name suggests, a binge gambler will not typically frequent the casino. However, when they do decide to gamble, they are powerless to stop it. This pattern can be drawn out for days if a winning streak develops or longer if a losing streak persists.
Compulsive Gambler
The most dangerous addiction is a compulsive gambler, a player with no inhibitions about gambling away their entire salary or livelihood. They are prone to spending days in the casino and skipping work to gamble.
With an uncontrollable urge to gamble, they do not care about losing relationships or their job, convinced that they can make a living gambling.
Gambling Addiction Treatment
Having heard multiple stories about the effects of problem gambling, it makes sense that there should be multiple avenues to get help. The treatment can come in different forms for players experiencing symptoms of addiction. Also, there is free gambling addiction help for players that merely need to exclude themselves from the casino.
There are intense therapy and counseling for players that exhibit a gambling problem that may threaten their lives and that of their loved ones. This professional treatment can help players overcome their addiction through medication and rehab programs.
Here are some of the popular treatments available:
- Self-Exclusion – players can opt for self-help measures and exclude themselves from gaining entry to a casino. You will fill in a form that bans you temporarily from getting into the casino.
- Third–Party Exclusion – this option is for family members that have noticed odd behavior and can consult with the casino to ban you from playing games.
- Professional Treatment – there are plenty of gambling addiction treatment centers that assist players with breaking the compulsion to gamble. Professional help takes the form of medication, therapy, and counseling.
If you or anyone you know have a gambling problem, you can reach out to the following agencies for help:
- National Council on Problem Gambling – 1-800-522-4700
- Problem Gambling CA – 1-866-531-2600
- SAMHSA – 1-800-487-4889
Gambling Addiction Frequently Asked Questions
You can start by making the gambler aware of the adverse effects that gambling is having in their lives and that of those close to them. If the issue persists, request the casino to exclude them from entering the casino premises or playing online.
Lastly, you can involve professional help like a therapist or a counselor to ensure that they stop gambling.
People get addicted to gambling because their brain is stimulated and dopamine is excreted during the experience. Once they get a rush of that, they always seek to recreate it. Additionally, with the promise of winning money, that is more motivation to gamble.
No, gambling is not an addiction. Gambling can turn into an addiction if the player is powerless to stop the impulse to visit the casino or play games online.
You should provide support to someone that is an addict and suggest professional help. The fastest way to stop them from losing money is to ask the casino to ban them until they get the help they need.
The only people that can successfully stop gambling addiction are medical professionals. This is done through rigorous counseling, a healthy diet of pills, and restricting a gambler’s proximity to stimuli that could make them relapse.
Yes, there are plenty of stories of players that have received treatment and financial counseling to assist them with their problem. It has become customary for gambling sites to provide information on responsible gambling to players that may need help on their website.
Here’s are a couple of ways to tell if someone has a gambling problem:
• The financial discrepancy between the money they earn and the ability to pay for essential goods and services.
• If someone is constantly borrowing money.
• They have erratic patterns of movements, such as spending the entire day at a casino.
• Always moody, very irritable and gets mad about money-related matters.
• No longer spending time with their family members.