Gambling Addictions: Part 2.

Often, people with a gambling problem hold false beliefs, the following are an example of possible beliefs such a person may hold:

 

True and false of gambling:

 

False: it is possible to predict if a coin will land on heads or tails when flipped in a random manner.

 

Truth: Because each time a coin is flipped, it is an independent event, even though the chances of head/tails are 1:2 respectively, this does not mean that if it lands on heads one time, the next time will be more likely to be tails. The previous flip has no bearing on the subsequent flip; the odds are still 1:2. This is true of every single flip, although to our common sense it seems wrong.

 

False: Systems exist that will help you win the lottery.

 

Truth: regardless of the manner in which numbers are picked, the outcomes are always random and the odds equal. Consider the standard lottery, players choose 6 numbers of 49 possible choices. The balls are entered into a tombola, and shaken. The numbers drawn are always random, each number has the same chance of coming out on each lottery round, than they have on the previous round, i.e. 1:49 chance of being drawn each game. For example, a strategy may tell you to pick the least frequently drawn numbers, say 1,3,4,5,6,16 as they will be more likely to be drawn- not true, they still each have a 1:49 chance of being picked at the start of the game, even if they have never been drawn over a 5 year period!

 

False: Gambling on something you would not normally gamble on, makes that activity more fun.

 

Truth: playing a side bet on a game of snooker when you play with friends can make the game more fun for some people (usually the ones who win!). If you develop a gambling problem, you can bet your bottom dollar that you will not be enjoying anything for a while (pun not intended).

 

False: when on a losing streak, your luck is about to change.

 

Truth: that sentiment is ridiculous; hardly anybody comes out on top from gambling – save the casinos and the odd lucky punter. Casinos keep more money than they payout, they need to, to stay in business, and you will lose more than you win over time if you consider the odds of your gambling.

 

 

False: if an event has not occurred for a while, it is more likely to occur soon.

 

Truth: this is just a common sense assumption and not true, the odds are only relevant to each particular round, so regardless of what has happened before, in a new round of any game the odds remain the same. This may feel intuitively wrong, but it is statistically true. For instance, on roulette, if red has come out several times in a row, then black is overdue and should be bet on, the ratio of each colour is 50/50 chance over the long term, but for each individual spin the odds are always the same. The spins are independent each time – the likelihood of a particular colour being drawn is always 50/50 or 1:2.

 

 

False: another player is causing you to lose.

 

Truth: when playing blackjack many people think that a bad player sitting in the last place can mess up the way the cards are naturally drawn, causing other players to lose. Occasionally a player who does not know what he is doing can lead to the dealer beating the whole table. In the short term though, the player is as likely to help as to hinder you. The cards in the deck are always ordered randomly – unless there is a cheat in the midst, but that is a different issue and nothing to do with the odds of the game.

 

If you are worried about yourself or a friend, then Gamblers Anonymous can offer help, they provide a questionnaire to evaluate the extent of your potential gambling problem and to establish whether the person concerned has a compulsive gambling problem:

 

 

 “Gamblers Anonymous offers the following questions to anyone who may have a gambling problem. These questions are provided to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling.

Twenty Questions

Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?

Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

Did gambling affect your reputation?

Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?

Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?

After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?

Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?

Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?

Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?

Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?

Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?

Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?

Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?

Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?

Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?

Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide because of your gambling? “

                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                Gamblers Anonymous

 

 

 

Expert in the field of problem gambling, Laura Letson of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, responds to questions on addictive gambling:

 

 

“What is the difference between ordinary gambling and compulsive gambling?

The overwhelming majority of people who gamble do not have a problem with it. But pathological gambling, often called compulsive gambling, is a mental health disorder. It is classified as one by the American Psychiatric Association. Compulsive gambling becomes all-consuming. It takes over people's lives. It can have a devastating effect.

 

What kinds of people are most susceptible to problem gambling?

It really does cut across all age categories, all economic, cultural and educational categories. But one of the more vulnerable groups of people are older adults who are dealing with the onset of retirement, with the loss of a loved one, with being lonely. While their gambling may start out as a social activity, they may find themselves doing things they have never done before. For young kids, it is often a matter of peer pressure. They start with what they think is a friendly bet. It is a common part of their everyday language: "I'll bet you," "I dare you."

 

How many people in Florida are affected by compulsive gambling?

Our research shows that more than three-quarters of a million adults and more than 100,000 adolescents in the state are compulsive gamblers or at risk. Four percent of all youths ages 13 to 17 are compulsive gamblers, with another 8 percent at risk. For older adults (older than 55), its 2.9 percent and 11.7 percent. And those numbers do not include the thousands of other people adversely affected by gambling: family members, loved ones, friends, people they work with. Many of them will suffer the same symptoms compulsive gamblers have, the same depression, the same anxiety, the same sense of hopelessness, not to mention the economic impact.

 

Are compulsive gamblers more likely to have problems with other forms of addiction?

It is not uncommon for them to have problems with alcohol or substance abuse. It isn't unusual to find people presenting in alcohol or drug-treatment programs whose primary problem is actually gambling. Or you may see someone who is trying to stop drinking or using drugs and turns to gambling. Either way, they may be substituting one addiction for another. It's also not uncommon for a person with these problems to have had a family member with drug, alcohol or gambling problems.

 

Does exposure to gambling venues or opportunities make compulsive gambling more likely?

Compulsive gamblers will always find something to bet on. They'll bet on the next car to drive by. But we do see an effect from things like all the televised poker tournaments. Poker is now among our top three types of problem gambling, especially among adolescents. They're holding private card games, mini tournaments, and it's because they're seeing it on TV. Ads, promotions for gambling venues, we know from people in treatment programs that those things can have an effect on compulsive gamblers.

 

Technology has made many forms of gambling more accessible, with credit card and ATM use in casinos, simulcast events and Internet gambling. Has this had an impact on problem gambling?

It's very early in terms of prevalence studies to know for sure. But when an individual does not have to leave home to gamble, it's a problem. When they can do something no one else knows about, it's a problem.”

                                                                                                                                                                  Laura Letson

 

Hopefully, if you are experiencing problems with gambling, the articles in the series have helped. There is much help for those experiencing a gambling addiction/compulsion/problem. The first step to recovery should be to contact Gamblers Anonymous who can help you to formulate a plan out of the problem.

For part 1 click here

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