Gambling Addiction - How to Gamble Responsibly in the USA

Defining Gambling Addiction

Gambling addiction is an uncontrollable need to continue betting, playing casino games, or playing poker despite its harmful consequences.

Anybody, regardless of age, sex, level of education, or economic status can become addicted to it, as it is a very basic brain reaction to dopamine rewards.

Overcoming it can be a huge challenge, mostly because of how easy it is to fall off the wagon. A simple coinflip can set you back a considerable amount.

By its very definition, gambling addiction represents an impulse that overcomes rational thinking or personal ambition and often results in players losing more money than they can afford or wasting more time playing than they originally intended.

Ludomania, or compulsive gambling disorder is a pathological disorder in the US that can be diagnosed as a mental disorder under DSM-5, provided that some specific criteria are met.

Most often, that leads to further issues like:

• Losing a job
• Having family problems
• Losing considerable amounts of cash
• Accumulating debt
• Feeling anxious and depressed, constantly stressing about getting some of the losses back
• Health problems caused by stress and sleepless nights

Current Statistics on Gambling Addiction

According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, data indicates that a relatively high number of Americans are involved in gambling activities regularly.

Gambling has become a nationwide pastime activity. Notably, it's expected that with online gambling making quite a relevant move on the market and becoming available to an increasing number of people, a considerable part of the population will be involved in it in years to come

These stats scream out for awareness and intervention, so here's a little more data on gambling problems in the US to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon:

1. 85% of U.S. adults gambled at least once in their lifetime and more than 60% gambled in the last year.
2. More than 2 million (about 1% of the adult population in the United States) have severe problems with betting or casino games, while another 4-6 million (2-3%) experience mild or moderate problems with gambling.
3. 60% to 80% of high school students reported having gambled for real money, and 4% to 6% are considered problem gamblers.
4. Social costs of pathological gambling have been estimated at up to $7 billion annually in the United States, including the costs of lost work productivity, bankruptcy, crime, and treatment for mental health problems.

Signs of Gambling Problems in Casino and Sports betting Players

Recognizing the signs of gambling problems early can prevent further harm. Some common tell-tale signs include:

• Constantly thinking about gambling, planning the next gaming session, or figuring out ways to get money to play casino games of place bets.
• Needing to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve the same level of excitement (chasing the high)
• Making unsuccessful attepmts to cut back or stop gambling altogether
• Continuously trying to win back money lost during gambling (chasing losses)
• Lying to family or friends to hide the real extent of involvement with gambling.
• Resorting to theft, fraud, or other illegal means to finance gambling.
• Failing to fulfill major life obligations due to gambling (missing work, accumulating debt, unpaid bills)

When to seek help

Understanding the red flags that come before addiction and making a choice to get help sooner than later is of utmost importance. Types of signs you should watch out for:

1. Gambling interferes with daily life: If gambling is affecting your work, relationships or routine responsibilities.
2. Chasing Losses: Replaying an old money win to try and earn back lost cash, thus creating further financial issues.
3. Escape: The feeling that the only way to escape reality or feel better is with more gambling, whether that's sports betting or playing casino games
4. Inability to Stop: The loss of control over abstaining from further spending on casino gaming or betting on sports despite having a clear intention to not engage in repeated behaviors.
5. Dishonesty: When lying to family and friends about your gambling or losses
6. Mental Health Problems: Depression, anxiety, or other forms of things going wrong in terms of the emotional aspect due to gambling.

Seeking professional help is essential. If you notice any of these red flags in your behavior or the behavior of someone close to you, you should waste no more time and use any of the resources below to ease into fixing the problem.