Gambling addiction.
What if I take this money and double it? I used to struggle with this question for many years. I am a gambling addict who used to bet daily for over five years. On a single day, I would lose as much as five thousand dollars, which got me into a lot of debt. I would take money from our accounts and credit cards and lie about it to my husband. Over time, I became depressed, developed insomnia, anxiety, and lost my appetite. Eventually, I was diagnosed with type two diabetes. My gambling has made me live a fake and secretive life without getting help for a long time because I have always been afraid of what people might think of me and afraid of talking to anyone about it, including my husband. The pathological gambler stigma scares me. As a mother and the firstborn in my family, I feel I am under pressure to be a good role model for my siblings and my children, making it even harder to open up about my addiction. However, I am getting the necessary help in dealing with my gambling by meeting with a counsellor. I have closed all my online accounts and avoided all casinos. Recovery is a difficult journey, but I remain optimistic since I have not gambled in the last four months. Gambling is a severe problem in our society; if not addressed appropriately, it can ruin many lives, just as it almost destroyed mine.
Addiction can be defined as a course that finds temporary pleasure or relief and therefore claims but stuffers negative consequences in the long term. One of the most destructive addiction is gambling, which is rapidly becoming America’s favourite leisure time. It is more popular than all sporting events combined. For decades, Nevada was the only place one could go for gambling. Still, in the last twenty years, gambling has rapidly increased inaccessibility and legalization globally, making almost 3% of the population become pathological gamblers. And at the same time, Online gambling made gambling easy and accessible to everyone at the comfort of their own homes.
Gambling: is defined as any behaviour involving the risk of money or valuables on the outcome of a game, contest, or other events that are partially or totally dependant on chance. The conventional types of gambling include casinos, lotteries, horseracing, card games, and sporting occasions. Gambling is a widespread activity, with more than 85% of the adult population engaging in conventional gambling at some point in their lives. The advent of the internet has ushered in an era of online gambling, making gambling even more accessible to people. Although most of them gamble, only a monitory meets the criteria for gambling addiction (Walker, 1989). In its turn, compulsive gambling is a progressive addiction that has numerous harmful impacts on health and social interactions. Gambling addiction, also referred to as pathological or compulsive gambling, is an impulse-control condition that turns gambling from a fun, harmless activity to an unhealthy obsession with severe consequences. Gambling addiction might not seem as awful and harmful as substance addiction, but this is far from the truth. Whether you bet on horses, play poker, or make a bet online, if your gambling becomes a problem and ruins your personal and social well-being, it is a gambling addiction.
Addiction, traced to a particular part of the brain called the limbic system, also referred to as the reward circuit. Here, dopamine is released in the nucleus, sending a feeling of pleasure (Clark et al., 2013). As more dopamine is released, the pleasure increases. Similarly, dopamine has a considerable impact on learning and relating an activity or substance into an addition; even if one tries to stop gambling, they cannot. That is how many individuals stay in casinos or online, betting their money uncontrollably, like slaves to gambling. Casinos and gambling sites are always filled with people all the time. Casinos know that individuals will get addicted to gambling, so they do not have windows or clocks. The primary purpose is to trap addicted gamblers to spend continually without worrying about time and the outside world. It means that a compulsive gambler cannot control their impulse to gamble, even if it has negative consequences in his or her life.
The primary symptoms of gambling addiction include trouble controlling the gambling activities, the need to be secretive about it, betting even when one does not have money, and constant worry from family and friends, as in my husband’s case. A pathological gambler is always preoccupied with gambling. Nonetheless, the amount of money for gambling is not constant as it is increasing in proportion to the bet. If the individual loses multiple times, they do not stop. Instead, one will begin to chase their losses by taking another chance to recover the money lost, leading to a never-ending cycle (Gainsbury, 2015). As the money dwindles, a pathological gambler may result in immoral actions, such as lying, stealing and more crimes. Similarly, compulsive gamblers will try to hide their addiction from their family and friends, secretly trying to stop betting. However, this leads to depression, decreased self-esteem, and various social interaction issues since the pathological gambler used to escape their problem.
During the 19th century, Americans witnessed a rise in gambling as lotteries were used as voluntary taxation for the Civil War reconstruction. However, in the last 19th century, banned state lotteries and other betting forms for nearly seven decades. Today, the United States passes through the third era of prevalent gambling, which started in the 1930s with the legalization of casinos in Nevada (Asbury, 2016). Initially, the government restricted gambling to Nevada casinos as other forms of betting were considered illegal. Nonetheless, gambling is legal in almost all states across the country in the 21st century.
The advent of government-sponsored gambling has manifested a monumental change policy as states shift from tolerance to active support and aggressive promotions of their lotteries. For example, in 1988, Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which permitted native tribes to operate gambling legalized by the state in tribal land (Asbury, 2016). As a result, the public has embraced gambling, with over 80% of adults in the US involved in it.
Gambling was also dated way before the 12th century in Canada when the indigenous people used bones and sticks to bet on one another. This practice played an important community and spiritual role in their lives. John Cabot introduced playing cards on Canada’s East Coast after settling there towards the 15th century (Campbell, 2018). The European settlement developed a conservative attitude towards gambling, which made most dice games illegal under the British common law. Richard III created the backgammon law, which banned gambling in the European settlement as he believed that this practice distracted his soldiers. Richard III upheld Canada’s first criminal code, and the government did not officially lift the ban until the 1999 amendment, which replaced the old law. Quebec and Manitoba first opened lottery games in 1970 after the revision of the criminal code. Until the 1950s, various forms of gambling were legal in Canada. Still, society members were negatively perceived due to the European settlers’ attitude, costing the illegal casinos to shut down after a short period. The first commercial casino was established in 1989 in Winnipeg and later followed by the Montreal casino, four years later (Campbell, 2018). Gambling in Canada has taken a different path due to technological advancements, with online casinos dominating the industry. These gambling forms enhance the gamblers’ convenience and experience as they can gamble while at their homes. However, government approval remains a crucial factor in the legalization of all gambling forms in the country. Also, gambling’s general conditions, such as sticks, bones, dice, and cards, are still prevalent in Canada.
Another reason for widespread gambling in the US and across the world is the advent of the internet. Digital technology has facilitated new forms of gambling, such as online poker and virtual betting. At the same time, digital channels have made online betting easily accessible through computers or phones, increasing gambling exposure (Effertz et al., 2018). It made gambling part of peoples` daily lives. Consequently, millions of people become betting addicts because of ease of access and mainstream media conditioning.
Moreover, compulsive gambling can lead to crime. Crime rises considerably in areas that legalize gambling. In the US, every state that has legalized gambling has experienced a significant increase in crime. For example, in Tunica, Mississippi, court cases increased from 1500 in 1992 to over 6990 in 1994 after establishing several casinos. As a pathological gambler, I have contemplated committing a crime to recover my losses and hinder the truth.
No one can deny that addictive betting has adverse effects on the family. Compulsive gamblers tend to forget their family roles and damage existing relations with family members. In the US, states that have legalized betting lead the country in divorce rates. My addiction has made me lie to my husband and neglect my children in some way. Another issue affecting pathological gamblers is suicide. According to Churchill & Farrell (2018), suicide rates in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are considerably higher than in other cities. Losing money leaves a person with a terrible feeling of powerlessness. After such devastating events, suicide seems like the only way out of the vicious circle. I have contemplated committing suicide after losing big on several occasions, but the thought of leaving my kids has helped me overcome the feeling.
Moreover, compulsive gambling has severe economic impacts on individuals and society. Advocates of gambling suggest that legalizing it creates jobs and generates income for local economies. Although this might be true, it has created betting addicts who cripple the economy. For example, within three years of legalizing gambling in Atlantic City, the crime rate tripled, close to half of the restaurants closed, homelessness increased by over 2000%, and more individuals went into welfare (Walker & Sobel, 2016).
However, compulsive gambling can be managed and treated with therapeutic programs and supportive services. These therapies and services are accessible via professional treatment initiatives in addressing pathological betting (Toneatto & Millar, 2004). Similarly, treatment may occur in an inpatient facility, where an individual receives supervision and assistance all the time, or an outpatient rehab initiative, which provides a higher degree of independence and flexibility.
A primary treatment technique used in therapies is individual therapy. It involves working together with a therapist to reinforce the motivations to stop betting, identify triggers and dysfunctional coping approaches, and address these triggers in constructive ways. Now, I am attending a weekly counselling session to deal with my gambling addiction. Another treatment technique is group therapy (Rizeanu, 2018). It helps an individual overcome gambling addictions by establishing a network of supportive peers who are working to address a similar issue. These include groups such as Gamblers Anonymous and other 12-step initiatives. People share personal experiences and strategies for managing their addictions.
Additionally, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help treat self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviours that lead to gambling addiction (Rizeanu, 2018). Similarly, family and couple counselling can be an effective implementation to address gambling comprehensively since it affects the entire society—family and spouses therapy helps create a supportive environment. Besides, the most effective treatment for compulsive gambling is self-help. The largest obstacle in overcoming addiction is admitting that one has a problem (Mollaeva et al., 2019). It takes strength, time, and courage. Hence, an individual struggling with pathological gambling must learn how to relieve unpleasant feelings in constructive ways, such as spending time with family and friends and undertaking new hobbies.
In conclusion, gambling addiction is a widespread issue affecting a significant part of the American population. The state and the advent of digital technology, especially the internet, have played a vital role in the rise of gambling addiction in the United States and worldwide. This condition leads to numerous health and social problems for individuals, including depression, suicidal thoughts, secrecy, bankruptcy, and self-esteem issues. However, through proper treatment, such as therapy and self-help, pathological gamblers can overcome their addiction. Now, I am working on my recovery, and the paper has allowed me to understand that I am not alone in this struggle. Therefore, I need to start making healthier decisions to stop my gambling addiction.
