How to Deal with Problem Gambling

Date Added: December 25, 2008

The first step in dealing with problem gambling is recognizing and accepting that the problem exists. This is the most difficult part because, like any drug or alcohol addict, the problem gambler genuinely believes that there is nothing wrong. It often becomes the responsibility of friends and family to make the problem gambler aware of his problem.

There are two broad tell tale signs of problem gambling. The player is under depression when he is not gambling. And when the player is gambling he is ruining his social and financial well being. The best online casinos spell out in detail the signs of problem gambling and players as well as spouses and friends of players should be on the lookout for these signs. The best way is to ask the following set of questions regularly, at least once a week, and if the answers to any are "Yes" then the player is in the danger zone.

When I am engaged in other activities do I feel the urge to gamble?
If I am unable to gamble when I want to do I feel irritated and uncomfortable?
Do I gamble from places where I should not be such as from work or college?
Do I avoid social or work commitments on flimsy excuses and then use the time to gamble?
Do I lie to family and friends about how much I am gambling?
Do I make plans about spending the money I hope to win from gambling?
Is the amount of time and money I spend on gambling steadily increasing?
Am I postponing or avoiding essential expenditure so that I can use the funds for gambling?
Am I borrowing money in order to gamble?
Am I trying to chase losses by gambling at higher stakes?

Having recognized that there is a gambling problem the next step is to stop gambling, at least for the time being. However if this were simple then there would be no problem gambling. Most online casinos have built in exclusion features that prevent players from gambling for specified cooling off periods. It is important to use this facility as an immediate measure. However, professional help is required if the problem is to be tackled on a permanent basis. GamCare is an organization in the United Kingdom that assists problem gamblers. The assistance is offered over telephone, through online counseling and face-to-face sessions. The National Center for Responsible Gaming and The National Council on Problem Gambling do similar work in the United States. Players in Canada can contact ProblemGambling, which is an online community affiliated to the Center for Addiction and Mental Health.

Related Help Links:

Links