What is gambling addiction?
Q: What is gambling addiction?
A: Gambling addiction is when someone is obsessed with gambling despite the negative consequences. It often puts the person in risk of losing everything, and they may think about suicide more than the general population.
Q: How does gambling addiction compare to other addictions?
A: In many ways, gambling addiction is similar to other addictions such as alcohol or illegal drug use. Someone with a gambling addiction often needs to gamble with more and more money to satisfy themselves, has made repeated unsuccessful efforts to cut back, persists to win back their losses, has jeopardized or lost relationships, and relies on others for financial support.
Q: How is it treated?
A: Gambling addiction is a serious disease difficult to overcome. In most cases it is treated through therapy and counseling, while in some cases specific drugs can help but there is no definite cure.
Q: What evidence suggests that older people are more likely to become addicted gamblers?
A: Research demonstrates how the brain can get addicted to gambling and there is also evidence that older people are more likely to become addicted gamblers.
Q: How have slot machines impacted the problem of gambling?
A: Slot machines have long been widespread throughout the world and according data from researchers in Canada alone, the number of problem players increased by over 75% in just the first half of 1990s due their ubiquity and suggestive effect of an easy winning opportunity in a short time.
Q: Has Covid-19 had an impact on online gambling behaviour?
A: Yes - 68% of actively engaged gamblers have spent more money online since lockdown began which could be because these frequent betters were already vulnerable before Covid-19 hit but also because 40% of people experienced a decrease in disposable income so might look towards online betting as a quick solution for financial difficulty.
