Development of gambling addiction among the younger generation

Playing a casino can be fun, but remember that there is always a risk. The risk of losing, getting lost in the game, and getting addicted. This is why it is so important to control your actions and play responsibly. It is important not to miss the key moment, recognize the addiction in time and protect yourself from the negative consequences of the situation that has arisen. Gambling addiction is especially dangerous among young people. The lack of life experience is replaced at this age by dreams. A teenager or young man dreams of becoming rich using the legal opportunities of online casinos. But excessive infatuation can develop into a social illness.

Responsible Gaming – What Does It Mean?

What does it mean to play responsibly? This means that the player keeps track of his expenses in the casino, is not keen on winning, and never tries to recover the loss in any way. Responsible gambling is also related to the time a player spends at the casino. Controlling this time is the key to responsible gambling. For example, online pokies Australia is intended for fun and pleasure and is not intended to ruin the player. A teenager should not sacrifice his life, health, or sleep for the ghostly jackpot on the slots.

Often, common play and addiction are separated by thin lines. It is important to remember the first warning signs. This is why you should first answer a list of questions to help you check if your game is becoming “problematic.” You can use this list for your friends or family members.

Responsible casino rules:

1. I control the timing of the game and do not play longer than I thought at the beginning of the fun.
2. I know how much I want to spend on the game, and I don’t bet more.
3. I don’t worry about losing because I play for fun.
4. I understand that I may never win, but I don’t care because I play for fun.
5. I do not spend time in the casino to the detriment of my duties and relationships.

How to recognize gambling addiction?

It is important to evaluate, answering the questions, exactly the last 3 months of the game, since the patterns of behavior change over time and are definitely different from the period when you first entered the online casino.

A list of questions to help you determine if you have a gambling addiction:

1. Have you ever played longer than you wanted at the beginning of the fun?
2. Have you ever lost track of your time on an online platform?
3. Are people around you telling you that you play too much in the casino?
4. Does it happen that you play in an online casino at a time when you have to fulfil your life responsibilities (work, home, family)?
5. Have you ever bet more money than you originally planned?
6. Have you ever gambled money in a casino that was intended for another purpose?
7. Have you ever borrowed money to play at an online casino?
8. Have you ever hidden from family and friends how much time you actually spend playing in a casino?
9. Have you ever felt guilty when you thought about how much money you’ve already lost?
10. Does it happen that because of playing in the casino, you do not have enough money for a living?
11. Have you ever worried when you don’t have the opportunity to play for a long time?
12. Have you ever felt bad when playing in a casino?
13. Have you ever felt stressed after a big loss?
14. Looking back over the past 3 months, do you think you have problems with gambling addiction?

Any yes answer should be thought-provoking. If in this test the answers “yes” prevail, it is necessary to seek professional help from psychologists.

What areas of life are negatively affected by gambling addiction?

When play stops being just fun and becomes an addiction, it has a big impact on the addicted person’s life and environment.

What is most often negatively affected by addiction:

1. Time. Addicted gamblers often put their casino games ahead of other responsibilities. The person will spend many hours playing, and therefore will not have enough time for family, work, or friends. This can cause many problems. You can end up losing your job, friends, or family, and sometimes even have legal consequences for failing to meet your obligations.
2. Finance. This seems pretty obvious. Often, people who earn more do not see the problem in the field of finance. As for young people, they often lose money from their parents. This usually happens after a few bigger losers. The realization of loss makes a person bet even more money in order to recoup the loss. Unfortunately, it never ends. The addicted gambler will realize that he has lost all his money only when it is too late.
3. Relationships: as with any addiction, close relatives from the gambler’s environment always suffer. Addictions destroy relationships in a variety of ways, such as neglect, lack of time for relationships, cheating and lying, aggressive actions caused by intense stress after the game.
4. Health: Gambling is not as harmful to physical health as alcohol or drugs, but it can have a negative impact on psychological well-being. The biggest enemy of health in gambling is stress. This awe, which we experience at the beginning, eventually turns into rage and even neurosis.

Who can be addicted to gambling?

Gambling addiction does not know age and social status. Everyone faces them the same way, whether it’s a new teenage player or an adult making informed decisions. At the present stage of technological development, most teenagers have tried their skills at online casinos, and many are regular participants in such entertainment.

The four phases of gambling addiction:

1. Winning phase. This is the phase in which the player visits the casino only occasionally. Most often, he spends a little money on the game as entertainment and recreation. After some time, expectations of victory and fantasies about it arise. Each victory causes more and more excitement, which forces the player to raise the stakes. The player believes that if he won once, such a victory will be repeated and he will always win. He views casino games as an additional source of income. He risks more and more money and accepts losses as “almost won.” The player explains to himself that he lost because of a mistake, and comes up with systems that will only allow him to win.
2. Losing phase. The player loses over and over again, but does not become “disappointed” – on the contrary: now he plays even more and usually continues until he wins again, even if over time he loses more and more! Encouraged by short-term gains or trying to recoup lost money by continuing to gamble, he slowly but surely loses control over his gambling behavior and begins to exhibit the typical symptoms of gambling addiction. People who are addicted to gambling develop so-called persecution: they lose money and try to get it back by continuing to gamble at even higher stakes. At this stage, there is often aggression towards people who feel that the gambler has problems with gambling. This is also the beginning of financial problems.
3. Despair phase. The affected young person realizes that his play behavior is causing ongoing problems. There are financial problems, problems with family, friends, employer, or the law. Rising debt causes panic, and pressure from creditors often pushes people to commit crimes. Mental exhaustion, guilt, helplessness, and depression appear.
4. The phase of loss of hope. This is the moment when the player loses what he has worked on all his life. Separation from the family occurs, often divorce. Loss of all material values and money. There is a feeling of hopelessness and inability to get out of this situation, loss of faith, a desire to run away, and sometimes even thoughts of suicide. At this stage, the player may develop additional addictions, for example, to alcohol or drugs. It can also lead to imprisonment or death.

Important! At any stage of gambling addiction, you can seek help and begin treatment. Each person can get out of any phase of addiction if he is ready to accept help and undergo a course of treatment.