Tag Archives: gamble
Overcoming Pathological Gambling
Gambling is big business in America earning billions of dollars in net revenue annually. Americans spend more money each year on legal gambling than they do on video games, movie tickets, recorded music and spectator sports combined (Christiansen, 2000). Gambling is very attractive, especially to people who need money. According to ‘Cash ‘n’ Curry Video Tragaperras’ research center, people who make less than ten thousand dollars a year gamble six times more often than those who earn over fifty thousand dollars a year. A recent program on the Discovery Channel stated that gambling is so attractive, that when the powerball is high, ninety percent of eligible adults buy a ticket. There is no other commodity where the percentages are this high. The odds of winning a state lottery can be compared to being hit by lightening seven times while waiting in the lottery line.
Seventy years ago it was illegal to gamble anywhere in the United States. Our parents grew up thinking that gambling was morally wrong, but our children are growing up thinking that gambling is as easy as going to McDonald’s. Today, all but three states permit gaming, and it’s getting bigger all the time. For the first time in history, gambling is available close to home. People can walk to and from work and gamble. State governments actually encourage their citizens to gamble because it seems like an easy way to collect tax free money.
Most people who gamble enjoy gambling as a game; it’s exciting and fun. But some citizens are caught up in an addiction as powerful as drug addiction.
The biggest step in treatment is realizing you have a problem with gambling. It takes tremendous strength and courage to own up to this, especially if you have lost a lot of money and strained or broken relationships along the way. Dont despair, and dont try to do it alone. Many others have been in your shoes and have been able to break the habit. Overcoming a gambling addiction or problem is never easy. But recovery is possible if you stick with treatment and seek support.
National Council on Problem Gambling 10 Questions About Gambling Behavior 1. Have you often gambled longer than you had planned? 2. Have you often gambled until your last dollar was gone? 3. Have thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep? 4. Have you used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid? 5. Have you made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling? 6. Have you broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling? 7. Have you borrowed money to finance your gambling? 8. Have you felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses? 9. Have you been remorseful after gambling? 10. Have you gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations?
If you or someone you know answers “Yes” to any of these questions, consider seeking assistance from a professional regarding this gambling behavior.
Best Gambling Tips List
To minimize losses on gambling, it is important that players should have a set of gambling guidelines to follow.
Here are some of the best gambling tips that players should know:
Understand the game: This one is pretty obvious, but still there are some people place bets on games they don’t fully understand. Generally, it is more advantageous for a player to fully understand the rules of a game before betting on it.
Budget your money: Place a limit on the money that you can afford to gamble with and lose. Never exceed that amount or gamble with money that you can’t afford to lose. Leaving your ATM cards and credit cards at home may be a good way to ensure that you won’t be tempted to exceed your budget limit.
Pace yourself: Avoid betting all your money in one go. Remember, the objective is to have fun and enjoy yourself.
Know when to quit: The best time to quit is when you are ahead of the casino. Many players make the mistake of thinking that their streak of luck will last forever and continue to gamble until they eventually lose it all.
Chasing losses: “Chasing a loss” is a term used to describe the act of trying to win back money that was lost during a previous bet. The problem with this is that the player stands to lose even more money. In this case, it is better to just accept the loss and quit or continue playing for the sole purpose of just having fun.
Emotional states: Never gamble when you are angry or depressed. Emotional states such as anger and depression usually cloud a person’s judgment and impair his/her ability to play the games properly. A person who is experiencing an intense emotional state usually lacks the ability to think as clearly as someone who is not.
Take frequent breaks: As in any other activity be it reading, writing or playing computer games, one should always take frequent breaks to feel refreshed and alert. Although this may not apply to a person who places a few bets before leaving the casino floor, it does apply to gambler who intends on spending a considerable amount of time betting in a casino.
Have fun: Gambling should be viewed as a fun and exciting recreational activity as opposed to a means of making money. Even though most of us have heard of, or read about the occasional gambler who won the big jackpot that changed his/her life, this is usually not the case for the majority of players. Let’s face it. The glitz and glamour of casinos were not built on the good fortune of winners. Therefore always play for fun and never for the sole purpose of making money.
By following these basic set of guidelines, one can enjoy a visit to a casino or at online casino and have plenty of fun while minimizing the risk of falling into any financial difficulties.