Gambling is often compared to trading on the stock markets. The highs and lows and losses and wins can be extreme in both. In many countries there are opportunities to legally gamble, and with recent law changes in the US there are more and more opportunities all the time.

Gambling, in itself, is not harmful and when done in moderation it can be fun and rewarding. Whatever your choice of gambling is, sports betting, poker or casino, there are some often missed indicators that your relationship with gambling has gone from fun to becoming a problem and negatively affecting other parts of your life. There are also a variety of simple but effective ways to make sure that you don't lose control.

Signs of Problem Gambling

Most gamblers normally fall into one of two camps, they either like the ease of accessing an online casino or sports betting site online 24/7, or they like to make an event of gambling such as visiting a land based casino or a race track. These things on their own aren't a problem and don't necessarily indicate negative gambling behaviour.

Gambling becomes a problem when it begins to negatively affect other areas of a person's life, this can include money problems, trouble sleeping or personality changes. Here are other common problems to be aware of:

Increasing bet size, or frequency

One of the first signs of problem gambling is when a habitual gambler increases the amount they place on each bet or bet more often than they have previously done. As with most addictions, the initial feeling of excitement gets lessened as time goes on and the risk must be increased for the same reward.

Increasing debt

An unsurprising result of problem gamblers increasing the size and frequency of their betting is a negative effect on their account balance, this can be a case of spending more on gambling than they would like to or even a case of finding other ways to support the addiction such as applying for new credit cards.

Chasing losses

A very common behaviour seen in people with a gambling problem is what's known as "Chasing Losses", this is the feeling that a player has lost money and must make another bet to earn it back. In reality, what often happens is a player makes another bet and loses and then must make another and another and very quickly can lose a lot more than they are able to afford.

How Companies Help

Gambling operators are becoming increasingly aware of the risk of problem gambling and many operators adhere to some sort of responsible gaming codes of conduct such as setting out a responsible gambling program. Some companies work with the national council on problem gambling to provide support to those that are affected.

A responsible gaming program can include simple features such as a gaming message popping up on the screen if a player has gambled for a long period of time.

One solution that most online gambling sites offer is an exclusion program, where a player can freeze their account for a certain amount of time. This can be very helpful when a player would like to take an extended break from gambling but don't want to delete their account altogether.

Actions You Can Take

Whether you are trying to help yourself or someone else, the solution is much the same. Utilise the responsible gambling programs on offer at any reputable gaming establishment. In a brick and mortar casino this can include

In circumstances where the assistance of a responsible gambling program is not enough, there are many types of gambling treatment available, they are too numerous to list but if you or a loved one is struggling with gambling, please talk to a professional such as a doctor or therapist.

More information about safer gambling can be found on the website for the responsible gambling council.