Engaging in the art of gambling can evoke various feelings, mainly euphoria and the thrill of playing games.
After all, gambling is a venture requiring players to spend money to play games and depend on luck, if not various strategies, to ensure a favorable outcome.
Such feelings of pleasure can hook many people into making it a frequent activity and perhaps why various adults are expected to gamble at some point.
While these can be why people gamble initially, others with different situations may regard it as more than just an enjoyable activity and diversion. For some, it is their source of income to supplement their earnings.
Today, the unexpected rise in the popularity of the online gambling industry gave people the incentive to experience gambling even in the comfort of their homes. As such, gambling became more compelling, attracting more and more gamblers.
With the ease of access amplified by pleasure and enthusiasm, it is safe to say that the gambling industry will remain its steady growth. However, it is not without pressing concerns.
Many people who gamble do not give so much as a single thought to the consequences of gambling. What was once a fun activity may turn into an unhealthy obsession disrupting life and affecting loved ones in the process.
While gambling is known to provide multiple benefits, its negative effects may outweigh such advantages should a gambler fail to limit the impulse to gamble to the point of using underhanded tricks for the sake of winning.
There are many ways to avoid such problems, and knowing what makes a bad gambler can start.
Losing Self-Control
Gambling can undoubtedly provide immense fun, proven by millions of gamblers worldwide. Who does not love a great time with the chance of bagging a significant amount of money? The adrenaline of being able to hit the jackpot only heightens the enjoyment of gambling.
However, too much fun can mean having less initiative to stop. As such, a person may be a subject of gambling addiction which can provide serious consequences. Losing self-control would mean continuous gambling even without enough resources to gamble.
Failure to control the impulse to gamble may result in work interference, straining relationships, and racking up huge debts. Most problem gamblers lose track of time and the amount of money they spend to gamble.
Stealing Money to Gamble
While losing too much money while gambling is problematic, finding where to acquire a significant amount to compensate for paying essentials and bills can lead people to resort to theft. Many might think that the money stolen is for paying accumulated debts. However, many problem gamblers steal to fund their gambling habits.
For people with severe gambling problems, stealing from family and friends maybe their initial option. In contrast, people with an unhealthy obsession with gambling may commit embezzlement or fraud to support a gambling addiction.
If left with no other options, some dare to commit fraudulent loans, insurance claims or drown their regrets through alcohol.
Keeping Gambling Habits a Secret
As gamblers are strongly engaged in gambling, they feel the need to keep gambling activities a secret. Lying to people about participating in such activity means admitting that your gambling is unhealthy. Such lies may include hiding where you are headed or how much money you are spending.
Often, gamblers are guilty of deception. Questions from family are dismissed, which is a form of lying and a sign of being a bad gambler.
Having Less Time for Family and Friends
When a person is a problem gambler, the likelihood of having legal, financial, and emotional problems is high. However, it can also provide significant impacts affecting the inner social circle of a person, which is a personal consequence overlooked by many.
It includes problems between intimate partners, children, siblings, and even grandparents. Such problems often involve conflict and arguments, poor communication, and consideration of separation or divorce.
When a gambler reaches the stage of addiction, time seems to pass by quickly. Often, most of the time is devoted to gambling activities, which means less participation in recreational and social activities.
Loss Aversion
A common question for gamblers is, “why do they continue gambling despite consecutive losses?”. This is due to their uncontrollable desire to satisfy their need to gamble despite the toll it takes on their lives for many gamblers.
Most gamblers are more sensitive to losses than gains of equal value. It is one reason why they invest time and a large sum of money to persevere and win back previous losses to alleviate somehow the frustration of failing to win.
Hence, gambling becomes less than just an exciting achievement and more about gaining back losses.
Having Too Much Emotional Stress
While there are the fun and excitement associated with gambling, emotions such as stress, guilt, and regret are also what most gamblers may feel at some point.
Such feelings build-up can make a person short-tempered, easily stressed, or annoyed. All of which can directly contribute to being a bad gambler. Sometimes, the emotional toll causes people to lash out their frustrations to people around them, including family.
In many cases, it can develop into depression and anxiety, which can disrupt their daily living. Negative emotions resulting from gambling problems can also lead to the perpetration of severe gambling harms that can threaten health.
Conclusion
Today, gambling activities are now widely accepted with respective regulations that vary from state to state. Engaging in such leisure activity is all and well not until a gambler exhibit and practices bad habits.
It is good to enjoy and play now and then, accepting the uncertainty factor that winning is not a daily occurrence. Many can enjoy the benefits of gambling as a social activity, best played with friends and acquaintances.
Like the many things and experiences that make a person feel good – going overboard can lead to long-term consequences. While gambling activities are not always seen in the best light, people who gamble in moderation have are aware of its benefits.
When done right, gambling benefits outweigh its disadvantages, and the biggest step in preventing such challenges is knowing what makes a bad gambler.
