Gambling can be defined as playing a game of chance for stakes.
Gambling occurs in many forms, most commonly 4D, TOTO, lotteries, casinos (slot machines, table games), bookmaking (sports and horse racing), card rooms, bingo and the stock market.
Pathological gambling is a progressive disease that devastates not only the gambler but everyone with whom he or she has a significant relationship. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association accepted pathological gambling as a “disorder of impulse control.” It is an illness that is chronic and progressive, but it can be diagnosed and treated.
Pathological gambling is defined as “the inability to resist impulses to gamble, leading to severe personal or social consequences.” In other words, a gambling addiction is very similar to any other addiction, be it caffeine, drugs, alcohol, or nicotine. A pathological gambler is so addicted that he can’t break the cycle of his gambling.
Robert L. Custer, M.D., identified the progression of gambling addiction as including three phases:
- the winning phase
- the losing phase
- and the desperation phase.
During the winning phase, gamblers experience a big win or a series of wins that leaves them with unreasonable optimism that their winning will continue. This leads them to feel great excitement when gambling, and they begin increasing the amounts of their bets.
During the losing phase, the gamblers often begin bragging about wins they have had, start gambling alone, think more about gambling and borrow money legally or illegally. They start lying to family and friends and become more irritable, restless and withdrawn. Their home life becomes more unhappy, and they are unable to pay off debts. The gamblers begin to “chase” their losses, believing they must return as soon as possible to win back their losses.
During the desperation phase, there is a marked increase in the time spent gambling. This is accompanied by remorse, blaming others and alienating family and friends. Eventually, the gamblers may engage in illegal acts to finance their gambling. They may experience hopelessness, suicidal thoughts and attempts, arrests, divorce, alcohol and/or other drug abuse, or an emotional breakdown.
