Gambling, when it becomes pathological or compulsive, is a behavior that can spiral out of control
By: Lorraine Seabrook
Most parents agree that they would rather have their child participate in a seemingly harmless, home-based activity such as playing poker than in any number of other risky behaviors.
Among the most popular gift items are a brand-new deck of cards, a nifty set of poker chips, a guide to winning at Texas Hold’em and, for those who like to splurge, a gaming table for the family room.
Finally, many say, gathering friends together to play cards is teenage behavior that parents not only understand, but can feel good about. Unfortunately, condoning this behavior, like gambling itself, is a risky proposition.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) defines problem gambling as "gambling behavior which causes disruptions in any major area of life: psychological, physical, social or vocational." Gambling, when it becomes pathological or compulsive, is a behavior that can spiral out of control. Like other compulsions, serious gamblers become restless or irritable if they are made to stop. Control is lost regardless of consequences.
NCPG reports that an estimated 2 million American adults meet the criteria for pathological gambling in a given year and another 4 to 8 million would be considered problem gamblers. Adults who seek treatment report having started gambling at a young age. In addition, a number of adolescents report that prior to developing a gambling problem, they were preoccupied with everything related to gambling.
Ed Looney, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, warns that gambling is a major addiction problem that may begin at the elementary school level, continue through high school and escalate in college.
Notes Mr. Looney, "At the college level, it’s almost epidemic because the stakes are higher. College students have access to credit cards and can participate in any number of Internet gambling sites and legal public gambling. According to our figures, the addiction rate is twice that of the adult population."
Statistically speaking, Mr. Looney notes that approximately 80 percent of people can gamble without it turning into a problem; another 10 to 15 percent will experience some problems, and 5 percent will become addicted.
Those who become addicted experience a trio of phases: a winning phase, a losing phase and a desperation phase. When in the desperation stage, the vast majority of problem gamblers will participate in illegal activities to support their habits.
"The bottom line," notes Mr. Looney, "is that when gamblers are desperate, they need money and will engage in criminal behavior such as embezzling funds or writing bad checks behaviors that will most likely land them in the court system. This is a problem that needs to be taken seriously. Recent surveys show that as much as 30 percent of the prison population may have gambling problems."
Lewis Goldstein, assistant superintendent of the Princeton Regional schools, agrees with Mr. Looney, adding, "This is a bigger problem than people think. It’s a local problem; it’s a state problem; it’s a national problem; it’s an international problem. Despite the fact that it can be a tough problem to identify, we can’t pretend that it doesn’t exist."
To see if you or a loved one may have a problem with gambling, try the following simple diagnostic self test developed by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC).
- Have there ever been periods lasting two weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences, planning out future gambling ventures or bets, or thinking about ways of getting money to gamble with?
- Have there ever been periods when you needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money or with larger bets than before in order to get the same feeling of excitement?
- Have you ever felt restless or irritable when trying to stop, cut down, or control your gambling?
- Have you tried and not succeeded in stopping, cutting down, or controlling your gambling three or more times in your life?
- Have you ever gambled to escape from personal problems, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness or depression?
- Has there ever been a period when, if you lost money gambling one day, you would often return another day to get even?
- Have you lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble, and/or about how much money you lost on gambling, on at least three occasions?
- Have you ever written a bad check or taken money that didn’t belong to you from family members, friends, or anyone else in order to pay for your gambling?
- Has your gambling ever caused serious or repeated problems in your relationships with any of your family members or friends? Or, has your gambling ever caused you problems at work or at school?
- Have you ever needed to ask family members, friends, a lending institution, or anyone else to loan you money or otherwise bail you out of a desperate money situation that was largely caused by your gambling?
If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, consider seeking professional help or counseling.
For more information, call The Council of Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey’s confidential hotline at (800) 426-2537 or visit www.800gambler.org.
The New Jersey hotline for Gamblers Anonymous, a fellowship dedicated to helping gamblers address their problems, is (877) 994-2465 or (877) 994-2465.