Gambling

Gambling is addictive, but I personally wouldn’t call it an addiction.  Gambling seems to have a different effect on people than those that drink or take drugs.  That doesn’t mean that a gambler can’t ruin their and others lives, but it does mean that the desire to gamble is a release of endorphins that brings excitement and thrills.

Some people get their thrills by climbing difficult mountains, some by sailing solo around the world.  That excitement and thrill does become an addiction, but alcohol and drugs, don’t work that way.

Gamblers very rarely win.  They can win sometimes, and sometimes make a lot of money, but generally when they bet, they lose.  Now this is perfectly OK for the person who is wealthy, and in this case, I mean very wealthy.  Loosing thousands when you own trillions has no effect, but loosing hundreds when you earn less than a hundred is not only devastating for the gambler but their family and/or friends.

When someone gambles all they have on the turn of a card, someone else has to bail them out.  That someone is usually a parent, a spouse or a very close friend.  They suffer while the gambler is virtually let off the hook.  The gambler will still gamble again because they love the excitement of the expectations of winning and the thrill when it happens. 

Years ago, when poker machines were first introduced in clubs, my friends and I used play, them.  Yes, I understood the house always wins, but sometimes I’d put a coin in and make a hundred dollars.  That was thrilling and exciting.  One hundred dollars I didn’t previously have helped me to purchase that dress I had been eyeing for a couple of weeks.  But so often after that day, I just lost my money, I decided this wasn’t for me, and stopped playing the poker machines.

This is something the compulsive gambler can’t seem to do.  They are always living on that excitement and feeling that they will win again, and can’t control themselves.  I spoke with a lady gambler one day.  She had lost all her money and her home to gambling.  She told me it was like a drug, but she couldn’t help herself.  The excitement and thrill of winning was such a great adrenalin rush that she needed to have it more and more.

Just like there is an Alcoholics Anonymous, there is such a society for Gamblers.  Other members who have been through the same desires, are there to support others and be there when needed.  They know what it is like.  They want to help.

But that’s not all.  I have heard some gruesome stories of what happens to family members and friends of compulsive gamblers.  A gambler has a larger effect on family than an alcoholic or drug addict.  Maybe that’s because the amount of money involved and lost is more that is spent on drugs and alcohol, thereby putting the family and/or friends in a worse position.  And that of course is the problem. 

Losing all that money through gambling has such an impact on the family and/or friends, that those who have provided the money start to suffer.  They are the ones providing work to cover the costs of the gambler’s compulsiveness.  That then becomes a larger problem.  Especially when the gambler promises money they don’t have.  They borrow from friends, and have all the good intentions to pay it back, but no matter how much more they gamble hoping to win back what they owe, they lose more and the debts just get bigger.  It becomes a devastating affair.

So, what to do?  Well as I said there is a Gambler’s Anonymous society and there would have to be one close to where everyone lives.  There is also a society to assist those family and friends who are trying to help the gambler.  Those people have been through it all and are willing to give advice and assistance.

But maybe the best thing to do is answer the 20 questions the Society puts out for the gambler to answer.  Anyone can read them; they are on the websites.  If the person with the gambling problems answers 7 out of those 20 questions with a Yes, they have a problem.  The questions are a Yes / No answer and even if the person says: Sometimes, that is a Yes. 

Gambling with cards, roulette or just on sports matches, are bad, but the poker machine has become the worst offender.  Thankfully in Australia where I live, many of the clubs that relied on the income from Poker machines, have realised the damage they can do, so are starting to put more emphasis on fun, food and entertainment at the club, instead of just playing the poker machines.  It is still early days, but I feel sure eventually the income from the poker machine will be surpassed by the other benefits provided by a club, and poker machines will be withdrawn. 

As I said, I didn’t like losing money when I discovered poker machines, so I gave that away.  But when the excitement and adrenalin rush is stronger than not enjoying losing money, then time for assistance with a Gambler’s Anonymous society, where so many people will be there with support to help a compulsive gambler learn to control their problem. 

Julie Finch-Scally ©