How to Recognize the Signs of Compulsive Gambling

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Compulsive gambling is a recognized addiction, just like alcoholism or chemical dependency. Follow these steps to see if you might fit the profile.

To complete this How-To you will need:

A willingness to evaluate yourself
Honesty

Step 1: Recognize the number one red flag

Recognize the number one red flag, which is that you are taking valuable time away from your job and your family to gamble.

Step 2: Evaluate your financial situation

Evaluate your financial situation. Are you borrowing or even stealing money in order to gamble? Has your gambling resulted in bounced checks and credit card debt?

Step 3: Uncover hidden meanings

Uncover the hidden meanings of your actions. If you're secretive about your gambling or if you lie about it, you are tacitly acknowledging that you have a problem. If you've tried to cut back or quit, you know that you do.

Tip: If you have children, it's doubly important to get help. Research shows that 50 percent of the children of pathological gamblers eventually become compulsive gamblers themselves.

Step 4: Assess your feelings

Assess your feelings. Do you feel guilty and remorseful after you gamble? Do you gamble to distract yourself from problems or to relieve anxiety -- the way someone else might rely on drugs or alcohol?

Step 5: Face escalating behavior

Look back on your gambling history. Do you have to keep increasing the amounts you bet in order to achieve the same high?

Step 6: Ask yourself

Ask yourself if you fit the profile casinos use to scope out problem gamblers: They play longer than three hours, are prone to outbursts, and make frequent trips to the ATM machine.

Step 7: Gauge your optimism

Gauge your optimism. Considering the odds against you, are your expectations of winning unreasonably high? Irrational optimism is another sign of gambling addiction.

Step 8: Get help

If any of the preceding descriptions apply to you, get help for your addiction -- before you lose your family, your friends, your job, your financial security, and maybe even your freedom.

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[MonkeyBoy2194]

haha at who nobody cares that you was one of the first few people to comment

[rootvalue]

Why did the narrator say 'ATM Machine'? I thought Howcast was comprised of relatively intelligent workers. 'ATM Machine' means 'Automated Teller Machine Machine'. That was very silly. Does anyone else see this?

That's like saying 'What's your PIN number?'... which means 'What's your Personal Identification Number number?' Do people honestly make these kinds of mistakes? Some people must just use acronyms absent mindedly. Weird.

[mhlover25]

WOW the quality here is REALLY BAD

[healmeholy]

10 years ago she says its the last time she will ever gambel then going off two week later.She has the same with 30 years ago but accually all the money she wanted to win she lossed it.Lossed our 3 homes and denys he problem today.If your reading this I pray for thoes right now going thru this problem or a family member.I pray that our father in heaven has mercy on thoes who want to help themsselves and that he would send his son to come and help whether its now or 10 years from now.AMEN

[healmeholy]

The guy in the car looks like my mom covering himself with the jacket to take a nap and go back to gambeling.Complusive lying out bursts hiding reciepts and denying it when it has the date.Constantly talking about winning her 2 million dollars back. Borrowing my money with a calm voice acting sweet. Walking to the buffet with the family and she dissapears for a few hours where no one can find her. Taking off 2 am to las vegus on a school night.Borderline personality blaming me for her loss

[kozjevime]

You are right, this is great advice for all gambling morons!!!

[inkey2]

Actually....I always did pretty well gambling. I only gambled on higher probability situations. Like local church bazars, drawings etc. I always buy at least 10 bucks worth of tickets from these types of places.....churches, fraternal clubs, little league fund raisers etc.

[hrocky101]

PALPGHAHGHA

[rootvalue]

My comment was blindingly sarcastic. The commenter who attacked me argued that pointing out a quirk was 'pea-brained', 'redundant', and 'banal', but his insults were clearly very required, and that calling me out is essential to my existence. He is the one who contradicted himself, pointing out how silly it is to regard petty things with interest, but amplifying the same thing by using put-downs to justify his point with condescension.

[intensehamburger]

lol

[TwoThirdsPi]

How to recognize the signs of compulsive gambling:

You gamble compulsively...?