Gambling
Lotteries, Sports Betting, Gaming Machines, Card Games (blackjack, poker, etc.), Internet Gambling and Bingo….and more
Gambling is participating in any type of game or activity in which you risk money or objects of value in order to win money.
These activities may include, Lotteries, Sports Betting, Gaming Machines, Card Games (blackjack, poker, etc.), Internet Gambling and Bingo, amongst others.
Most people who gamble do not experience any adverse problems. They generally play on an occasional basis, for entertainment, and are aware of their chances of losing the money being wagered.
However, for some people gambling can become a serious problem. Many of those who face gambling problems have identified that they play to escape problems in other aspects of their lives.
Gambling is an age-restricted activity and is not suitable for anyone under legal age.
The Time Aspect
Gambling, whether it’s online, at a Casino or in a Club occupies the participants time. Sometimes, it can be easy to lose track of time while gambling. When this happens, it may result in negative outcomes for the player. Excessive time spent on gambling could lead to less time spent with friends and family or on completing important tasks.
When it comes to occasional, casual gambling, this may not result in negative consequences. However, if a person gambles on a frequent and regular basis, it could be a sign of distress and may result in undesirable outcomes. This might be an indicator that the person is forming a gambling habit.
If gambling on a regular basis, it is very important to keep track of time and set a limit to how much time you should spend while participating. It is equally, if not more important to keep track and set limits to the amount of money you can afford to spend or lose. Losing track of any of these, is a very strong indicator that there is a gambling problem and help should be sought.
The Money Aspect
Gambling involves spending money with a hope of winning even more money. Sometimes it can become difficult to keep track of how much one spends over a period of time. The temptation and thought that the next bet could potentially result in a large win, can often be too hard to resist. This can lead to problems.
The amount of money one spends would differ from person-to-person and that’s why it is important to know your limits before you start gambling. It is important to ensure that your spend on gambling does not take away from other important expenditures and savings.
If a person is gambles without knowing their spending limits or continues to spend beyond their limits, there is a gambling problem and it is highly recommended that they seek help. Our Help Database has resources that will help you find support for any gambling related problems.
Ask yourself these 5 questions:
- Am I spending too much time or too much money on gambling?
- Do I have a friend or family member who might be spending too much time or money playing on gambling activities?
- Do I need to take a break from gambling activities?
- Would I like to limit how much I play?
- Would I like to limit how much I spend?
Some key indications if you could be gambling too much:
Do any of these apply to you or a friend?
- You feel compelled to play for prolonged periods of time.
- You think about gambling often when you are doing other activities.
- You feel restless and irritable when you are unable to play.
- You feel irritable when you are interrupted while playing.
- You feel that you need to spend increasing amounts of time in order to achieve the level of excitement you want.
- You feel that you need to spend increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the level of excitement you want.
- You feel that gambling allows you to escape problems and elevate your mood.
- You often return to play with the hopes of recovering lost money by playing more.
- You deny or hide from family and friends the amount that you spend on gambling.
- Your relationships are deteriorating.
- You have lost a job, relationship, friendship, educational opportunity or career opportunity because of excessive gambling.
- You depend on others to provide you with money to help pay for other, important expenses, because of excessive gambling.
- You find yourself increasingly in debt, often feeling helpless and still have a strong desire to gamble.
If you find that you are spending more time and or money on gambling than you should or would like to, it is a good idea to seek help.
We encourage you to take our Free and Completely Anonymous Gambling Self Assessment test.
The test takes less than 5 minutes to complete and will provide you with a score and recommendation based on your responses. It is designed to help you assess yourself and identify if you may have any potential harmful outcomes from your gambling activities.
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