What Is Problem Gambling?
Problem gambling, also known as gambling addiction, compulsive gambling, or disordered gambling, is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite harmful consequences or a desire to stop.
Problem gambling can lead to severe personal, social, and financial problems.
With the proliferation of state-sanctioned sports betting in recent years, problem gambling is a growing public health concern impacting millions of people every day.
In this article, we will explain the defining characteristics of problem gambling.
Preoccupation with Gambling
Constantly thinking about past gambling experiences, planning your next gambling session, or thinking of ways to get money to gamble.
With online sports betting, an obsession with gambling can cause you to be constantly checking your computer or mobile device to monitor the outcome of your bets. Some problem sports bettors place wagers or check their bets while in the shower or while driving. Using a mobile device while driving can be extremely dangerous.
According to gambling addiction statistics, sports betting is the most harmful form of gambling. The dangers of sports betting are exacerbated by the myth that betting is skill-based.
A preoccupation with gambling in any form can lead to sleep issues and sometimes heart problems, as well as a general decline in physical health.
Inability to Stop
Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling.
Many people with a developing gambling problem will at first succeed in stopping. Taking short breaks might be something you can do in the early stages of a gambling problem. However, as the issue continues to develop, these pauses can become less frequent and shorter in duration.
You might start to feel increasingly restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling.
Let’s say you tell yourself to take a night off from sports betting, and you succeed in doing so but you still check the live betting odds for the event you wanted to wager on. This could indicate that you’re on your way to losing the ability to take time away from betting.
Increasing Bet Sizes
Needing to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve the desired excitement.
For people suffering with problem gambling, winning money from betting isn’t the main motivator. It’s hard to stop gambling because of the adrenaline or dopamine behind the act of gambling, and often it doesn’t matter if your bet wins or loses.
It’s impossible to know when you might feel an uncontrollable urge to increase your bet sizes, but it’s often associated with what is known as chasing losses.
While gamblers can experience a rush of adrenaline or dopamine even with losing their bets, the elation of winning provides even greater stimulation. When losses start to add up, gamblers will often seek to recover their losses as soon as possible to avoid a negative mood swing.
Chasing losses is one of the main signs of a gambling problem, and it often means you’re already risking sums of money that could jeopardize your financial situation.
Lying to Conceal Gambling
You can’t stop thinking about gambling; you can’t stop actually gambling; you’re chasing your gambling losses. These behaviors often cause shame, guilt, and embarrassment among people struggling with a gambling problem.
It’s common for problem gamblers to start lying about their developing addiction symptoms.
Perhaps you start lying about your gambling to some people in your life while remaining honest with others. However, over time, you might start lying to everyone.
Furthermore, an untreated gambling addiction is also lying to yourself.
Risking Relationships
Problem gamblers often jeopardize or lose significant relationships, jobs, or educational or career opportunities because of gambling.
The preoccupation with betting diverts the energy needed to maintain a healthy social life and maintain or grow your career. Dishonesty around your gambling also undermines relationships.
For further reading see our article on gambling and divorce.
Borrowing or Stealing Money
Relying on others to provide the funds to continue gambling or relieve desperate financial situations caused by gambling.
Casinos and online betting sites, such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and Bet365, don’t care about whether you can afford to play and lose money. In fact, the gambling industry is based on people losing more than they can afford. Sportsbooks never lose.
Problem gamblers often run out of money to continue gambling and/or pay their living expenses. Many people suffering from gambling addiction take on debt, whether formal or informal, to fund their destructive behavior. And some problem gamblers steal from loved ones to bet.
Some of the worst gambling addiction stories involve embezzlement and prison sentences.
Problem Gambling vs. Gambling Disorder
Problem gambling and gambler disorder are often used interchangeably, but there’s an important distinction that you should be aware of if you or someone you know is struggling.
The term problem gambling is used by nonprofits and support groups, but the clinical term is gambling disorder (or disordered gambling). This is how the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 refers to the condition. Healthcare coverage is often determined by DSM classifications.
The earlier DSM-4 referred to this condition as “pathological gambling.”
A gambling disorder requires a diagnosis from a mental health professional, while problem gambling can be self-diagnosed. You don’t need a gambling disorder diagnosis to stop betting.
To get diagnosed with a gambling disorder, you must experience several specific criteria over a 12-month period. In contrast, a gambling problem has no formal criteria.
A “problem” is ambiguous, which has benefits and disadvantages when determining whether to abstain from gambling. If you think you have a problem, you have a problem. Meanwhile, you might think you have disordered gambling but not meet the diagnostic threshold.
Compulsive gambling and gambling addiction are also unofficial terms with regards to the DSM-5, but they can be helpful when you’re seeking the words to describe your gambling.
While professional help is recommended, you can abstain from gambling on your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the definition of a gambling problem?
There is no official definition of a gambling problem, but a gambling problem is associated with the following: a preoccupation with gambling, an inability to stop or cut back on gambling, chasing losses, lying about gambling, choosing gambling over social and professional relationships and commitments, and hurting your personal financial situation because of betting.
What is an example of a gambling problem?
A classic example of gambling problem is fixating on gambling and losing more than you could afford. In an effort to recover your money, you increase your bet sizes and chase your losses.
Problem gambling can have devastating effects on an individual's life, leading to financial ruin, legal problems, loss of relationships, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
It can require treatment and support, including counseling, therapy, and support groups.
What are the terms for problem gambling?
Problem gambling is often called the following:
Gambling addiction (informal)
Compulsive gambling (informal)
Pathological gambling (DSM-4)
Disordered gambling (DSM-5)
Degenerate gambling (derogatory)
Disordered gambling is the official term from the American Psychiatric Association. Mental health professionals consider disordered gambling a mental health crisis.
What are the criteria for problem gambling?
The diagnostic criteria for a gambling disorder, according to the DSM-5:
Persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as indicated by the individual exhibiting four (or more) of the following in a 12-month period:
Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement.
Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling.
Has made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling.
Is often preoccupied with gambling (e.g., having persistent thoughts of reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble).
Often gambles when feeling distressed (e.g., helpless, guilty, anxious, depressed).
After losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even (“chasing” one’s losses).
Lies to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling.
Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling.
Relies on others to provide money to relieve desperate financial situations caused by gambling.