The Secrets to Avoiding Addictive Gambling

Narcotic drugs aren’t the only things that are addictive in this world. Gambling is also addictive. There have been a lot of incidences of people stealing, getting too indebted sometimes even committing suicide just because of gambling problems. In addition Gambling happens legally in 27 states in the US.

Some people say it’s hard not to get addicted to gambling. Actually, it is only a matter of self control and knowing when to stop. Gambling need not be addictive if you don’t view it as that.

Off course, gambling is all around us, simple bingo nights for charity, bets with friends, these are all a gamble, but why doesn’t everybody get addicted if it’s this widespread? The answer is everyone that’s not addicted knew when to quit.

Most compulsive gamblers lose their rationality and actually believe that they are “lucky”, that there’s no way that they can lose.

First of all you must know that eventually, everybody loses in gambling. The only party that wins is the company. Gambling was designed to produce net profits for the owners.

If you are gambling for recreation and not for winning, it may only be a matter of time before you become a professional gambler. These are the people who live off betting and risking. A large win might be the single trigger to make you believe that you’ll always win. And this isn’t the correct mindset.

If you catch yourself finding the urge to gamble, why not ask your family or friends to play with you in a low-risk game, like bet tonight’s dessert or who gets to take out the garbage. As much as possible, never bet with money.

If you’re starting to have gambling impulses, better stay off casinos or any place that focuses on gambling. Ask the help of family or friends so that you won’t’ be tempted.

When the addiction is really starting to get hold, it’s probably best to find an organization or a share group in your community that deals with these types of addiction. Like Alcoholism, Gambling addiction is curable, and what better cure than prevention.

Remember, gambling is your choice, you’re not being forced into it; you don’t have to do it to have a good time. If you’re starting to think of borrowing money just to finance your gambling, tell someone close to you about it and with their help, discuss the disadvantages and probable problems that could come out of too much gambling.

Lowering Online Gambling Risks

Scams

Online gambling has many risks, aside from the risks on the game there are also the risks of scams and frauds. In the internet, these aren’t really uncommon. The internet reaches far and wide and it is no wonder that our dishonest brothers have finally found a way to again con our more honest brothers out of the money that they’ve worked hard for.

Online gambling risk comes in many shapes and sizes, aside from the addiction risk, there are of course the risk of scams.

Therefore you should know if the online casino you’re entering is legitimate or not. In today’s day and age, that is very hard to do. Scammer Casinos need only to copy the layouts of legitimate casinos and adopt them as their own, including memberships and certifications. Logos and banners are very easy to copy so be weary of these.

The only way to make sure that you don’t get scammed is to go to online casinos approved by trustworthy organizations like the Interactive Gaming commission. If however, you get invited, to a site, don’t make any deposits yet. Look up their certifications and make sure that these are indeed true by doing a quick search on the organization that gave the certification.

Most online gaming organizations have a quick search function that allows you to search for members. Usually, scammer casinos don’t take the time to become members because they usually “change names” in short periods, usually when their scam gets discovered.

Like any form of gambling, the risk doesn’t necessarily come in the game. The risk is part of the game, but risks that we are talking about here go beyond winning and losing money.

The highest risk is getting addicted.

Gambling should be a form of entertainment, and shouldn’t be viewed otherwise. It isn’t a living and it definitely isn’t a gold mine. This is what’s wrong about today’s gamblers; they view it as a fast way to get money.

You should know that a low risk gambler views playing in casinos, online or offline should be only a form of entertainment. Once you think that it’s a living, it’s already the onset of addiction.

To lower your gambling risk, make sure that you limit yourself. Never play for more than you thought you would, or for longer than you thought you will. Draft the length of time and the amount of money you would play, kind of like scheduling dinner or a trip to the movies.

Offline Gambling with Lesser Risks

There is no foolproof way to always win when gambling. That is why it’s called gambling, you take risks and reap the benefits when lady lucks sides by you, but this isn’t always the case. Most of the time people end up being addicted, losing all that they’ve worked for all in the belief that gambling is the real get rich quick solution.

Gambling is addictive; therefore there is no real risk-free solution. But a person can still continue gambling without really getting addicted or getting drastically affected.

High risk gambling doesn’t necessarily mean you spend a lot of money. Think of gambling as a form of entertainment. Like other ways to get yourself entertained, you sometimes spend nothing and sometimes a lot. Think of it as a play that you watch, except you participate in it actively. Therefore, low-risk gambling is essentially avoiding the mindset of losses, if you don’t think you lost then you probably didn’t.

Low risk gambling is essentially a mindset, not a drug, not a shrink; you can avoid gambling risks by thinking like a low risk gambler.

A low risk gambler knows that as time passes, most people will lose. The only party that wins in this gambling arena is the company that runs the casino. Never expect to win back what you’ve invested as this can only set your mind to play and play until you realize that you don’t have any money left to play anymore.

A low risk gambler should know that he is only playing for recreation, for entertainment, and like all forms of entertainment, gambling has a cost. By doing this, you don’t recognize the losses as losses but rather expenditures. Just put it in your mind that the money you lost is the amount you pay for the entertainment, and don’t necessarily have to be won back.

Low-risk gambling is social gambling. The gambling part should be done with friends, family and loved ones. The presence of friends provides a content sensation that is very different from winning, and can help you focus away from winning. Gambling on your own can make it seem like a form of work, making it serious, letting you focus on losing rather than enjoyment.

Low-Risk gambling should be limited, both in frequency and duration. If you’re trying to lower offline gambling risk, you should be able to draft a timetable for yourself. Compulsive gambling should never be tolerated, and this may be a sign of a starting addiction.

How to Deal with a Gambling Problem

A gambling problem usually occurs when a person over indulges in gambling, ending up being indebted and having dysfunctional relationships with loved ones.

First of all, Gambling is addictive. The risk and the winning can have a psychological effect on a person, making him unreasonable and irrational.

The first step to solving a gambling problem is acknowledging it. Gamblers Anonymous have the following set of questions to test if you indeed have gambling problems.

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?

2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

3. Did gambling affect your reputation?

4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

5. Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?

6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?

8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?

9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?

10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?

12. Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?

13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?

14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?

15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?

16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?

17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?

18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?

19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

20. Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

A problem Gambler would answer Yes to at least seven of these questions.

If you are indeed a problem gambler, the following tips should help you out of your gambling ditch:

* Never take credit cards or an ATM card with you when you gamble, just take the amount that you intend to spend that day.
* Limit the time you gamble.
* Remember, there are more chances of you losing than winning.
* When you win, keep the money and have an agreement with yourself not to use it.
* When you run out of money, give up, never borrow cash for gambling.
* Never hesitate to ask help from a buddy. Bring a gambling buddy who’s not addicted and ask him to keep you in check.

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