06/03/2025
Let me tell you the story of a man who came to me, drowning in the depths of a severe gambling addiction. For the sake of this story, I will call him Andrew.
Andrew was 35 years old, working in the IT field, and carrying a crushing debt of tens of thousands. It was nearly a year ago when he first walked into my office. I remember the look in his eyes—hopelessness, shame, and exhaustion. His life was unraveling, and he could feel it slipping through his fingers. He had a girlfriend, but he was avoiding her, desperate to keep his secret hidden, terrified of her discovering the truth about how deep he had sunk.
We began the recovery process, and after our third session, I gave him an unusual piece of advice: get a dog. It might have seemed unrelated to his gambling problem, but he listened. He got a dog and named him Prize.
Something remarkable happened. In just two months, while caring for Prize, Andrew managed to stay away from gambling completely. He poured his attention into his new companion, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of responsibility for something beyond himself. But life has a way of testing our resolve.
Andrew’s relationship fell apart, and with that heartbreak, he relapsed. He returned to gambling, spiraling deeper into debt, and eventually, he cut off contact with me. The process we had started came to an abrupt halt.
Four months passed before I heard from him again. This time, the situation was even worse—his debt had doubled, and he had lost his girlfriend. He was utterly broken. When he reached out, he wasn’t just asking for help; he was begging.
We restarted the process from square one. During our first session back, I asked about Prize. That’s when Andrew told me something that stopped me in my tracks.
He had started noticing that his dog reacted to his gambling.
I asked him what he meant, and he described a series of strange occurrences. Whenever he played casino games on his phone, the moment the game sounds started, Prize would leave the room and refuse to return until Andrew turned the game off. But that wasn’t all. After every big loss, when Andrew felt utterly devastated, Prize would get sick. Every single time—no exceptions.
I asked him what made him decide to seek help again. His answer was simple, yet profound:
“Prize is like my son. I don’t have kids, and he’s the only one who stayed when everyone else left. I don’t want him to suffer because of me. I don’t want to see my dog sick. I owe him to stop.”
And so, we began the fight again. But this time, the motivation was different. This time, we weren’t just fighting to save one life.
We were fighting to save two.
My name is Desislava Bezinska-Sheinkova, and I hold a doctoral degree in psychology. Over the past ten years, I have dedicated my work exclusively to gambling addiction recovery, helping individuals regain control of their lives. Three years ago, I founded PSIHONIKA, the first center in Bulgaria specializing in gambling addiction treatment. Today, our center continues to support many people on their path to recovery.
In addition to my clinical practice, I authored the book "GAMBLEX: LIFE ON THE LINE," available on Amazon. The book serves as a resource for compulsive gamblers and their loved ones, offering insights into addiction and providing a guide for starting the journey toward recovery. While I cannot personally reach everyone in need, this book allows me to extend my knowledge and support to a broader audience.
Throughout my practice, I have observed an intriguing and unexpected pattern—dogs play a significant role in helping compulsive gamblers quit gambling.
Andrew's story is not unique. Over the years, I have encountered many similar cases, where dogs played a crucial role in compulsive gamblers' recovery. This phenomenon is deeply rooted in psychological and emotional mechanisms, which we will explore further.
The Psychological Impact of Dogs on Gambling Addiction Recovery
Gambling addiction, or compulsive gambling, is a behavioral disorder characterized by an inability to control gambling activities, despite the negative consequences. It impacts financial stability, emotional well-being, and social relationships, often leading to anxiety, depression, and social isolation. While traditional treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), support groups, and medication remain crucial in recovery, emerging research highlights the therapeutic benefits of animal-assisted interventions, particularly the role of dogs in supporting emotional and psychological healing.
This article explores how dogs contribute to gambling addiction recovery, focusing on their impact on emotional regulation, behavioral stability, and mental health—all essential aspects of overcoming addiction.
1. Emotional Regulation & Stress Reduction
One of the defining characteristics of gambling addiction is the emotional rollercoaster associated with wins, losses, and cravings. Many individuals struggle with anxiety, guilt, depression, and stress, which often act as triggers for relapse.
Dogs help regulate emotions by:
- Reducing stress and anxiety – Interacting with dogs has been scientifically proven to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and increase oxytocin (the "bonding hormone"), promoting relaxation and emotional stability.
- Providing unconditional support – Unlike human relationships, which may be strained due to gambling-related behaviors, a dog’s presence is consistent, nonjudgmental, and comforting.
- Alleviating loneliness – Gambling addiction often leads to social withdrawal, causing individuals to feel isolated and disconnected. A dog provides companionship, reducing emotional distress and preventing relapse.
In Andrew’s case, Prize became his emotional anchor. After his gambling relapses, he began to recognize how his dog mirrored his distress. Prize’s reactions—leaving the room when Andrew gambled, becoming sick after a loss—acted as a wake-up call, helping Andrew gain emotional awareness of his behavior’s impact. This realization strengthened his commitment to recovery.
Research in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has found that pet ownership is linked to lower symptoms of depression and anxiety. For individuals in gambling recovery, the emotional presence of a dog provides a healthy coping mechanism, reducing the urge to gamble as a form of stress relief.
2. Routine & Responsibility: A Shift Away from Gambling Habits
Gambling addiction often disrupts daily life, creating irregular schedules, financial instability, and impulsive decision-making. One of the most significant challenges in recovery is replacing destructive habits with positive, structured routines.
Owning a dog naturally introduces:
- A consistent daily routine – Walking, feeding, and caring for a dog requires structure and commitment, reducing impulsive behaviors.
- A sense of responsibility – Instead of focusing on gambling urges, individuals redirect their attention to caring for their pet, creating a healthier mindset.
- Accountability – A dog’s well-being depends entirely on its owner, reinforcing long-term thinking and self-discipline.
For Andrew, caring for Prize established a sense of purpose outside of gambling. In the months when he was gambling-free, his focus shifted from casino apps to ensuring Prize was well-fed, exercised, and happy. This newfound responsibility helped weaken his impulsive behaviors, showing how routine and stability contribute to breaking the gambling cycle.
3. A New Source of Dopamine: Replacing Gambling with Positive Rewards
Gambling addiction is heavily linked to dopamine-driven compulsions. Winning bets trigger dopamine surges, reinforcing the desire to gamble, even when it results in financial loss.
Dogs help address this by:
- Providing natural dopamine boosts – Activities like playing, petting, and training a dog stimulate dopamine and serotonin, creating a sense of joy and fulfillment.
- Encouraging alternative engagement – Many gamblers relapse due to boredom or restlessness. Interacting with a dog fills this void with rewarding, non-destructive activities.
- Promoting mindfulness and emotional connection – Unlike gambling, which encourages escapism, spending time with a dog grounds individuals in the present moment, a core principle in mindfulness-based therapy for addiction.
Andrew realized that the same rush of excitement he once sought in gambling could be found in simpler, healthier moments with Prize—whether through playing fetch or going for walks. His dopamine-seeking behavior gradually shifted toward positive interactions, reinforcing his commitment to stay away from gambling triggers.
Conclusion
The therapeutic role of dogs in gambling addiction recovery is profound. As seen in Andrew’s story, they provide emotional stability, structure, behavioral awareness, and motivation—all essential components of a successful recovery.
For many struggling with gambling addiction, the journey is no longer just about saving themselves.
It’s about saving two lives—human and canine—together.
