How the Coronavirus is Affecting Online Gambling

Now's an important time to protect ourselves and those at risk from falling into bad online gambling habits. 

As the outbreak of the Coronavirus continues to impact daily life across the globe, we're seeing more and more gambling-related public spaces closing, such as casinos, betting shops and bookies. That mixed with self-isolation, some of us may even be more inclined to spend this free time gambling online.This is a particularly difficult time for those of us who have a gambling addiction, who may need the distraction of their day to day life just to keep themselves from gambling their money away. In lockdown or isolation, players may find themselves more vulnerable to online gambling. Given the circumstances, people are more likely to present via remote treatment resources and through digital self-help tools, rather than face-to-face channels.<figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/927c1821-a7ce-4ca0-af59-81bd03d47093.jpg" alt="gambling during lockdown boredom" /></figure><h3> </h3><h3>Coronavirus and Gambling Stats</h3>Research by Savanta reports 25% of the population have stated that their mental health has been negatively affected over lockdown.Nearly seven out of ten (68%) increased the amount of time or money they spent on at least one gambling activity (including National Lottery). To compensate, they may have reduced spending on other products and activities, such as real event betting.Since the lockdown began, 18-34-year-old men and women who have gambled recently are nearly equally likely to have taken up new gambling activities. Younger people aged 18-34 are much more likely, than average, to report increases in time or money spent on at least one gambling activity or to have taken up new activities. If you or anyone you know needs that extra bit of help to avoid online gambling we offer a free trial of Gamban you can <a href="https://gamban.com/">start today</a>, as well as other online gambling self-exclusion resources <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/ban-yourself-from-online-gambling">here</a>.<h3>What Support Is out There?</h3>For added support, you can also call the National Gambling Helpline on <a href="tel:08088020133">0808 8020 133</a>, for more information visit their website <a href="https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/talk-to-us-now/">here. </a>You can also read our blog on <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/practical-tips-for-problem-gamblers">Practical Tips For Problem Gamblers</a> where we run through some of the ways you can remove gambling temptations.COVID-19 hasn't slowed us down, and as such, Gamban will be running as usual. For any technical or support questions, our support team is still available to help. We implore you to take some time to consider those who may be at risk of falling into bad gambling habits and support them during these trying times, as well as looking after yourself.

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Online Gambling

As the outbreak of the Coronavirus continues to impact daily life across the globe, we're seeing more and more gambling-related public spaces closing

How Casinos Enable Gambling Addicts

How Online Casinos Keep You Coming Back Again and Again.

Though many of the following concepts have been academically researched, the aim of this piece is to provide a personal narrative for the commonly experienced tricks and traps from over 10 years of experience as a compulsive gambler.<h4>Familiarity in gambling</h4>Regression with childish cartoons and familiar characters from our youth can encourage a level of irresponsibility among players. Whether it’s Jack and the Beanstalk or the Incredible Hulk, the outcome is the same for the player – increased engagement and distraction. Homer Simpson shouting “D’oh” trivialises a losing spin, using humour to numb the pain of loss. Equally, Spiderman defeating his enemies during a bonus is immensely exciting ‘under the influence’.<h4>Availability bias</h4>“25 million people didn’t win the lottery last week” is not a story. “Jennifer from Birmingham changed her life and won £156m” is a story. Technically “it could be you” but you don’t focus on the fact that it’s almost impossibly unlikely. Even the internal narrative playing out in your head can over-emphasise the possibility of an optimum outcome, potentially resulting in play.<h4>Reframing affordability</h4>You win, you play higher stakes. Won £50 on that last £1 spin? What could you have won if you were betting £3 a spin? How about £6? You can afford it because you won the last time.<figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/d5b11d34-e523-41ef-8b81-b789df8758f1.jpg" alt="traps and tricks gambling" /></figure> <h4>Near-misses</h4>“Nearly, nearly… DAMN!” Approximately 37% to 42% ‘near misses’ are programmed into slot machines and scratch-cards for <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/improving-your-odds-at-slots-is-just-a-myth">psychological effect</a>. From an industry perspective, even if manufacturers don’t add them, players tend to create them their selves, turning clearly losing situations into near-wins.<h4>Reverse withdrawals</h4>Even at the point where you have decided to stop playing and cash out, your money may still be available for immediate play and reversal. A second chance to lose everything!<h4>Illogical limit-setting</h4>It was recently revealed by a large online casino that where deposit limits are set, the average spend is much higher. This illogical situation may be due to an erroneously perceived level of control.

Tricks and Traps to Keep You Hooked

A personal narrative for the commonly experienced tricks and traps from over 10 years of experience as a compulsive gambler.

Mitchell Symons Breaks Down His Relationship With Gambling Addiction.

Guest Blog by Mitchell Symons

OK, so Winnie was talking about Montgomery’s victory at Alamein in World War 2 but he could just as easily have been talking about Gamban.There will be many people who have downloaded Gamban and thought “I’ve done it: I’ve finally removed gambling from my life!”<h2>If only it were that simple.</h2>Unless you discover – and address – the reason for your addiction, it will always acquire willpower to keep it at bay. And that requires eternal vigilance. Which is why you hear alcoholics who are 20 or 30 years ‘clean’ still refer to themselves as alcoholics rather than as ‘former alcoholics’ as you’d think they would eventually be able to call themselves.Allow me to ‘fess up a secret. I was gambling way too much on my desktop computer. Poker every evening and slots when the poker tournaments were taking a break. So I installed Gamban and it was brilliant: a real gamechanger (literally).At the same time, I found myself increasingly disinclined to go into (high street) bookies or casinos: if I was (effectively) banning myself from my favourite form of gambling, why would I want to ruin it all by chucking away the money I was saving on fruit machines with fewer choices and lower payouts? It would be like having hypnosis to stop me eating my favourite chocolate (Lindt’s 70% dark since you ask) and then scoffing bars of Bournville<figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/59d65d67-1bf5-449e-a259-e503992f2edb.jpg" /></figure><h2> </h2><h2>This virtuous circle…</h2>…continued until July of last year when I had a brain haemorrhage and nearly died.While recovering, I ‘discovered’ that I could play slots on my iPhone and also on my iPad. So I did.If I wanted to, I could blame this lapse on the fact that my frontal cortex had filled with blood and thus removed my inhibitions.It’s true: that’s what happened but was it the cause of my gambling?Or was it merely the occasion?If I’m honest, I think it was the latter.I had been looking for a reason, a pretext, to gamble again and this terrible event provided me with it.Yes, I was bored (and uninhibited) but there were plenty of positive, life-affirming things I could have done instead of gambling. I was like someone who’d given up smoking who suddenly lost a loved one and therefore had an excuse to start again.The trick I had found with smoking was to go from being a smoker to becoming a non-smoker (who wouldn’t want to smoke in any circumstances) rather than an ex-smoker who felt as if was depriving himself of his pleasure and so would take advantage of anything that justified returning to it.It turned out that my return to online gambling wasn’t enough: I started going to the bookie’s too. For six months (until I eventually saw the error of my ways and decided to stop), I would go to the bookie’s pretty well every day and spend thirty or so minutes playing the wretched FOBTs.I did quite well, funnily enough, winning more than I lost but I found that my FOBT-use cross-fed my online addiction to the point where I was gambling more than was good for my bank balance or for me.So I’m trying to wean myself off online gambling again.Gamban is an incredibly useful tool in this process but it’s only as good as I choose to make it.There are – and there will be until we get the legislation that many of us believe we need to protect us from ourselves and the rapacious gambling industry – always devices to gamble on and new temptations to withstand.I do my best and I know that constant vigilance is the only sure protection.<h3>But I’m a work in progress, not the final article.</h3>The key thing, I have learned, is not to treat every lapse as though it’s the end and that, if one’s going to give in then one might as well go the whole hog and splurge until all bank accounts and reservoirs of self-respect are drained.

Willpower, Gambling and Commitment to Recovery 

Gamban is an incredibly useful tool in this process but it’s only as good as I choose to make it.

Take Steps to Protect Your Business from Online Gambling  

Online Gambling May Be Hurting Your Bottom Line. Here’s What You Can Do about It.

What would you do to protect your employees—and your entire organisation—from a destructive, dangerous threat to your productivity and your bottom line? We’re talking about online gambling:  a serious (though often overlooked) risk confronting your business.It’s no natural disaster or cyber-attack, but online gambling is one of the costliest threats to contemporary commerce. In fact, gambling addiction costs the UK economy <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41846126">more than 1.2 billion pounds</a> yearly.This behaviour facilitates numerous dangers for your business and your staff, including:Lost time &amp; productivity: The average gambler will lose more than seven hours of work time each month as a result of their addiction. This dramatically impacts your entire team’s effectiveness in the workplace, costing the organisation time and resources as employees lose focus.Employee Wellbeing: Gambling addiction is associated with numerous negative effects on the victim’s mental health, including depression, loss of motivation, and withdrawal from social situations. This further impacts the individual’s performance and ability to interact with team members.Crime:<a> 23 percent of adults</a> who underwent treatment for gambling problems admitted to committing fraud or some other financial crime to secure money for their habit. In many cases, this takes the form of theft or embezzlement from one’s employer.<h2>Take Steps to Protect Your Business</h2><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/aa48df9a-1805-4a41-b865-27bf426b06d5.jpg" alt="gamban protecting your business" /></figure>Online gambling, both in the workplace and at home, is a major risk hiding in plain sight. Given that<a> one in three cases of embezzlement</a> involve perpetrators suffering from this addiction, it’s clear that online gambling is a liability you can’t afford to ignore.Fortunately, there are steps you can take to address this issue and ensure the productivity and wellbeing of your employees: Implement the Right Policies: Establish a clear, concrete policy against gambling of any sort in the workplace. This will give you a formal basis for any necessary disciplinary action and help foment a workplace culture that does not tolerate such practices. Divide Responsibilities: Don’t put too much responsibility for the company’s finances in one individual. Instead, divide all bookkeeping activity between multiple parties and perform regular audits to detect fraud or any other suspicious activity. Identify Warning Signs: Learn to identify the trademarks of an individual with a gambling problem. These can include asking for regular advances, borrowing money, arguing about money with co-workers, or requesting additional pay in lieu of vacation or sick time.<h2>Prevention Is the Answer</h2><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/b059c1a5-b3ee-42d3-9b84-a1a66cab5b19.jpg" alt="gamban Prevention Is the Answer" /></figure>The above steps may help protect your business against loss resulting from online gambling; however, they are largely reactive solutions. Knowing the warning signs of an employee suffering from gambling addiction or dividing responsibilities cannot address the core issue: the impulse to gamble in the first place.The best solution is one that prevents a problem rather than mitigating the damage once it’s already been done. Gamban enables you to go beyond discouraging gambling and trying to identify potential problems. Now, you can eliminate online gambling entirely, both at home and in the workplace.While other services offer expensive, ineffective products that fail to speak to the problem of online gambling itself, Gamban provides the cross-platform solution you need to minimise risk and ensure productivity. Adopt the tools you need to protect your staff and eliminate risk to your business productivity today.For more information on how Gamban can help your organisation please visit: <a href="https://gamban.com/contact/enterprise">https://gamban.com/contact/enterprise</a>

Gambling Addictions at Work – How Can Employers Help? 

Online gambling may be hurting your bottom Line. Here’s what you can do about It.

We Go Through Some of the Ways to Bar Yourself from Online and Offline Gambling

How do I Self-Exclude?

As we've said in the <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/belts-and-braces-why-more-than-one-tool-can-be-helpful">past</a>, having more than one tool in place to ban yourself from gambling, online and offline, means giving yourself the best chance to overcome the habit. Whether that be gambling blocking software, self exclusion from online gambling or bank transaction blocking. There are many tools out there to help.<h2>Gambling Blocking Software</h2>Gambling Blocking software, such as Gamban, can be downloaded onto all of your devices, for the purpose of blocking access to 1000s of gambling websites and apps, worldwide. We offer a trial for Gamban that grants you free access to our state of the art programmes and applications for your devices. Learn more about Gamban here. <a class="btn btn-primary btn-flexible" href="https://gamban.com/" role="button">Learn More</a>.<h2>Self-exclusion</h2>Self-exclusion typically involves asking a gambling operator, casino or betting shop, for example, to exclude you from gambling with them over a set period of time. This means that you will be refused service at the locations, online and offline, from which you are self-excluded. By law gambling operators in the UK have to provide self-exclusion.Manually self-excluding yourself from every venue or website can be a daunting task. However, there are "multi-operator" schemes available, allowing anyone to easily "mass" self-exclude. Listed below are some of these schemes. <h3>Online Gambling Self-Exclusion - GAMSTOP</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/71dc41da-7341-4e67-9b8e-7a0ab497a381.jpg" alt="gamstop self exclusion" /></figure>One of the most well-known multi-operator schemes is <a href="https://www.gamstop.co.uk/">GAMSTOP</a>, which is currently available as a multi-operator self-exclusion scheme to UK and NI residents. However, It does not cover all gambling sites, only those based in the UK. Find the list of participating online gambling companies <a href="https://www.gamstop.co.uk/participating-companies">here</a>.<h3>Arcades and Adult Gaming Centres</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/f61bad09-687d-4001-a30d-f21828603465.jpg" alt="bacta Arcades and Adult Gaming Centres" /></figure>Unfortunately, as of this date, it is not possible to mass self-exclude online from Arcades and Adult Gaming Centres. However, through the Bacta Self-Exclusion Scheme, you will be able to self-exclude from Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) by simply visiting one AGC or by phoning one of them and enquiring.Anyone wishing to join the Bacta Self-Exclusion Scheme should contact Bacta on selfexclusion@bacta.org.uk or 0207 730 6444.For further details, <a href="https://bacta.org.uk/self-exclusion/">click here</a>. <h3>Betting shops / Bookmakers</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/57786737-7d23-4df1-8fee-32389777fb78.jpg" alt="multi operator self exclusion scheme betting shops bookies bookmakers" /></figure>Through the self-exclusion.co.uk Multi Operator Self Exclusion Scheme you can designate betting shops from which you want to self-exclude. This scheme is tailored to the needs and habits of the registrants. By identifying the betting shops someone uses or might try to use, the scheme passes on the information to all the relevant betting shop operators.Call the Multi Operator Self Exclusion Scheme helpline on 0800 294 2060 to exclude yourself from more than one bookmaker in your area. For more details please <a href="https://self-exclusion.co.uk/">click here</a>.<h3>Bingo venues</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/2f210a79-68e9-4a04-8b5c-2634fc48522a.jpg" alt="bingo industry self exclusion scheme" /></figure>To self-exclude from licensed bingo premises across Great Britain, use The Bingo Associations' Self-Exclusion Scheme. Simply register at your local bingo club or alternatively, you can do so online if you <a href="https://www.bingo-association.co.uk/site/bing/templates/selfexclusion.aspx?pageid=181&amp;cc=gb">click here</a>.<h3>Casinos</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/217133b8-be91-49b3-91e6-05fb1a50f07a.jpg" alt="sense self enrolment nation self exclusion" /></figure>SENSE enables you to register in a scheme to exclude themselves from all UK land-based casinos. Once you have requested exclusion through the SENSE scheme, your information will be shared with all casinos across the country. Furthermore, your details will be removed from all land-based casino marketing databases. For more information, <a href="https://www.nationalcasinoforum.co.uk/voluntary-self-exclusion-sense/">click here</a>.While for some, Gambling Blocking Software will be enough to ban themselves from gambling, others (problem gamblers or otherwise) may want to use self-exclusion schemes in conjunction with Gamban.Learn more about Gamban’s Gambling Blocking Software <a href="https://gamban.com/product">here</a>.Find more information on how gambling self-exclusion can be effective <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/gambling-self-exclusions-can-be-effective">here</a>. Find more information on how to block gambling transactions from your bank account <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/block-gambling-transactions">here.</a>Find more information about gambling problems and support <a href="https://gamban.com/help">here.</a>

How to Ban Yourself from Gambling Online

While for some, Gambling Blocking Software will be enough, others may want to use self-exclusion schemes in conjunction with Gamban.

Why Problem Gamblers Often Don’t Seek Help

Small Acts You Can Take On to Help Yourself and Others with Online Gambling

<h1>How to Help Those Looking for Gambling Addiction Support</h1>There is a long-running stigma attached to those suffering from gambling addiction. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5264412/">Plenty of research on the subject</a> makes that fact abundantly clear. Even without the data, those suffering under the weight of problem gambling know the pain well.It’s time to open up about the stigma surrounding problem gambling. Let’s see how this silent epidemic impacts victims, and what we can do about it.<h3>How stigma hurts compulsive gamblers</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/1a806fc8-b3f8-4dd5-be10-bebf13a348f8.jpg" /></figure>A stigma is defined as “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.” The <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization (WHO)</a> describes social stigma as “a major cause of discrimination and exclusion.”Those targeted by a social stigma are seen as having less value than “normal” people. The victims of this phenomenon may be shunned by friends, family and their peers. They may also experience discrimination in education, housing, <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/protect-your-business-from-online-gambling">employment</a> and other factors that impact them in daily life. In its most extreme forms, social stigma contributes to substantial human rights violations. This stigma affects both men and <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/women-and-gambling-addiction">women</a>. Those suffering under the weight of gambling addiction are routinely stigmatised. Even though we understand addiction much better today than ever before, it is still seen by many as a personal flaw, rather than for what it is: an illness, beyond the person’s control.Stigmatisation carries serious consequences. The fear of social isolation can keep victims of addiction from seeking treatment, as they suffer in silence instead of opening up about the issue. This inhibits long-term harm reduction efforts and damages the victim’s self-esteem and self-worth.The end result: the potential for increasingly-destructive behaviour and even suicide. In fact, problem gamblers have <a href="https://800gambler.org/quick-facts-gambling-suicide/">the highest rate of attempted suicide</a> among all addictive disorders. Because of the stigma of problem gambling, those suffering under the weight of addiction and social pressure can be made to feel there is no other alternative.<h3>What can be done?</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/3d62bf9c-686b-4809-840c-0eed76d17889.jpg" /></figure>The problem can get better, but only once people feel more comfortable reaching out for help. That’s why destigmatising gambling addiction is the key to treating the problem.Beating the stigma surrounding problem gambling is not going to be easy or quick. It will take years to reshape how we think about addiction and how we treat addicts in general. However, there are small acts you can take on your own to help:<ul><li>Be compassionate: Show understanding, kindness and support to those suffering from addiction. Withhold judgement, and instead simply listen to their experiences and needs.</li><li>Do your research: Education breeds empathy. If you understand what those in the grip of addiction are going through, you can better understand how to help.</li><li>Avoid labels: Words like “addict” put blame on the individual. We want to avoid blaming the victim and instead focus on the real problem: the behaviour.</li><li>Educate others: Even those with good intentions can cause harm through a lack of knowledge. Share what you learn to help broaden the understanding.</li><li>Be an advocate: Don’t stay silent when you see others abuse or misrepresent victims of gambling. Speak up and let people know they’re not alone.</li></ul>Of course, while the behaviour is the core problem, access to online gambling often enables and aggravates the issue. That’s why <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/belts-and-braces-why-more-than-one-tool-can-be-helpful">tools capable of blocking access</a> to such sites are an important piece of the puzzle.<h3>Help is out there</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/b44cc4d4-3dba-4ce6-9110-e615abcdcbd5.jpg" /></figure>Even if you are not ready to talk, there are tools you can use to start your recovery journey. <a href="https://gamban.com/">Gambling blocking software</a> allows you to keep gambling away from your devices (computers, smart phones and tablets); It works better when deployed together with GamStop, the UK’s free self-exclusion scheme, and payment blocking solutions, such as the one provided by Monzo. Get all of them, and as soon as you’re ready, get in touch with the National Gambling Helpline. They are there to listen, no shame, no stigma. Break the silence!Recovery is possible.

The Silent Epidemic Made Worse by Shame and Stigma

How to Help Those Looking for Gambling Addiction Support. Small Acts You Can Take On to Help Yourself and Others with Online Gambling

When the Money Runs Out 

Problem Gamblers Can Easily Find Themselves in Vicious Cycles of Borrowing to Pay Gambling Tabs 

In theory, payday loans exist to help consumers make ends meet when they need temporary help in a short amount of time. In practice, this type of fast and easy-to-get credit products are the only option – apart from loan sharks – for thousands of individuals and families, up and down the country, who need money “now”, and are unable to obtain a loan from the bank.With strict terms and extremely high interest rates, payday loans can easily spiral out of control. For many borrowers, the payday loan is simultaneously the lifeline that keeps their heating on, and the chain that will keep them, prisoners, to an endless and growing debt nightmare.<h3>Adding gambling to the equation</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/0efad487-a5ed-4506-b27b-3e2bd85a3ab2.jpg" /></figure>In <a href="https://www.finder.com/uk/payday-loan-statistics">2017, 53% of UK payday loan customers borrowed money to pay for living expenses</a>, including groceries and utility bills. When we add gambling addiction to this very unbalanced equation, the end result is nothing short of a personal catastrophe. And no, it cannot simply be chalked up to misspending or poor planning of personal finances. The real causes go much deeper.Individuals living with gambling addiction don’t place a bet because they enjoy the game, or because they’re having a laugh with their mates at the pub. In fact, they usually feel quite isolated, and do it because they’re compelled to satisfy an uncontrollable urge – they just have to do it. In this process, anyone can get desperate enough to turn to payday loans as the solution to fund their sports bets, their online poker, their slot machines, or any other form of gambling.Problem gamblers can easily find themselves in vicious cycles of borrowing to pay gambling tabs, forcing them to borrow more to cover newer debts. This is extremely dangerous, and can quickly lead to an unmanageable vicious cycle of debt and financial loss. The problem can be life-threatening, as troubling stories <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3457058/Gambling-addict-27-hanged-owing-thousands-pounds-getting-messages-offering-free-bets-died.html">l</a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/15/ryan-myers-bereaved-parents-taking-on-the-gambling-industry">ike that of Ryan Myers</a> highlight. Mr Myers took his life in 2016, after falling into thousands of pounds of gambling debt and turning to payday loans as a last resort.There’s no set character trait or signal precipitating this toxic situation. It can happen to anyone irrespective of their socioeconomic standing, from a low income part-time worker to affluent professionals like doctors or <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/24648539">professional footballers</a>.“It’s not uncommon to have a player in a cycle of payday loans and gambling,” says Sporting Chance Clinic CEO Colin Bland, referencing patients at the athlete-focused recovery centre. 70% of Sporting Chance Clinic’s admissions are for gambling addiction, and many find themselves trapped between payday lenders and gambling before finally seeking help.<h3>Out of gambling, out of debt</h3><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/b8722571-06cf-45e1-863f-729c4511fd0a.jpg" /></figure>A person suffering from addiction turns to payday loans as a source of quick cash, confident he or she will win the money back. The plan rarely works out, and the individual is saddled with the added burden of debts that can multiply exponentially within a year due to the unfair interest rates.Those at risk of slipping into this cycle need to seek help, as do those already inside the trap. While this is easier said than done, especially due to the level of isolation many players believe to be in, there are people, organisations and technology products out there that can help.Protecting oneself from a dangerous payday loan trap is essential. But, the most important part of that process is confronting the addiction itself. Until victims overcome that obstacle, every day remains a new risk.

Should I Use Payday Loans to Pay Gambling Debt?

When the money runs out a person suffering from a gambling addiction can turn to payday loans as a source of quick cash

Gambling Addiction Misdiagnosis or Incomplete Diagnosis

Gambling Addiction Is a Serious Challenge under the Best of Circumstances. What Makes It Even More Difficult to Face? A Gambling Addiction misdiagnosis.

A gambling addiction can’t be diagnosed by taking a blood test or a scan. Most patients may show signs of depression, but unless they are open about it, there is no way the doctor will know the reason why. There is no physical evidence that someone’s depression is due to an uncontrollable urge to gamble and the family and financial problems that such addiction has created. If the stigma alone wasn’t enough to make it difficult, in countries where gambling is illegal, addicts will be even less likely to admit they have a problem. More often than not, the diagnosis is “depression” which, although true – gambling addicts often suffer from depression – is also incomplete, as the root causes remain unidentified.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6691482">One study</a> from the US National Institutes of Health showed that 76% of gamblers surveyed also suffered from depression. The suicide rate among self-identified gamblers is four times higher than among non-gamblers. This may lead to a confusion of correlation and causation, and contributing to a gambling addiction misdiagnosis, or incomplete diagnosis. We need to ask “which comes first: the clinical diagnosis, or the gambling behaviour?”<h2>Correlation Vs. Causation</h2>For some people, an addiction to gambling may be a product of depression or another underlying condition. For most though, that depression is a result of their gambling addiction. The stress of losing money, plus the strain this puts on the victims’ personal lives, on their families, on their jobs, create the ideal circumstances for depression and other mental health issues to flourish. This isn’t unique to gambling addiction. In fact, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-cant-i-stop/201607/misdiagnosis-behavioral-addiction">many individuals with behavioural addictions</a> are misdiagnosed with problems like obsessive compulsive disorder. It can happen with any number of addictions, but there are unique factors at play with compulsive  gambling , though, such as inconsistent social acceptability or legal status, that makes it especially tricky to identify as the cause of suffering.<h2>When Gambling is Illegal</h2><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/293d8839-7067-488f-96f1-fa668617efa4.jpg" /></figure>Making something illegal, doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easier to deal with. Some scholarly evidence suggests drug prohibition for example, does little to actually reduce drug addiction, and <a href="https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1837&amp;context=facpub">may even make addiction worse</a>. The reason is simple – while it may help authorities act against those who “operate the market”, the illegal status also acts as a barrier between the victims and the treatment. The US is a good example of this dilemma: although gambling is only legal in a select number of states, the rate of gambling addiction is higher there compared to the UK.The problem of recognising an addiction to gambling is complicated by the rise of online betting. In countries or regions where betting is illegal, health professionals may be less inclined to consider gambling behaviour when looking at a patient. Gambling Disorder was <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4019046/">included in the latest edition of the DSM</a> in 2014, but it’s still a recent change. If the patient is uncomfortable with disclosing their gambling habits – because it is an illegal activity, and/or because the insurance policy wouldn’t cover it – the job of the doctor or therapist becomes a lot more difficult.<h2>The Problem is The Gambling</h2>Gambling addiction is rarely a self-evident issue. Here are a few common signs that something is wrong:<ul><li>Remorse: Those with an addiction typically aren’t having fun when satisfying their urge. It’s a compulsion, not a leisure activity, and feelings of remorse are a common side-effect.</li><li>Need: Addicted individuals often see gambling as a way to resolve other problems like debts, or even to recover previous betting losses. They feel the need to keep playing to try and solve these issues.</li><li>Mismatch of Priorities: Because gambling is a compulsion, it feels natural to place it higher on a list of priorities than is appropriate. It can overshadow family and friends, work, and paying bills.</li><li>Sense of Inevitability: Some problem gamblers see their habit as an inevitable part of life, about which nothing can be done. The problem may rise to the point that “gambling money” becomes a regular monthly expense, and often one that takes priority, as mentioned above.</li><li>Inability to Stop: Problem gamblers may keep placing bets until all their money is gone. Gambling may also take up large shares of their time, as they have absolute confidence they are working on getting their money back.</li><li>Compulsive Response: Problem gamblers don’t just gamble when the mood strikes them. Like any addict, they feel compelled to place a bet. It can be an all-encompassing urge that overrides other interests or responsibilities.</li><li>Escapism: Betting is a means of escape for many addicts. As a result, sources of stress, arguments, or everyday disappointments and frustrations can trigger the urge to gamble.</li></ul> Early identification is essential for effective treatment of gambling addiction. However, that will require society as a whole to see beyond the shame, challenging our own experiences, and staying away from prejudice. That will help those with the problem to open up about it, and it will help those with the treatment resources to use them without reservations. Ultimately, it will drive the growth of those resources, backed by statistics that truly reflect the reality.<h2>Helping Gamblers Help Themselves</h2><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/0544d2f0-383d-46ec-82a8-a62d5e0ee011.jpg" /></figure>Gambling addiction is highly stigmatised. It’s seen as a personal failure or weakness, rather than a real condition which demands treatment. We need to stop this and foster an environment in which people can speak honestly about their problem. For example, we can start by dispelling many of the myths about gambling addiction:<ul><li>Addiction only happens to certain groups of people.</li><li>You have to gamble every day to be addicted.</li><li>It's due to personal weakness and irresponsibility.</li><li>Problem gamblers are motivated solely by the allure of money.</li><li>Problem gambling only affects the gambler.</li><li>These are all misconceptions. Every single one of them.</li><li>An addiction to gambling can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any point in time.</li></ul> People can feel more comfortable <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/ban-yourself-from-online-gambling">seeking help</a> once we all have a more honest conversation about problem gambling. Until that happens though, gambling addiction misdiagnosis will continue to damage people’s chance of recovery.Worried that <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/are-you-at-risk-from-online-gambling">you, or someone you know</a>, might be suffering from an addiction to gambling? The first step to deal with it is to put as many obstacles as possible between the player and the game:<ul><li><a href="https://gamban.com/product">Gamban blocks access to 40k+ gambling websites.</a> It blocks the device itself from accessing those sites and is available for computers, phones and tablets and stop gambling. <a href="https://gamban.com/pricing">Click here to get started.</a></li><li>For those in the UK, we also recommend signing up to <a href="https://www.gamstop.co.uk/">GamStop</a>. This voluntary scheme self-excludes players from a large number of UK based gambling websites, in one go.</li><li><a href="https://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-support/talk-to-us-now/">Gamcare</a> offers The National Gambling HelpLine, providing confidential information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling in the UK. - 0808 8020 133</li><li>Another important roadblock is money. Monzo and Starling banks have developed features that block gambling related transactions. We recommend taking a look at those.</li><li>There are a number of <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/ban-yourself-from-online-gambling">self-exclusion schemes</a> out there, as well as <a href="https://gamban.com/help">support groups</a>.</li></ul>

Diagnosing Gambling Addiction – or Not 

When Did Problem Gambling Start? 

We Go Through the Gambling Timeline, from the First Dice to Slot Machines  

For when that was, here is Wikipedia: “Gambling dates back to the Palaeolithic period, before written history. The earliest six-sided dice date to about 3000 BC in Mesopotamia. However, they were based on astragali dating back thousands of years earlier. In China, gambling houses were widespread in the first millennium BC where betting on fighting animals was common. Lotto games and dominoes appeared in China as early as the 10th century. Playing cards appeared in the 9th century in China. Poker, the most popular U.S. card game associated with gambling, was based on the Persian game As-Nas, dating back to the 17th century. The first known casino was the Ridotto, established in Venice, Italy in 1638.”Those of us who have had our problems with gambling addiction will know how and why one or more of the people will have become addicted. So many reasons but, usually, there’s some underlying mental problem like depression. Certainly, if a person wasn’t depressed before they started gambling compulsively then they would have been afterwards. This brings me to an old joke which might just identify the first problem gambler:<h2>Gambling in History</h2><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/2cb93cb1-56d6-4e19-89a6-20c7a00a0e95.jpg" /></figure>An archaeologist was digging in the Negev Desert in Israel and came upon a casket containing a mummy. After examining it, he called the curator of the Israel museum in Jerusalem.“I’ve just discovered a 3,000-year-old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!” the excited scientist exclaimed. The curator replied, “Bring him in. We’ll check it out.”A week later, the amazed curator called the archaeologist. “You were right about both the mummy’s age and cause of death. How on earth did you know?” “Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand. It said, ‘10,000 Shekels Goliath to win’.”Was this backer of Goliath a gambling addict or was he merely the first person to lump everything he had on “a sure thing”?We’ve all done that, haven’t we? Convinced ourselves that a certain horse, dog, team, the system can’t lose and then discovered, to our mortification, that it definitely could.Damon Runyon is instructive on this subject. “One of these days in your travels,” Sky Masterson recalls his father telling him, “a guy is going to come up to you and show you a nice brand-new deck of cards on which the seal is not yet broken, and this guy is going to offer to bet you that he can make the Jack of Spades jump out of the deck and squirt cider in your ear. But, son, do not bet this man, for as sure as you are standing there, you are going to end up with an earful of cider.”Another Damon Runyon character, Sam The Gonoph, points out why gamblers will eventually always lose. “I long ago came to the conclusion that all life is six-to-five against.”Or, in the words of another sage, <a href="https://gamban.com/blog/improving-your-odds-at-slots-is-just-a-myth">“gambling is a sure way of getting nothing for something”.</a>Gerolamo Cardano (or Jérôme Cardano) was a 16th century Italian doctor, mathematician, physicist, chemist, astrologer, philosopher, writer, and gambler. He was one of the most influential mathematicians of the Renaissance and was one of the key figures in the foundation of probability. In his autobiography, he laid bare his addiction to gambling. “As I was inordinately addicted to the chessboard, and the dicing table, I know I must be deserving of the severest censure. I gambled at both for many years: at chess for about forty, and at dice for twenty-five”Cardano features in Mike Atherton’s brilliant book <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/oct/08/sportandleisure.features">Gambling: A Story of Triumph and Disaster</a>, in which the former England cricket captain describes how gambling came to be the massive industry it is today. Along the way, he tells of how people won and lost fortunes on the turn of a card or the roll of a die. Nothing has really changed: only how the cards are turned or the dice are rolled.Atherton also tells us about the aristocracy who won and lost whole estates in an evening’s gambling. Perversely, it was the fact that gambling debts weren’t legally enforceable that led to such high stakes gambling as it allowed the aristocrats to display their sang-froid when they lost.The emerging stock markets of the 18th century also gave plenty of scope to what was not investing but gambling. Sir Isaac Newton mistimed his purchases and sales in the South Sea Bubble and ended up losing £20,000. Atherton quotes Newton as saying that he could “calculate the motions of heavenly bodies but not the madness of people”. Meanwhile, as if to further demonstrate that this form of gambling wasn’t the sole province of the stupid, the writer Daniel Defoe lost £17,000 gambling on stocks and was declared bankrupt.<h2>For a Small Stake</h2><figure><img src="https://web-cdn.gamban.com/img/445ed660-294e-40c0-9748-8ee3cc15600a.jpg" /></figure>Most early gambling – especially in Britain – revolved around lotteries. And then they disappeared until the National Lottery arrived in 1994. Lotteries have always flourished in countries where there are few legalised forms of gambling. In Britain, we already had bingo, horse-racing, the dogs and casinos. For a small stake, you had an evening’s entertainment and the chance of winning some money. It was called having a flutter. For those who wanted a bigger upside there were the football pools where, for a few bob, you might win a small fortune or the wonderful Premium Bonds where, even if you didn’t win, you could cash in your entire stake. That was the uniquely British way of doing things. Then along came the National Lottery and its scratch card offspring to root out our baser instincts and then appeal to them. It wasn’t enough to win a few quid – even a few hundred – now it was time to start thinking in millions – it could be you.Inevitably, it was the poorest who latched on to it but, beyond the brief thrill of the draw, there was nothing in it for them – save the knowledge that wealthy non-lottery players would have their opera tickets subsidised through the 28 percent deducted for “good causes”. Sure, there were winners – multi-million-pound winners – but they were so rare that they became news stories. Everyone else was a loser; in many instances, a frustrated, resentful loser terrified of stopping just in case their numbers came up; the ultimate monkey on the back. Camelot, with its cheesy Arthurian motifs that made it look like the worst kind of theme pub, was canny. Through its advertising, it pandered to the greed that it had nurtured while keeping the supine media onside with a drip-feed of “exclusives”. To its eternal shame, the BBC went native and not only became a cheerleader but actually paid for the privilege. More important, Camelot had done its maths. It knew that to maximise publicity it needed massive jackpots. To subsidise these it had to trim the payouts in the few areas where people stood a realistic chance of winning. So for getting three balls, it paid £10 when the true odds were 56-1. For four balls they paid an average of about £60 instead of the £1,000 indicated by odds of 1,032-1. To achieve anything more – eg. five balls – you would need to overcome odds of 55,491-1 while the jackpot itself was a one-in-13,983,816 proposition. Almost one in 14 million. To put that in perspective you have less chance of winning the jackpot than you have of being struck by lightning (one in 10 million), being killed by a bee sting (one in six million), hitting two holes-in-one during the same round of golf (one in eight million) or Elvis turning out to be alive and extraterrestrial beings officially sighted on Earth (less than one in 10 million according to one bookmaker’s odds). That’s all right, people said, we’ll just buy more tickets. And so they did. In some cases, they bought hundreds more using money they could ill afford. One ticket costing one pound was enough to buy the dream but desperate people told themselves that they’d have 10 times more chance with 10 tickets. If only Camelot – or the media – had explained the probability to them. If the odds are (as they were before they became 45,057,474 to 1 ) 14,000,000-1 and you buy one ticket, then there are 13,999,999 chances of not winning. If instead, you buy 10 tickets, it means that there are now 13,999,990 chances of not winning. The difference is meaningless. Jackpots of millions of pounds change lives and not always for the better. Perhaps people who want their lives changed should ask themselves whether money is actually the answer. For a few dreadful years, the country was entranced by a truly alien concept. Fortunately, the people have come to their senses. They’ve voted with their wallets and deserted the lottery to such an extent that jackpots have plummeted and Camelot was forced to change the name of its game to Lotto. <h2>What more can a gambler lose than his or her life?</h2>No, we’re not talking about all the suicides that so many addicted gamblers are driven to. Meet DR WILLIAM PALMER (aka ‘THE RUGELEY POISONER’) Palmer is one of the most prolific British serial murderers of all time. He poisoned between twelve and fifteen members of his family to inherit money to pay his gambling debts but he was eventually caught when he murdered a gambling companion, John Cook, whom Palmer poisoned after Cook won at the Shrewsbury races in November 1855. Palmer was hanged outside Stafford Gaol in June 1856 in front of a 30,000 crowd. Of course, some people really do gamble with their lives – literally. As you probably know, Russian roulette is the most terrifying gambling game ever invented – even more dangerous than playing blackjack in an illegal spieler in Soho’s Chinatown. It appears to have originated in the 19th century among Russian officers. The revolver with its revolving cylinder had just been introduced. Officers who had drunk one too many straight vodkas would spin the cylinder and pull the trigger. They believed in fatalism; that it didn’t matter what you did, the outcome had already been pre-destined by a greater power. Interestingly, the odds were one in seven rather than one in six because the early Russian revolvers had seven chambers instead of six. The peerless British novelist, Graham Greene, played Russian Roulette – on his own with a single bullet in a revolver with six chambers – on five occasions. He then decided to give up but only after playing one last game to even up the odds (as he saw it).Fortunately, for all the subsequent fans of his books, he won.Greene is not the only famous person to be affected by gambling (was his bipolarity a possible cause?). So many more people are affected by relatives’ gambling.<h3>Here are some quotes from famous people:</h3>“Mum used to say about Dad, ‘I wish he was a drinker rather than a gambler because there is only so much you can drink before you fall down’, but with gambling, he brought nothing into the house” (Michael Barrymore, whose father was buried in a pauper’s grave, having left when Michael was 11“My father had no direction in life and he was a compulsive gambler who was a failure at it. He gambled with the rent and the gas bill.” (Sir Michael Caine)“My mother was consumed with her own interest which was gambling. She was really very self-centred’ (Michael Winner whose mother gambled away the family fortune)“One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of garden seeds” (Dan Bennett)Over the past two decades, the gambling landscape has continued to evolve with eSports, using skins-as-currency, as the most popular gambling product among younger players. Having seen a shift from ‘green felt’ to gambling in a more virtual environment, we are now seeing a transition once again to a more ‘integrated’ form of gambling – where gambling is merged so closely into the fabric of video gaming that it is normalising younger players (11-15yrs old), from the moment they pick up a gaming controller.This ‘dice to mice’ transition suggests gambling is as much about identity and status, as it is about escapism, distraction, winning (and losing) money. Nothing has really changed: only now it’s not just cards and dice; it’s crates and skins.

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