Resources for Gambling

• Problem gamblers are more likely to be male than female
• Problem gamblers usually bet larger amounts on all forms of gambling
• Problem gamblers gamble more frequently
• Problem gamblers spend more time per gambling session
• Problem gamblers are more likely to have been in trouble with the police
• Problem gamblers are more likely to say they have been rejected by family members

Professional: Gambling is his primary source of income; makes his living gambling.

Casual Social Gambler: Gambling is one of many forms of entertainment; gamble infrequently.

Serious Social Gambler: Gambles as a major source of entertainment; plays regularly at one or more types of gambling, and does so with great absorption and intensity.

Relief-and-Escape Gambler: Major activity in person's life of equal importance with family and business; but rest of life goes on without integrity being seriously impaired; more than a pastime.

Compulsive Gambler: Gambling is only thing in life; ignores family and business, and often turns to crime to support his/her habit.

Antisocial Personality: Life career is getting money by illegal means; those who gamble try to fix gambling games.

People can predict a coin is going to come up heads or tails when flipped.

Fact: Each flip of the coin is an independent event. It doesn't matter what came up in the previous flip. The chances of heads or tails coming up in a single flip are 50 per cent, regardless of how many times you flip the coin.

There are systems that make it easier to predict winning lottery numbers.

Fact: It doesn't t matter how the numbers are picked; your odds of winning are always the same. Take a lottery like Lotto 6/49 for example. All the numbers are put into a drum and then mixed up. The selection is purely by chance. Each number has the same chance of being selected (a 1 in 49 chance to be exact). Your chances of winning with one ticket are 1 in 13,983,816. That means there is no system for picking lottery numbers. It is all a matter of luck and luck comes in two varieties: good and bad.

Gambling is exciting and adds to the fun.

Fact: Risking a little bit of your hard earned cash makes a game of golf, cards or pool more fun according to some people. For sure there is some excitement attached to taking risks. But there is very little excitement involved in losing your money.  Problem gamblers often told us they were unhappy, anxious, worried and upset.

People can generally win their money back if they have a losing streak.

Fact: This is simply not true and casinos exist because people don't win their money back. Think about it: how long would a casino that paid out more money than it took in be able to stay in business? The fact is that gamblers lose far more money than they win in these places.

An event is either more or less likely if it has not happened for a long time.

Fact: Many people falsely believe, for example, that if one color has won several times in a row in roulette then the other color is overdue and will bet on it. While the ratio of reds to blacks will always approach 50/50 in the long term it can not be concluded that this will happen in the short term. It does not matter what the history of past spins is, every trial in games of luck like roulette are independent, and each color is equally likely to come up every time.

That idiot at third base is killing me.

Fact: A common myth at the blackjack table is that a bad player, especially one in the last seat, will disrupt the natural order of the cards and cause everyone to lose. It is true that such a player sometimes will make a play that will result in the dealer beating everybody rather than breaking. However in the short run such a player is just as likely to help you as to hurt you and in the long run they won't make any difference. The cards are in random order and they are not prearranged to make the dealer break assuming correct play.

People can predict a coin is going to come up heads or tails when flipped.

Fact: Each flip of the coin is an independent event. It doesn't matter what came up in the previous flip. The chances of heads or tails coming up in a single flip are 50 per cent, regardless of how many times you flip the coin.

There are systems that make it easier to predict winning lottery numbers.

Fact: It doesn't t matter how the numbers are picked; your odds of winning are always the same. Take a lottery like Lotto 6/49 for example. All the numbers are put into a drum and then mixed up. The selection is purely by chance. Each number has the same chance of being selected (a 1 in 49 chance to be exact). Your chances of winning with one ticket are 1 in 13,983,816. That means there is no system for picking lottery numbers. It is all a matter of luck and luck comes in two varieties: good and bad.

Gambling is exciting and adds to the fun.

Fact: Risking a little bit of your hard earned cash makes a game of golf, cards or pool more fun according to some people. For sure there is some excitement attached to taking risks. But there is very little excitement involved in losing your money.  Problem gamblers often told us they were unhappy, anxious, worried and upset.

People can generally win their money back if they have a losing streak.

Fact: This is simply not true and casinos exist because people don't win their money back. Think about it: how long would a casino that paid out more money than it took in be able to stay in business? The fact is that gamblers lose far more money than they win in these places.

An event is either more or less likely if it has not happened for a long time.

Fact: Many people falsely believe, for example, that if one color has won several times in a row in roulette then the other color is overdue and will bet on it. While the ratio of reds to blacks will always approach 50/50 in the long term it can not be concluded that this will happen in the short term. It does not matter what the history of past spins is, every trial in games of luck like roulette are independent, and each color is equally likely to come up every time.

That idiot at third base is killing me.

Fact: A common myth at the blackjack table is that a bad player, especially one in the last seat, will disrupt the natural order of the cards and cause everyone to lose. It is true that such a player sometimes will make a play that will result in the dealer beating everybody rather than breaking. However in the short run such a player is just as likely to help you as to hurt you and in the long run they won't make any difference. The cards are in random order and they are not prearranged to make the dealer break assuming correct play.

These questions are provided to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling.

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?

Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.

Laura Letson, program consultant for the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, gave the following responses regarding problem gambling.

What is the difference between ordinary gambling and compulsive gambling?

The overwhelming majority of people who gamble don't have a problem with it. But pathological gambling, often called compulsive gambling, is a mental health disorder. It's classified as one by the American Psychiatric Association.

Compulsive gambling becomes all-consuming. It takes over people's lives. It can have a devastating effect.

What kinds of people are most susceptible to problem gambling?

It really does cut across all age categories, all economic, cultural and educational categories. But one of the more vulnerable groups of people are older adults who are dealing with the onset of retirement, with the loss of a loved one, with being lonely. While their gambling may start out as a social activity, they may find themselves doing things they've never done before.

For young kids, it's often a matter of peer pressure. They start with what they think is a friendly bet. It's a common part of their everyday language: "I'll bet you," "I dare you."

How many people in Florida are affected by compulsive gambling?

Our research shows that more than three-quarters of a million adults and more than 100,000 adolescents in the state are compulsive gamblers or at risk. Four percent of all youths ages 13 to 17 are compulsive gamblers, with another 8 percent at risk. For older adults (older than 55), it's 2.9 percent and 11.7 percent.

And those numbers don't include the thousands of other people adversely affected by gambling: family members, loved ones, friends, people they work with. Many of them will suffer the same symptoms compulsive gamblers have, the same depression, the same anxiety, the same sense of hopelessness, not to mention the economic impact.

Are compulsive gamblers more likely to have problems with other forms of addiction?

It's not uncommon for them to have problems with alcohol or substance abuse. It isn't unusual to find people presenting in alcohol or drug-treatment programs whose primary problem is actually gambling. Or you may see someone who is trying to stop drinking or using drugs and turns to gambling. Either way, they may be substituting one addiction for another. It's also not uncommon for a person with these problems to have had a family member with drug, alcohol or gambling problems.

Does exposure to gambling venues or opportunities make compulsive gambling more likely?

Compulsive gamblers will always find something to bet on. They'll bet on the next car to drive by.

But we do see an effect from things like all the televised poker tournaments. Poker is now among our top three types of problem gambling, especially among adolescents. They're holding private card games, mini tournaments, and it's because they're seeing it on TV. Ads, promotions for gambling venues, we know from people in treatment programs that those things can have an effect on compulsive gamblers.

Technology has made many forms of gambling more accessible, with credit card and ATM use in casinos, simulcast events and Internet gambling. Has this had an impact on problem gambling?

It's very early in terms of prevalence studies to know for sure. But when an individual does not have to leave home to gamble, it's a problem. When they can do something no one else knows about, it's a problem.

Are You At Risk?

Compulsive gambling does not discriminate based upon age, gender, income, education or ethnicity and anyone can be at risk.

Do you:

Lose time from work or school or experience difficulties in other aspects of your life because of gambling?

Borrow money to pay gambling debts, place bets or solve financial problems?

Hide betting slips, lottery tickets or other signs of gambling from family members, friends or others?

Argue with family members or friends because of gambling?

Gamble as a way to escape personal or professional problems?

Experience difficulty sleeping because of gambling?

Continue to gamble to recover losses from previous bets?

Lie to family members, friends or colleagues about how much you gamble or the amount lost?

Become restless or irritable when trying to cut down, control or stop gambling?

Experience depression or have self-destructive thoughts because of gambling?

Is a loved one at risk?

Identifying a gambling problem can be very difficult, particularly in others, as there are no visual or physical symptoms displayed. Examining a person's behavior could provide some clues. Looking for the following signs could point to a gambling problem:

• Unaccounted blocks of time
• Mood swings
• Neglecting personal needs or responsibilities
• Claiming a sudden need for money or loans
• Borrowing money from family and friends
• Being secretive or lying about money or gambling
• Spending more time gambling than any other activity
• Boasting to others about winning, often minimizing or denying losses and exaggerating wins
• Missing work or school because of gambling
• Arguing with a spouse, partner, other family members or friends because of gambling
• Experiencing behavioral or personality changes when watching or listening to sports
• Having difficulty sleeping or eating
• Isolation

These questions are provided to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling.

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?

Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.