Gambling And Mental Health Statistics
- Researchers suggested that medical and mental health professionals pay attention to long-term risk of death in their patients with gambling disorder and promote effective interventions for mental.
- Problem gambling, anxiety and poverty: an examination of the relationship between poor mental health and gambling problems across socio-economic status Mark van der Maas Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada Correspondence mark.vandermaas@camh.ca.
The introduction of behavioral addictions is a relatively new concept in psychiatry. It was not until 2010 that the term behavioral addictions was added to the official classification of psychiatric diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.
Gambling can be found everywhere from physical casinos to a multitude of online websites and apps.It is easier than ever to gamble in the privacy of home or on the go with a smart phone. It’s easy to place bets with PayPal, credit cards, bitcoin, or money-transfer apps. All of this ease has led to an increase in gambling addiction across the world.
Gambling does not lead to a physical dependence like opioid drugs or alcohol, but it can destroy relationships, jobs, finances, and dreams.
Problem gambling can become a compulsive behavior and gambling can be emotionally addictive. Addictions to behaviors (as opposed to addictive substances) are known as “process addictions,” and, just like substance addictions, they require supportive treatment. Specialty rehab programs and support groups are available for people who struggle with gambling addiction. If you or someone you love struggles with gambling behavior, you are not alone. One look at the statistics behind gambling addiction reveal that this problem is prevalent… but treatment is available.
What is Gambling Addiction?
Gambling addiction begins once betting and gambling behavior causes distress, becomes habitual, leads to financial stress, disturbs everyday life functioning, or negatively impacts relationships. This condition (also known as compulsive gambling or pathological gambling) often leads people to experience an uncontrollable urge to engage in gambling despite the negative effects it might have in their lives.
Once gambling addiction has begun, the person who can’t stop betting may continue to chase the high of a big win, even if it involves continuous loss, lying, cheating, or even stealing to support the habit of gambling. In severe cases, it almost seems like the addicted person experiences a personality shift, but it is possible for a person to hide a gambling addiction and continue working and participating in everyday life, all while consequences build up behind the scenes.
Compulsive Gambling:
United States Gambling Addiction Statistics
The North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction Help reports that approximately 2.6% of the U.S. population has some type of gambling issue. That adds up to nearly 10 million people in the United States who struggle with a gambling habit. This issue adds up to approximately 6 billion dollars each year, which impacts the U.S. economy and citizens.1
Gambling costs American taxpayers. Public funding for problem gambling went up to $73 million in 2016, but despite those costs, gambling remains regulated by each state, and is not federally regulated. Ten states (and the District of Columbia) do not offer any publicly funded gambling assistance. These funding discrepancies mean that public treatment services can vary widely from state-to-state, and the level of care in publicly funded programs also varies greatly.2
The U.S. federal government has largely left gambling regulations up to each state, which means that gambling may be illegal where you live, or it may be advertised on every street corner, as it is in places like Las Vegas, Nevada. The result is a patchwork of awareness campaigns and treatment programs that vary widely in their responsiveness.
States that discourage or prohibit gambling tend to not offer awareness campaigns, and as a result, people who gamble through their phones or computers may be missing information about the dangers of gambling. Awareness of the problem is key to making changes for the better.2
Susanne’s Story
Gambling And Mental Health Statistics Florida
“There was only one remedy, according to my brain: change my seat and do it again and again until I became the big winner. I don’t have to tell you that I left the casino frustrated and with zero dollars in my pocket. In chasing [the] money I had lost, I went to the ATM, took another $200 from my bank account and lost that as well, all while chasing that high of winning.
“The regret, shame, and guilt all came to me instantly on the way home. The next day, I was already contemplating going back. I started thinking that I should forget about that unlucky day — I thought, ‘Today, it will be all different.’”
Read Susanne’s blog about process addictions and more at www.HeroesInRecovery.com
How to End Gambling Addiction
Gambling doesn’t only devastate individuals; it is a family issue. Because this particular problem directly impacts family and personal finances, family members who have gambling problems often hide their issue and feel a great deal of shame and secrecy. In severe cases, the problem may go undetected until finances become a major issue. Gambling can destroy relationships, but it is possible to rebuild trust and rebuild finances. No gambling problem has to be permanent. Help is available.
Integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders offers specialty treatment for problem gamblers. A co-occurring disorder happens when someone suffers from more than one problem, such as gambling and anxiety, or gambling and depression.
When you seek treatment that aids both concerns at the same time, healing can be more thorough and results will last longer.
Gambling addiction is often progressive in nature, so it is important to seek treatment as quickly as possible. Don’t let shame, embarrassment, or secrecy keep you from joining hundreds of thousands of people who are now living a better life. The only thing you need to get better is a willingness to accept help from others. It’s far better to invest in your long-term happiness and recovery than it is to continue down the financial path of gambling.
Contact Skywood Recovery today to learn more about your options for a better life. We are here to help and our confidential helpline, 269-280-4673 can offer solutions for a better life.
Sources
1 North American Foundation for Gambling Addiction. Statistics of Gambling Addiction. 2017.
2 Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. 2016 Survey of Problem Gambling Services in the United States. 2016.
Gambling addiction has featured prominently in the news recently. While it’s not usually considered a public health issue, but in the wake of the tragic events in Las Vegas, many experts have asked what role gambling addiction might have played in the tragedy.
In a 2013 court testimony, Stephen Paddock – the Vegas shooter, described himself as nocturnal, and exhibited an inflated sense of self-worth, referring to himself as the ‘biggest video poker player in the world.’ Whether or not Stephen Paddock had a problem with gambling is not up for debate, but the role his addiction played in the events that transpired on October 1st is worth investigating.
According to psychologist Dr. Phil Kronk, “individuals addicted to gambling often have a co-existing personality disorder.” Studies have also shown a link between post-traumatic stress disorder and gambling addiction. PTSD symptoms affect anywhere from 12.5 to 29 percent of problem gamblers. A further shocking link between gambling and mental health shows 5% of all suicides in the USA are related to compulsive gambling, as are 17% of emergency room admissions for attempted suicides.
Gambling addiction often disproportionately affects already at-risk groups, including those suffering from feelings of depression and anxiety, and those already engaging in risky behaviours, such as alcohol abuse or drug use. In fact, studies have shown there is a clear connection between men and women who suffer from alcohol abuse and the likelihood of developing a compulsive gambling disorder.
Casinos, slot machines and gambling advertisements are all designed to take advantage of the psychological conditioning which is a huge part of gambling addiction. The process of repetition and reward brought about by our actions releases dopamine in the brain, the same thing that keeps users addicted to hard drugs like cocaine. Even a “near-miss” on a slot machine triggers the same areas in your brain as if you had won, helping keep players hooked. It’s predicted that 1 in 8 people who gamble will develop an addiction.
Put simply, gambling is a drug-free addiction. Even though there is no external chemical at work on the brain, the same neurological and physiological reactions are occurring. When interviewed, gambling addicts liken the experience to high produced by drugs. Like drug addicts, people suffering with gambling addiction develop a tolerance, when they can’t gamble or try to stop, they also exhibit the same signs of withdrawal; headaches, insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, heart palpitations.
At a recent conference in China, Professor Bo J. Bernhard, executive director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute highlighted the dangers of ‘convenience gambling’ in bars and retail shopping districts, in comparison to heavily tourist-focused resorts like those found in Las Vegas. “Take Japan and its Pachinko parlors for example. Lots of machines, but no tourism and no job creation.” Bernhard said.
A recent survey by the Japanese government backs up the claim, it’s findings reported around 3.2 million Japanese have likely suffered from gambling addiction, and pachinko accounted for the most money spent on gambling, at an average of 58,000 yen per month.
Worldwide, the statistics are alarming. It’s estimated there are around 400,000 problem gamblers in the United Kingdom. Approximately 3 to 4 million American’s have a gambling problem.
Australia has seen the effects of convenience gambling on communities as well, a 2016 Government study illustrated the cost of pokie machines on families within the country’s poorer suburbs.
The problem is also affecting younger people in larger numbers, a 2010 US survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center indicated that the that the monthly use of mobile gambling sites among male college students had increased to 16%. A 2008 survey by the University of Buffalo’s Research Institute found that as many as 750,000 young people, between the ages of 14 and 21 had a gambling addiction in the US alone.
According to some experts, part of the problem lies in the ease of access that the internet has brought about. In the United Kingdom, the National Problem Gambling Clinic (NPGC) said 63% of its patients struggled with mobile gambling in 2016-17, compared to just 24% in 2013. Now, someone suffering from a gambling addiction can access a casino online from their computer or mobile device. Making it even easier for those trying to recover, to relapse.
Online gambling can be particularly difficult to monitor and has begun to infiltrate other forms of online-gaming. Take for example, e-sports betting – that’s placing bets on professionals playing computer games in front of live audiences. Or even ‘skins’ betting, roulette-style games on third-party sites that allow users to bet on the real-world value of in-game bonuses such as ‘skins’ for weapons and avatars. While this sort of gambling might initially seem innocent, the fact of the matter is it still activates the same dopamine receptors within the brain that are responsible for addictive behavior.
So far it seems education is the best way to tackle the scourge of gambling addiction, recent research from the University of Waterloo showed that rookie gamblers who were shown a short video about the ways slot machines disguise losses as wins had a better chance of avoiding developing an addictive behavior.
Gambling And Mental Health Statistics Articles
Approaching problem gambling as a health issue must also include the cooperation of medical professionals. General practitioners will routinely ask patients about smoking, drinking, even drug-use to make a diagnosis, yet gambling is not something that is often discussed. Changing the perception of gambling addiction as a health issue, the same as any other addiction, could go a long way towards minimizing the harm that it can cause.