Responsible Gambling

Awareness of Problem Gambling

It’s important to be able to spot the signs of gambling addiction in yourself and others. This will help prevent the problem getting out of hand and having a negative impact on you and your loved ones lives.

Some of the signs are:

• Being preoccupied with gambling, to the extent that you miss out on other life events
• Constantly planning how and where to play
• Needing to gamble with increasingly large amounts in order to feel the same thrill
• Feeling irritable when not gambling
• Gambling to relieve other feelings (e.g. guilt, anxiety, depression)
• Chasing losses when gambling
• Borrowing money from others to gamble further
• Lying to cover how often and how much you are gambling.

Casual gamblers can stop playing whenever they want and enjoy small stakes sessions. Gamblers developing a problem will find it increasingly difficult to stop playing. However, even problem gamblers can have periods of remission where they can ‘give up’ the habit, before falling back into it. Keep the signs of problem gambling in mind.

Risks of Problem Gambling

There are a number of major risks associated to problem gambling:

Risk to Relationships

Excessive gambling often takes a toll on personal relationships. Problem gamblers frequently lie to hide the amount that they are gambling, and avoid attending social events in order to gamble. It’s also common for them to ask to ‘borrow’ money to gamble with, which puts strain on the relationship.

Financial Problems

It goes without saying, but gambling with more than just your disposable income can have severe financial and legal implications. These include repossession of personal items as well as bankruptcy.

Risk to Wellbeing

Problem gambling (and the subsequent social and financial implications) often leads to a deteriorated state of wellbeing for the individual involved. Though this will vary from person-to-person, this deterioration may include depressive episodes and suicidal thoughts.

Responsible Gambling FAQs