The Slot Mania: The Alarming Rise of the Gambling Problem

The Number of legal Gambling money spent in 2017 was $500 billion(Bluth). There they go again putting money into risky games and bets. Gambling is playing games of chance with hopes to win money.The real question, is who really wins in Gambling and why do people participate in these games? Gambling can lead to long term debt and a dramatic effect on a person's life.

Gambling has been around for quite a while, but has anyone ever thought to ask what really drives people to feel the need to spend their money on risky games and bets. Through research, scientists and psychologists have come to the conclusion that people gamble for the lure of money, excitement and fun, or influence of peers (Chenes Des 21). The lure of money is a big one but a lot of money can be lost even if your making money at the same time. Excitement and fun can come with the fact that you are making money in the process.Otherwise what makes gambling a lot more fun for people could be competition against friends leading to influence of peers because who doesn't want to beat an old friend in a sweet game of poker(Lane 1).

Casino games and slots are meant to fool gamblers into believing they won but has anyone ever wondered if they really are the ones winning. According to an Article by Writer Robinson, Mike “ the house always has an advantage, a gambler wins infrequently at best. ” In fact the designers of these slots or casino games can stack the deck so that the odds of the gambler winning is less frequent than that of the house winning(Robinson). Casino games are set so that the house makes more money than what they give to gamblers(Lane 1). Gambling is a business that provides the main income for corporations, small businesses, charities, the government, and at times even criminals(9).

Gambling can be a lot of fun for gamblers but to much can have a negative impact on a person's life. Gambling can take a major toll on someone's life. For example, big money losses can lead to feeling depressed and even more tragic effects such as suicide(Newman). In other cases, players may come very close to winning, which in fact is called the near miss effect. The near miss effect makes a players drive to play even higher than winning itself(Robinson). The desire for playing more and more every time you gamble can lead to a gambling addiction.

With this in mind, a gambling addiction has come to be considered an Impulse Control Disorder. In an impulse control disorder almost winning or just wanting to make more money triggers parts of your brain to want to continue playing for hours and hours. Many slot games promote a state that attracts players and once they are in the game they are absorbed for up to hours (Newman). Gambling addiction is in fact so severe that it is compared to drug addicts in the aspect that they share the same need to do something for impulsivity and reward seeking(Jabr).

There are many symptoms to be able to identify if someone is addicted to gambling. For example, lying to your family and friends about what you are doing or where you are to prevent them from knowing your constantly gambling. Another symptom that should be noticed immediately, because it can result in really bad financial loss, is the need to gamble more after a loss to get your money back. The reason this is so severe is because say you lose and you want to play again to get it back, well if you keep losing you are just going to constantly keep losing money and that can lead to bigger losses. A similar symptom that can also result in financial problems is when a gambler feels the need to put more money on the line so they get the same intense thrill while playing. Once a gambler is putting in money constantly and they feel an urge it will be difficult to just put a stop to gambling for them. Keep in mind that with help from family and friends they can come to realize what they are doing wrong (MayoClinic).

The support of family and friends can be very effective to help a compulsive gambler stop overspending. To begin with, a gambler has to be taken to a psychologist and therapy so the severity of their situation can be identified. After this has been done a gambler can be recommended to take medication, go to therapy, or even a self-help group. A gambler should have family and friends support so they can constantly be encouraged to keep up with their treatment plan. The biggest factor in helping a gambler is not allowing them to place any bets at all because one small bet can lead to another and all the hard work will be useless (MayoClinic).

To contradict this claim, A gambler such as ones who consider themselves “professional gamblers” and have gone so far to make a living off of it, could oppose that gamblings is bad. Keep in mind there is a very small percentage of gamblers who actually fit into the professional gambler section. It is said that nationwide there is from 100,000 to 700,000 professional gamblers. Professional gamblers are said to see gambling more as an occupation than a fulfillment of an addiction. Most professional gamblers are located in Las Vegas and in areas where horse races are popular. Gambling became a legal occupation in 1987 through a Supreme Court Case. With this in mind, professional gamblers state that professional gambling takes specific skills such as money management and record keeping. They also claim to be able to stay away from overspending by keeping track of daily wages and only taking smart calculated risks (Bluth). In conclusion, gambling brings upon many unsolved questions such as who really wins but it can also dramatically affect a person's life. A gambler who suffers a gambling addiction can lead themselves into severe debt or in worst cases an end to their own life.