ONLINE GAMBLING AND ADDICTION

     The accessibility of the Internet makes it extremely simple for anyone to start gambling as much and whenever the addict would like. Bets are also smaller so users are more attracted to start playing. Traveling to a real casino isn’t as easy and costs more money; therefore those with higher incomes are more likely to do so. Those with gambling addictions can be drawn to play online because of the huge range of gambling opportunities and ease of connecting quickly shortening the time to start playing.

      If a problem gambler spends two or three days gambling at a casino, someone will likely notice (for example, his friends, family, casino staff, etc.). In contrast, online gamblers can play at work, at home, or even on smart phones without anyone being aware that they are actually gambling.

     A very important part of gambling addiction treatment is having a strategy to avoid play. For traditional gambling, this generally means avoiding casinos, VLTs, bars, or other physical locations where gambling is made available. With online gambling avoiding this temptation is much more difficult. Every computer with internet access (whether it is at work, home, or somewhere else) becomes a virtual casino awaiting the next bet.

     With online gambling, access to one's bank account is always only a click away - which makes the likelihood of impulse betting and "chasing losses" much greater compared to locations where one must physically withdraw money from a bank machine (for example).

One of the most common "tricks" used by online casinos is to offer a "free-to-play" version of their games. Of course, the goal is to introduce new players to online gambling and make them feel comfortable placing real bets with real money after they have had some success with the free version. And how do internet gambling websites make sure that new players are successful? Simple, the odds are inflated to favor the player when he/she is gambling with play money. By doing so, the player incorrectly assumes that the success he / she had with the free version will translate into success when using real money. Of course, the odds change in favor of the house as soon as real money is involved.

     On the internet it is sometimes easy to forget that electronic money is still real money (just ask any eBay user about how easy it is to chase a bid well beyond what is a reasonable asking price). Players may be able to use credit cards to deposit money into an online account that they can access as funds inevitably run out.

     Internet gambling websites may use computer programs to represent what one may believe to be real human players. These "poker bots" may be programmed for both optimal play and / or to increase the amount that the human players are actually betting.

Online gamblers may unknowingly be the victims of deceptive opponent practices. For example, one common technique involves collusion between online poker players. That is, several players are actually in the same physical location and are sharing information to give them an advantage over other players.

     Whereas traditional casinos may be able to ban problem gamblers, there is little to prevent a compulsive gambler from accessing online gambling sites at will. Online gambling sites typically do have policies on restricting access (for example to underage players and to those who have voluntarily banned themselves), but their ability to actually enforce this is very debatable. Furthermore, a player banned from one site can simply sign up at another with just a few mouse clicks.

      Online gambling at home provides greater convenience and comfort than playing in a casino, allows bets to be placed without the scrutiny of others, offers a more immerse interface, and allows players to place bets after heavy consumption of drugs or alcohol - all factors which can increase both the duration of time spent gambling and the amount of money wagered.

     Online gambling websites are among the fastest growing and most profitable businesses in existence today.   The keys to the business success of the online gambling model are not difficult to see.

      Compared to traditional land-based casinos, online gambling websites are able to operate at a fraction of the cost, do not require tangible materials or equipment (machines, tables, security cameras, a physical building, etc.), and do not need the hundreds of staff that would normally be required for a traditional casino (e.g., dealers, servers, security guards, floor managers, cleaning staff, bartenders, restaurant staff, etc.).

      Just like in a traditional casino, when it comes to internet gambling, the odds are always in favor of the house (or in this case, the programmers who designed the software). Of course the player has a small chance of making money in short term, but losing is a mathematical certainty over the long term if play continues.

 SOURCE: http://www.techaddiction.ca/online-gambling-addiction.html

 SOURCE: http://www.addictionhelpcenter.com/gambling-and-the-internet/

 SOURCE: http://www.techaddiction.ca/online-gambling-casino.html

HOW THE BRAIN GETS ADDICTED TO GAMBLING

 

In the past, the psychiatric community generally regarded pathological gambling as more of a compulsion than an addiction—a behavior primarily motivated by the need to relieve anxiety rather than a craving for intense pleasure. In the 1980s, while updating the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the American Psychiatric Association (APA) officially classified pathological gambling as an impulse-control disorder—a fuzzy label for a group of somewhat related illnesses that, at the time, included kleptomania, pyromania and trichotillomania (hairpulling). In what has come to be regarded as a landmark decision, the association moved pathological gambling to the addictions chapter in the manual's latest edition, the DSM-5, published this past May. The decision, which followed 15 years of deliberation, reflects a new understanding of the biology underlying addiction and has already changed the way psychiatrists help people who cannot stop gambling.

The APA based its decision on numerous recent studies in psychology, neuroscience and genetics demonstrating that gambling and drug addiction are far more similar than previously realized. Research in the past two decades has dramatically improved neuroscientists' working model of how the brain changes as an addiction develops. In the middle of our cranium, a series of circuits known as the reward system links various scattered brain regions involved in memory, movement, pleasure and motivation. When we engage in an activity that keeps us alive or helps us pass on our genes, neurons in the reward system squirt out a chemical messenger called dopamine, giving us a little wave of satisfaction and encouraging us to make a habit of enjoying hearty meals and romps in the sack. When stimulated by amphetamine, cocaine or other addictive drugs, the reward system disperses up to 10 times more dopamine than usual.

Continuous use of such drugs robs them of their power to induce euphoria. Addictive substances keep the brain so awash in dopamine that it eventually adapts by producing less of the molecule and becoming less responsive to its effects. As a consequence, addicts build up a tolerance to a drug, needing larger and larger amounts to get high. In severe addiction, people also go through withdrawal—they feel physically ill, cannot sleep and shake uncontrollably—if their brain is deprived of a dopamine-stimulating substance for too long. At the same time, neural pathways connecting the reward circuit to the prefrontal cortex weaken. Resting just above and behind the eyes, the prefrontal cortex helps people tame impulses. In other words, the more an addict uses a drug, the harder it becomes to stop.

Research to date shows that pathological gamblers and drug addicts share many of the same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking. Just as substance addicts require increasingly strong hits to get high, compulsive gamblers pursue ever riskier ventures. Likewise, both drug addicts and problem gamblers endure symptoms of withdrawal when separated from the chemical or thrill they desire. And a few studies suggest that some people are especially vulnerable to both drug addiction and compulsive gambling because their reward circuitry is inherently underactive—which may partially explain why they seek big thrills in the first place.

Even more compelling, neuroscientists have learned that drugs and gambling alter many of the same brain circuits in similar ways. These insights come from studies of blood flow and electrical activity in people's brains as they complete various tasks on computers that either mimic casino games or test their impulse control. In some experiments, virtual cards selected from different decks earn or lose a player money; other tasks challenge someone to respond quickly to certain images that flash on a screen but not to react to others.

A new understanding of compulsive gambling has also helped scientists redefine addiction itself. Whereas experts used to think of addiction as dependency on a chemical, they now define it as repeatedly pursuing a rewarding experience despite serious repercussions. That experience could be the high of cocaine or heroin or the thrill of doubling one's money at the casino. “The past idea was that you need to ingest a drug that changes neurochemistry in the brain to get addicted, but we now know that just about anything we do alters the brain,” says Timothy Fong, a psychiatrist and addiction expert at the University of California, Los Angeles. “It makes sense that some highly rewarding behaviors, like gambling, can cause dramatic [physical] changes, too.”

SOURCE:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF5SzIN63w8

SOURCE:https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-brain-gets-addicted-to-gambling/

PROTECTIVE FACTORS

While risk factors make people more prone to experiencing substance use, problem gambling and mental health issues, protective factors serve to help buffer or shield people from the effects of negative things going on in their lives. As a result, protective factors can help prevent or lessen problem gambling, substance use or mental health issues.

Biological Protective Factors

Just as the genes people inherit from their parents can make them more susceptible to mental health, problem gambling and substance use issues, people’s genes can also make them less susceptible. Also, people may inherit adaptive personality traits that serve to help them “bounce back” faster after depressing events happen to them. Likewise, people also could inherit a tendency to deal more successfully with anxiety-provoking situations, thus helping to protect them from developing anxiety-related disorders.

Environmental Protective Factors

There are many beneficial things one can do to reduce the impact of negative life circumstances. As described below, protective factors can include actions taken to increase coping with life stressors, avoiding substance use and problem gambling, and seeking treatment for problematic mental health issues. Just as substance use, problem gambling and mental health problems can be risk factors for each other, avoiding substance use or problem gambling and maintaining good mental health can help prevent problems in these areas as well.

Coping Skills

One category of protective factors involves developing good ways of coping with stress and improving overall emotional well-being. In general, coping involves creating a supportive and nurturing environment for oneself, developing skills for interacting effectively with people, and maintaining a stable living and working situation. Good coping mechanisms include:

• Learning effective communication skills

• Learning problem-solving skills

• Developing a good support system

• Learning to take responsibility for one’s actions and well-being

• Maintaining employment and a meaningful day-to-day routine

• Participating in recovery/support groups (for substance use, problem

  gambling and mental health problems)

• Practicing relaxation skills and enjoying life

SOURCE: http://www.ct.gov/dmhas/lib/dmhas/pgs/Cooccuringworkbook.pdf

BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS

Just as genetic makeup (biology) and environment vary from person to person, the way they interact creates a unique combination of risk factors for individuals.  Although the genes people inherit are out of their control, it is possible for people to take control of the environment and how they deal with that environment.  Addressing risk factors can reduce chances of developing or worsening substance use, problem gambling and mental health issues.

Biological Risk Factors

People can inherit from their parents’ genes that make them more or less likely to develop substance use, problem gambling or mental health problems.  Although the likelihood of developing one of these problems if one or both parents have the problem is not 100%, people whose parents have substance use, problem gambling or mental health problems may be at greater risk for developing them themselves.  The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition (1994) provides information regarding the increased risk for developing the mental health, gambling and substance use problems that will be discussed in this manual.  As can be seen in the table below, there is an increased occurrence of these disorders for individuals who have a firstdegree biological relative (i.e., close relatives like parents and siblings) with the disorder as compared with people in the general population (i.e., who do not have first-degree biological relatives with the disorder). 

was attributable to genes that influence both disorders.  These genetic studies strongly suggest an overlap in the genetically transmitted vulnerability of both substance use and problem gambling disorders.  One example of a biological factor that might contribute to risk for developing a substance use or gambling problem is differences in brain chemistry that make certain people more vulnerable to the effects of gambling, drugs or alcohol.  

Other biologically influenced characteristics such as personality traits, gender, and ethnicity also may affect how susceptible people are to substances of abuse and gambling and how likely they are to become addicted to them.  For example, some personality traits such as antisocial personality and impulsivity are associated with increased risk for gambling, alcohol and drug problems.  Females tend to be affected more by alcohol and/or drugs because of their body size and composition.  In terms of ethnicity, many people of Asian descent tend to have negative reactions to alcohol and, therefore, tend not to drink it as much.  As a result, they have reduced risk for alcohol problems when compared to other ethnic groups.  

Although it is not possible to choose one’s parents and the genes inherited from them, it is important to remember that genes are not everything a person is.  People may inherit a predisposition to thinking, acting, and feeling certain ways, but it is possible that people can change the ways they behave and feel and think.  Additionally, people can exert a great deal  of control over the environments in which they live and work, and, as the next section discusses, the environment can play a large role in how likely people are to develop mental health, problem gambling and substance use issues.

Environmental Risk Factors

Most often environmental risks involve some kind of stressor for the individual.  Stress may include life stressors, the relationships people maintain, and their health.  Stress can influence how likely it is that people will develop problem gambling,  substance use and mental health issues.  Likewise, gambling, substance use and mental health problems can become risk factors for each other.  In other words, using substances can influence gambling and both substance use and gambling can influence mental health.  Likewise, mental health can influence how likely people are to gamble or use substances. 

Stress 

In a more general sense, stress can be the result of trying to deal with negative things in the environment.  When people cannot adapt to stress, they become more prone to developing, or making worse, substance use, gambling or mental health difficulties, particularly if they are also at risk biologically.  Types of stress include the following:

Life stressors:

• Work (loss of employment, problems at work, new job)

• Moving to a new place

• Money (being unable to pay bills or having more money than usual)

• Being a victim of abuse or other  crime

• Housing problems (losing one’s home)

• Legal problems Co-Occurring  Disorders

Relationships:

• Death of a loved one

• Divorce, separation, remarrying

• Parenting (difficulties raising/caring for one’s children or having  unresolved           parent/child issues)

• Frequent arguments among family members and spouse/significant other

• Having few or no friends (lack of social support)

• Having friends who use drugs or alcohol or gamble

• Grief

 Health and Mental Health:

• Illness, injuries, or accidents

• Not getting enough rest or eating well

• Caring for a sick relative or friend

• Not dealing with feelings

• Abusing substances

• Gambling excessively

• Experiencing mental health symptoms

An example of a risk factor leading to mental health difficulties is the death of a spouse causing someone to feel depressed.  It is completely normal to feel depressed from time to time, especially after the loss of a loved one.  However, as will be discussed in upcoming modules, mental health issues that become too severe or last longer than is normal can sometimes become mental health problems that may require treatment.  An example of a risk factor leading to substance abuse or gambling problems is drinking or gambling to avoid dealing with emotional problems such as feelings of depression or drinking or gambling to cope with work stress.   

SOURCE: http://www.ct.gov/dmhas/lib/dmhas/pgs/Cooccuringworkbook.pdf

GOODBYE GAMBLING 

 fragments from a book based on a true story

by Dejan Stankovic

     “There are many factors that influence the categorization of a given form of gambling.  According to generally accepted criteria, there are three types of gambling: recreational, problematic, and pathological, but there are no clear borders separating them which would make them more recognizable.  The borders are so unnoticeable and fluid that no gambler is aware of their existence.

      I’d describe it as a vacuum which is created around the borders and overflows from one sphere into another while maintaining the structure of the previous hopeless sphere.  Therefore, when you cross the border from recreational into problematic gambling, you won’t momentarily change your behavioral model.  Instead, you’ll find yourself behaving in the “old” way in a new sphere, under new circumstances.  This is why your reaction will be significantly late, and the consequences incomparably greater.  It’s important for you to know that it’s a one-way road from recreational to pathological gambling, and that a pathological gambler can NEVER, I repeat NEVER go back to gambling recreationally.  He’ll try, and the members of his family will often turn a blind eye to a series of rotten compromises, but time will always prove what I’m telling you to be true.  I must insist that every new relapse (i.e. new debts, crossing over to more difficult spheres) will be more painful in every sense of the word.”

   
    “Man is programmed to push all of life’s ugly events into oblivion, and remember only the pleasant ones, to which time gives greater significance, thus making them even more pleasant.  Behind us is a past that, regardless of our attempts to resuscitate it, remains dead.  Before us lies an uncertain future, and the moment between the past and the future is life.  Have I lived life, or has life lived through me?  I don’t know, but I do know that everything would’ve been different if only I hadn’t been there that night.  I can just imagine all the scenarios that were waiting for me, and the roles I would’ve played if only I hadn’t played the one, the only, role: that of the Gambler.  It’s all over, I no longer repent, I no longer pine for all those scenarios.

      I met Lady Luck in 1973 at a hotel not far from the Black Sea.  I noticed her immediately in her makeup and fine evening wear.  She noticed me, too.  There were a lot of people on the floor that night, but they were mostly her earlier acquaintances.  I, on the other hand, was visiting this place for the first time.  She flirted with me, and in the blink of an eye, she could transform from an untouchable woman into a naïve girl or a hoyden.  The quickness of her transformations made it impossible for me to penetrate her soul and foresee her real intentions.

Many years later, I discovered that she has no soul, no eyes, or heart, but by that time I was already her slave.  I’d surrendered to the course of events like a young man in the hands of a professional.  That night I drank a poison that kills in a special way, over the course of many years, by selectively destroying only man’s healthy potential, thus leaving him at its mercy.  In time, the poison spreads throughout the body, and when the scale tips in favor of our previously restrained darker sides, its full effect can be felt.  Moments of contrition and reflection are the most difficult.  Only then do we become aware of our weakness, and our futile search for an antidote.

HOW PROBLEM GAMBLING AFFECT THE  FAMILY 

When there’s a problem or compulsive gambler in the family, more than just the gambler is negatively affected. The entire family suffers as a result of the behavior and thinking of the gambling addict. Families may be affected in different ways. Gambling problems can be hidden for a long time; so many families are shocked when they learn how much money has been lost. Some relationships do not survive a gambling problem. Other families struggle through difficulties and grow stronger together. People can and do recover from problem gambling, but it takes time and patience to work through all the issues.

How each family is impacted depends on the severity of the gambling problem, how long it has gone on, the closeness of the relationship with the gambler and other factors. Serious financial, psychological, emotional, social and legal problems may completely undermine family functioning to the point of collapse.

Financial

The most common problem is the loss of money. Savings, property or belongings may suddenly be lost. This kind of money crisis makes the family feel scared, angry and betrayed.Out-of-control gambling and repeated gambling losses take a tremendous toll on the family finances. Well-meaning family members, usually the spouse of the gambler, often try to “help” the gambler by lending them money, bailing them out of financial difficulties, paying their bills, helping them to stash money to gamble, and other behaviors related to providing money to the gambler. This is classic enabling and does no good either for the gambler or his or her family. Ultimately, the financial losses become too great. The home may be forced into foreclosure. The family may have to declare bankruptcy. When bills can’t be paid because the gambler has squandered all the money on chasing the losses, more than just money is at stake. The provider can no longer provide, and everyone suffers.

Breakdown In Family Relationships

Trying to deal with the stress and tension brought on as a result of the gambler’s behavior jeopardizes the bond among family members. When the spouse, children, siblings and other family members can no longer trust the gambler, feel no sense of security, have no confidence in the gambler or even fear for their future, the result is a breakdown in the family relationships. Endless lies, staying out late or not coming home at all, threats, manipulation and violence or domestic abuse all contribute to the dissolution of family ties.Shame, avoidance of friends, secrecy and trying to hide the pain further magnify the isolation the family members feel as the gambler’s behavior gets more and more out of control.

Many families under stress have trouble coping. One member may try to keep things in control by taking on more tasks. This can lead to burnout. Family members often focus on the person with gambling problems, and forget to take care of themselves or to have fun.

Emotional Devastation

Gambling problems cause strong feelings.These feelings make it harder to solve problems. .Anxiety, guilt, shame, depression, insomnia, behavioral problems and emotional insecurity begin to afflict all the family members that are closest to or living in the same environment as the problem or compulsive gambler. The spouse or family members may hide their feelings and refrain from saying certain things, afraid that it may trigger an explosive outburst. Children often seek to distract the attention away from the gambler by being disruptive, comedic or inordinately charming, or they react in the opposite manner and become withdrawn, quiet, and fearful. Older children may assume the role of protector of the younger siblings, or attempt to pick up the responsibilities of one or both parents. They often try to overcompensate at school, believing that if they were only better in their scholastic achievement, maybe their gambling parent would love them more and quit gambling. The emotional roller coaster continues to wreak devastation on the children’s emotional development the longer the gambler keeps gambling and does not get treatment. But, again, everyone in the gambler’s family suffers emotional consequences.

Sexual Dysfunction

With no trust in the gambler, no belief in their word, the spouse of the gambler often withdraws from the relationship in the form of sex. What sex there is may become perfunctory at best. Harboring intense feelings of anger and blame, the non-gambling spouse cannot show feelings of love. As the cycle of gambling continues with even more damaging consequences, the gambler loses all desire for sexual intimacy – his or her life is now controlled by gambling. The result for the non-gambling spouse is often complete demoralization, loss of self-esteem and confidence.

Violence

Family violence is more common when families are in crisis.With tensions escalating at a dangerous pace, the arguments and emotional outbursts may end in violence. Gambling problems can lead to physical or emotional abuse of a partner, elder parent or child. Both parents may vent their anger at the children, while the children may try to stick up for one parent or defuse the tensions. They may also become pawns in the never-ending squabbling. The bigger the losses, the longer the out-of-control gambling goes on, the greater the potential for serious bodily harm to family members.

According to the systematic review, over half of people with gambling problems (56%) report perpetrating physical violence against their children (Dowling et al., in press). Moreover, several recent Australian studies have found that one-third to one-half (34-53%) of people with gambling problems and their family members report some form of family violence in the previous 12 months (victimisation (27-41%), perpetration (23-33%); Dowling, Jackson et al., 2014; Suomi et al., 2013). In these studies, parents, current partners and former partners were both the most common perpetrators and victims of the family violence. However, results from studies involving family members other than partners must be interpreted with caution. Only a few studies are available with large variability in reported prevalence estimates.

Gambling And Dependency

Some problem and compulsive gamblers have more than one dependency. It is commonly accepted that individuals with one type of addiction often have others as well. This may be an addiction to alcohol, illicit drugs, pharmaceutical drugs used for nonmedical purposes, or other type of substance. Just because someone gambles, however, doesn’t mean they’re automatically going to be addicted to something else, but the patterns of behavior are already established – particularly if one or more of the gambler’s parents had a problem with alcohol, drugs and/or gambling.

There are, of course, many gamblers who do not become otherwise addicted, saying that no other activity or substance gives them the kind of euphoria, excitement or “high” that gambling does.

SOURCE:https://aifs.gov.au/agrc/publications/impact-gambling-problems-families/what-are-impacts-gambling-problems-families

SOURCE:https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/behavioral-process-addictions/how-problem-gambling-affects-the-family/

SOURCE:https://www.problemgambling.ca/gambling-help/support-for-families/how-are-families-affected.aspx

 

Relationship between gambling and mental health disorders

When many of us think about problem gambling, we are often drawn to the one obvious negative consequence – financial struggle.  It’s time we start talking about the elephant in the room – the connection between mental health and problem gambling.  No one is really sure which came first, but there are strong connections between problem gambling and mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder, personality disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 

Anyone can develop a gambling problem – it does not depend on age, gender, income, education or ethnic background – and the transition from being a non-gambler to someone with a gambling problem can be swift. For people experiencing mental or physical health problems, stress, loneliness, anti solution, or loss and grief, the risk of problem gambling developing is greater. Problem gambling can be thought of as a behavioral addiction, sharing some features of other addictions such as alcoholism and drug addiction. Problem gambling is not easy to spot. Sometimes, by the time anyone realizes there is a problem, the person already has mental health problems and is close to financial ruin. Like other addictions, the longer problem gambling goes on, the harder it is to break free.

Some possible theories

 

While a well-developed theory to explain the nature of problem gambling is not available, the “self-medicating” hypothesis provides some physiological insight. This theory explains that human beings strive to maintain a balanced state of contentedness, free from anxiety, fear, or sadness. When there is a disturbance to the balance, through genetic or environmental factors, we attempt to regain the balance through whatever means available to us. At a neurochemical level, this balance is best known to be related to levels of the identifiable neurotransmitter dopamine. Common substances such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, etc., are known to increase the levels of dopamine, however transiently, thus restoring the sense of well-being. This explains why some individuals are more susceptible to being addicted to these substances. Recent studies have also found that gambling can increase the levels of dopamine, providing the link to a form of substanceless addiction.

Research has also linked a high level of impulsivity and compulsivity to a disturbance in the neurotransmitter serotonin. Correspondingly, many problem gamblers have difficulty controlling their impulsivity and compulsion, and recent research has shown that some of these gamblers indeed have a serotonin deficiency. The serotonin theory thus provides some insight into the nature of problem gambling as an impulsivity and compulsion problem.

Of course, a neurochemical and medicalized explanation of gambling problems is a gross oversimplification of the issue, and pathway 1 clients are unlikely to have many addiction, impulsivity or compulsion problems — their problem may be mostly environmental and circumstantial. Nevertheless, knowing the common neurochemical links does help us understand the relationship between problem gambling and other psychiatric disorders for pathway 2 and 3 clients. For example, a low level of serotonin is highly associated with major depression, attention deficits and anxiety disorders — perhaps those pathway 2 and 3 clients are more likely to have concurrent psychiatric disorders because of this shared neurochemical vulnerability.

It’s time we have the conversation about problem gambling and mental health to prevent any more negative consequences associated with either disorder. Some hope that the roll of the dice or the spin of the slot machines can help them have some fun in life and help them relax. In reality, over time it often makes the depression and anxiety worse.

In fact, one in five problem gamblers attempts suicide.  That number is two times higher for problem gambling than it is for any other addiction. The study also showed that gamblers who committed suicide were three times less likely to have consulted a health service in the year preceding their death. “Gamblers don’t consult professionals because they believe the problem will solve itself,” said Boyer. “They believe their financial or alcohol or drug problems are the result of gambling and therefore they seek a solution in gambling rather than get help.”

 

SOURCE:https://www.recoveryranch.com/articles/dual-diagnosis/gambling-addiction-often-co-occurs-with-other-disorder/

SOURCE:https://www.problemgambling.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/12944/problem-gambling-and-depression-beyond-blue.pdf