 
Types of
Gamblers
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.
Get help at
The Center
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What Are Some Characteristics of
Problem Gamblers?
 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
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Gambling Statistics
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What is unique about the current gambling
situation is the speed at which it has gone from an undercurrent in American
society to high-profile, socially recognized activity. |
- The gambling industry has grown tenfold in
the U.S. since 1975
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- Thirty-seven states now have lotteries
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- 15 million people display some sign of
gambling addiction
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- Two-thirds of the adult population placed
some kind of bet last year
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- Gambling profits in casinos are more than
$30 billion while lotteries are about 17 billion annually
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- "Players" with household incomes
under $10,000 bet nearly three times as much on lotteries as those with
incomes over $50,000
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- In 1973 state lotteries had $2 billion in
sales. By 1997, the revenues reached $34 billion
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- Gambling among young people is on the
increase: 42 percent of 14-year-olds, 49 percent of 15-year-olds, 63
percent of 16-year-olds, 76 percent of 18-year-olds.
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- There are now approximately 260 casinos on
Indian reservations (in 31 states and with $6.7 billion in revenue)
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- Internet gambling has nearly doubled every
year since 1997 – in 2001 it exceed $2 billion
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- The Internet boasts 110 sport-related
gambling sites
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- According to the American Psychological
Association the Internet could be as addictive as alcohol, drugs, and
gambling
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- After casinos opened in Atlantic City, the
total number of crimes within a thirty-mile radius increased 100 percent
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- The average debt incurred by a male
pathological gambler in the U.S. is between $55,000 and $90,000 (it is
$15,000 for female gamblers)
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- The average rate of divorce for problem
gamblers is nearly double that of non-gamblers
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- The suicide rate for pathological gamblers
is twenty times higher than for non-gamblers (one in five attempts
suicide)
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Sixty-five percent of pathological
gamblers commit crimes to support their gambling habit
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Get help at
The Center
 "Turning the Tables on Gambling" Press Release
Gambling Addictions Continue To Rise
Multi-Billion Dollar Industry Targets Teens; Poor and Senior Citizens
Edmonds, Washington - From young teens to senior citizens, gambling is taking a toll on Americans - and it is not just about money. Gambling is no longer confined to places like Las Vegas or Atlantic City. It is everywhere-the Internet, state lotteries, race tracks, sporting events and slot machine in convenience stores.
The gambling industry has grown tenfold in the past twenty-five years. Internet gambling alone accounts for two billion in annual revenues and this figure doesn’t even account for the countless number of people addicted to day trading. With state run lotteries now operating in 37 states and the District of Columbia, Scores of People - mostly from low income households -are hooked. According to therapist Dr. Gregory Jantz, "one of the strongest voices in our society-government-is using its power to promote gambling as a way to increase revenue."
The author of "Turning the Tables on Gambling" (Shaw/Waterbrook), Jantz believes the so-called harmless purchase of lottery tickets can be a source of potential trouble. The revenue that is generated through the sale of lottery tickets does not add funds to the education budgets of most states. Instead, states simply divert funds to other parts of their budget. But Jantz is particularly concerned about the way the gambling industry is targeting young people. "We now live in a culture encouraging an activity that destroys a percentage of the lives it touches." says Jantz. "Young people experience problems, or at-risk gambling behaviors at twice the rate of adults."
Gambling has become a high profile and socially acceptable activity in the United States. As TV shows like;"Who Wants to be a Millionaire" vie for viewer time; the desire for excitement or to get rich quick can become overwhelming. Conservative estimates show more than 15 million people display some signs of gambling addiction. If current trends continue, this number will continue to rise -destroying marriages, forcing bankruptcies, and jeopardizing employment. Problem gamblers have higher rates of suicide, divorce and criminal activity than non gamblers. And for young people, the increase in lottery play is correlated with increased participation in the use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.
Dr. Jantz offers specific advice - and encouragement for those caught in the vicious cycle of gambling. He recommends an accountability group, avoidance of tempting environments, giving up control of one’s finances for a season, and recognizing gambling as tantamount to idolatry. Perhaps most important, Jantz uncovers the underlying reasons people in our culture get caught up in gambling-offering a way of escape for young and old alike.
Learn More About Book
Order Book
Turning the Tables on Gambling
|
 |
Watch Dr.
Jantz on "How to Beat the Odds" TV
Show regarding gambling. |
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Myth: People can predict if a coin is going to come up
heads or tails when it is 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.
Myth: 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.
Myth: 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.
Myth: 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.
Myth: 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.
Myth: 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.
 Is There
Such A Thing As A Safe Bet?
All gambling or betting has an element of risk
Lessen the chance you'll develop a gambling problem by:
- limiting the amount of money you bet
- limiting the amount of time you spend betting
- continuing with other social opportunities
- not spending your winnings on gambling
Get help at
The Center |
 Gamblers
Anonymous offers the following questions to
anyone who may have a gambling problem. These questions are provided
to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler
and wants to stop gambling.
Twenty Questions
- Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
- Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
- Did gambling affect your reputation?
- Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
- Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or
otherwise solve financial difficulties?
- Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
- After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible
and win back your losses?
- After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
- Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
- Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
- Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
- Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal
expenditures?
- Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or
your family?
- Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
- Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?
- Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal
act to finance gambling?
- Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
- Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within
you an urge to gamble?
- Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a
few hours of gambling?
- 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.
Get help at
The Center |
Questions on Problem Gambling
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 a 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
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