What are the consequences of problem gambling?
The negative consequences of an individual’s gambling habits affect themselves and those around them, including their spouse, children, parents, other family members, friends, employers, etc.
Studies show that each problem gambler negatively affects the lives of 6 other people. These negative impacts extend to all aspects of their lives including:
- severe debts and loss of property
- strained relationships with family, friends, and colleagues
- health problems for both the gambler and family – stress, anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation.
How do I know there is a gambling problem?
The following are signs of gambling addiction:
MONEY
- Betting with more money than planned
- Spending more time or money on gambling than you can afford
- Repeatedly trying to win back losses
- Gambling more to win back losses or to get out of financial trouble
- Borrowing money, selling things, committing (or have considered committing) offences to get money for gambling
- Gambling to the last dollar
- Using money that is needed for necessities to gamble
RELATIONSHIPS & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lying about problems resulting from gambling
- Lying to family and friends about how much money and time is spent on gambling.
- Missing work and family commitments to gamble
LOSS OF SELF-CONTROL
- Thinking and talking about gambling all the time
- Unsuccessfully trying to reduce the amount of money and time you gamble
- Having increased debts, unpaid bills or other financial trouble because of gambling
- Finding it difficult to control, stop or cut down gambling or feeling irritable when trying to do so
- Feeling a sense of emptiness or loss when not gambling
What you can do
Seek help: Recognise the signs of problem gambling early and seek help or encourage the gambler to seek counselling before the problem worsens.
Take measures to protect your family finances as follows:
- Close all joint bank accounts you hold with the gambler and create new accounts in your name only.
- Guard savings accounts and make them inaccessible to the gambler.
- Encourage the gambler to go for Counselling provided by NCPG.