General

Is Gambling Addictive?

July 5, 2011 Leave a Comment

While experts have been able to identify a number of addictive substances and behaviors such as alcohol, opiates, methamphetamine, sexual activity and cocaine, many people still question whether compulsive gambling is an addiction. This is surprising, considering that the term ”compulsive gambling” implies an inability to stop. This is the very definition of ”addiction,” according to self-help organizations.

Some compulsive gamblers can go weeks or even months without gambling, only to find themselves bingeing on the activity. The invention of online casinos and gambling has broadened the opportunities to wager money and compulsive gamblers no longer have to make their way to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to indulge. However, knowing that gambling can be addictive is half the battle; all that remains is to recognize the symptoms.

Those who choose to gamble should evaluate their own behavior and determine whether they are able to gamble responsibly. For instance, many gambling addicts have said that losing money only encouraged them to keep gambling in an effort to win their lost funds back. Responsible gamblers should have a set amount they are willing to lose and stick with that number, regardless of the circumstances. One tip is to only carry that set amount on you in cash, and to not bring any credit or debit cards with you to the casino.

Recovering from any addiction is a difficult life-long journey, and gambling addiction is no exception. There are, however, several organizations that can help if you recognize yourself as a compulsive gambler.

Filed Under: Gambling Etiquette, General, Tips and Advice Tagged With: Gambling, Las Vegas Nevada, Problem gambling

Card Counting in Casinos

June 30, 2011 Leave a Comment

Image via Wikipedia

When it comes to gambling in casinos, the odds favor the house. Because of this, many casinos make millions or even billions every year. One of the few ways you have a real chance at winning is with games that employ strategies, which include poker and blackjack.

Card Counting

There are card counting systems that players can use when playing blackjack, which increases the chances of winning. Because these systems are considered strategies, they are completely legal to use, and yet card counters have to be really careful to hide what they’re doing. Why? Because despite the fact that they’re legal, casinos don’t like the idea that players might actually have the advantage and might win more than they lose. It doesn’t seem to matter that despite these players winning money, casinos still have a huge profit margin.

Preventing Card Counting

There are many ways in which casinos “discourage” card counting. These can be very mild — distracting the player so he loses count, shuffling the deck more often, or shuffling when a player increases her wager — to more extreme measures, which can include kicking a card counter out of the casino. Casinos employ many different systems for finding card counters. They have facial recognition software that is used to compare to a database of known card counters. There are also computer scanners, such as MindPlay, that can ferret out people who are counting cards. In Nevada, all countermeasures are completely legal while in New Jersey, limits are placed on what casinos can do to prevent card counting.

Basically when it comes down to it, casinos don’t like losing.

Filed Under: Casinos, Gambling Etiquette, General Tagged With: Blackjack, Card counting, New Jersey

Are You Addicted to Gambling?

June 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

Just like other forms of addiction, gambling can become a compulsion that is difficult to ignore or stop. It can have a negative effect on your life just as drugs and alcohol can. Here are some signs that you may be addicted to gambling:

Can’t Stop

Compulsive gambling is illustrated by those who cannot stop gambling even when they know it’s hurting themselves and their families. Pathological gamblers only think about gambling and it’s all they want to do. They don’t want to do anything else. It doesn’t matter if they’re winning or losing, they want to keep gambling. If they’re up, then they’re happy and they want to win more. If they’re down, then they’re depressed and want to keep going until they at least break even.

Secretive

Another sign that you may have a problem with gambling is if you keep it a secret. If you’re gambling and yet telling your spouse that you’re doing something else, you have a problem. You should be able to be honest about what you’re doing. If you can’t, then you’re doing it too much.

No Money

If you continue to gamble when you have no money, that’s a problem. Most people are able to set a limit for themselves on how much money they’re willing to lose before they begin gambling. That amount is affordable and if it’s loss, won’t cause problems for them. When they reach that amount, they stop gambling. Compulsive gamblers, however, will continue to gamble whether they have money or not — charging more to their credit cards if needed.

If you think you have a gambling problem, get help.

Filed Under: Gambling Etiquette, General Tagged With: Gambling, Mental health, Problem gambling