For almost as long as there have been gambling events, there have been people who have tried to get rich by betting at them. Gambling has always been an exciting and fun way for people to pass the time. Gambling, however, is also something of worth in an unpredictable event with the goal of winning something more valuable than just money. Gambling, therefore requires three components for it to work: risk, consideration, and a prize to be won. While some may see gambling as a sure fire way to make money, the truth is that you need to consider a number of factors before you make a single bet or take out a single wager.
The first factor of risk is what gamblers call “losses”. These can vary greatly depending on your experience and knowledge of the game you are playing. A person with high knowledge of the game would most likely add to their losses while a person with very little knowledge would add to their gains. One way to overcome this is to increase the amount of your winnings and reduce your losses. Gamblers with higher risk should consider Gamblers Anonymous or some other support group for help.
The second factor that gamblers should consider is risk associated with gambling. This factor includes things like addiction and alcoholism. Both of these problems are very real and problematic, particularly for adolescents. Alcoholism can cause the body to create its own tolerance which allows the user to gamble without consequences. Addiction is also a problem that many times has been associated with heavy gamblers such as Patrons of the Vegas strip, Russian Mafia members, streetwalkers, etc.
A third factor that influences gambling behavior is poor decision making or bad habits. Gamblers who are addicted to alcohol may gamble uncontrollably, putting themselves and others in danger. This is why addiction is treated so differently from gambling behavior. One can have the behavior related to addiction and still be considered functional and normal. On the other hand, behaviors such as alcoholism and drug use disorders can’t be treated through merely dealing with gambling behavior.
The final factor that leads to gamblers becoming addicted is stress. Gamblers are always faced with stress and anxiety, which causes them to form addictions that deal with the immediate now and the future. The constant stress leads to poor decision making and inability to control over what the gambler considers as gaming. The more the gambler thinks about gambling the worse they feel. The more they think about gambling the worse they can get and the more they lose.
These four factors are just a few of the many factors that can lead to gambling addictions. If you think you might have a problem you should seek out professional help. Gambling addiction is treatable but you need to understand that it can not be cured with the same method that you could treat an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Gamblers do need help to overcome their addictions. You can try self help techniques to reduce your high risk or simply seeking therapy to deal with your personal issues. Do not let your life be completely ruined because of a problem with gambling addiction; there is a solution out there for you.