Krasnay 1

Dylan Krasnay
English IV
Mrs. DeBock
April 14, 2016

The Effects of Gambling Addiction

Gambling addiction is a problem that affects a vast amount of people in the world today.
Most people who are addicted to gambling have no idea of the seriousness of their addiction, and
how it is affecting the people around them as well. Gambling can be very detrimental to a
persons life in a multitude of ways. Gambling addiction can lead to other activities that are
detrimental to a persons health. Gambling addiction has serious effects on a gambler
psychologically, socially, and economically.
Gambling is often thought as a recreational activity or habit for people to take part in, and
is mostly accepted in society today. Many people gamble because it gives them a feeling of
confidence in oneself and gives them thrill and excitement. Gambling addiction often happens
very slowly, without the affected person even realizing that they have a serious problem on their
hands. Evidence suggests that gamblers are unaware of their addiction. For example, A 2005
German study using such a card game suggests problem gamblerslike drug addictshave lost
sensitivity to their high: when winning, subjects had lower than typical electrical activity in a key
region of the brain's reward system (Faeber). Like in other addictions to drugs or alcohol, the
person starts developing a tolerance. An increasing amount of substance is necessary, and in this
case, the substance is gambling rather than a drug or alcohol (Nordqvist). From a psychological
aspect, gambling addiction has very negative effects on the affected person. The gambling addict
begins to experience a multitude of symptoms including anxiety, depression, and sometimes even

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suicidal thoughts or tendencies. Some gambling addicts who have lost everything because of
their gambling problem may even attempt to take their life (Compulsive Gambling Symptoms,
Causes, and Effects).
Losing everything to gambling has a very negative effect on a persons mind and can be
very dangerous to the addict themselves and the people around them. Those who are affected by
gambling addiction usually show the outward signs of depression. Lethargy, fatigue, change in
appetite, and general unhappiness are the most common signs associated with depression
(Compulsive Gambling Symptoms, Causes, and Effects). Treatment to fight gambling often
involves medication to fight the side effects, counseling, and other support such as addiction
programs. The problem with prescribing gambling addicts with medication is that overuse of the
prescribed medication can give the user a high, which then often leads to drug addiction
(Faerber). This can lead to be a very detrimental problem to a persons health because now the
gambling addict is now dependent on drugs which can lead him/her down an even darker path.
Scientific evidence has now shown that gambling addiction and drug addiction are very similar
in the way the affect a persons brain. Neuroscientists have discovered that drugs and gambling
affect the brain circuits in very similar ways. Tests have shown that the electrical activity and
blood flow in a persons brain is dangerously similar to someone who is on any type of drugs
(Faerber). Gambling does not only affect a persons brain.
Gambling addiction is also very detrimental to an addicts social life. One of the many
unintended consequences of gambling addiction is how much it can truly destroy a family.
Those who have a gambling addiction often try to hide it from their families because they feel
ashamed for their addiction. They often try to avoid their family members because of they do
not want to confront them about their problems, and this can often lead to a family crisis.

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Children who have a parent who is addicted to gambling often feel forgotten because their parent
or parents are often not around them. The children often become depressed or angry at their
parents because they have no other way of expressing their emotion. The child will most likely
have a distrust toward their parent who is addicted to gambling because they are afraid that their
addict parent will make a promise that they cannot keep (Gambling 101). Family violence is
more common when families are in crisis. Gambling problems can lead to physical or emotional
abuse of a partner, elder parent or child. The abuse can lead to more resentment between
members of the family and the addict, and can lead to the split of the family over the effects of
gambling addiction. Many of the psychological effects of gambling can be spread to members of
the family due to the stress it creates for other family members. Family members have trouble
coping with the fact that someone in their family has a gambling addiction, and often stop
worrying about themselves. They no longer look to have fun in their life and are constantly
stuck on the fact that their loved one is affected by a serious illness. They begin to show signs of
depression and anxiety that can eventually tear a family apart because of the pain it causes
(Gambling 101). Gambling addiction is a serious problem that does not only affect the addict,
but unintentionally harms the addicts family members and can even lead to destruction of a
family relationship. People who suffer from gambling addiction are said to distance themselves
from family and friends, who are alternately neglected and manipulated for bailouts. The addict
just uses their family to help them out of trouble when they are in debt as a result of their
addiction (Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review). Money loss is another way gambling
addiction can be detrimental to a person.
When people wage money while gambling, they are often putting hard earned money on
the line in hopes to win more money to support themselves or their family. However, they do not

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realize that they are putting themselves into a endless cycle of winning and losing that will
eventually lead to the gambler losing most if not all of their money. According to an article on
psychguides.com, Gambling is one of the most insidious of human vices, as it presents the
illusion of easy money yet can quickly lead to financial ruin. The odds are never in your favor
whether it is poker, blackjack or anything else; gambling is a successful industry because the
house always wins (Compulsive Gambling Symptoms, Causes and Effects). No matter what
happens, the gambler is always going to be on the losing side of things in the end. However, a
gambling addict will keep going back to try and win back the money they have already lost.
They believe that their system is still going to work, and truly cannot accept that the money they
lost is gone and will never come back to them (Gambling 101). This is what often causes the
destruction of a family because the addict feels that their family will no longer accept them
because they lost the family money.
Gambling addiction has serious effects on a gambler psychologically, socially, and
economically. Gambling addiction can slowly and quietly destroy a persons life if they become
consumed by the urge to gamble their money away. Gambling addiction is a serious problem in
American society today, and is only worsened by more incentives to gamble. Gambling
addiction destroys a person's psychological state of mind, their bond with their family, and any
sort of monetary base they had before their addiction.
Works Cited
Collins, Peter. Gambling and the Public Interest. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. Print.

"Compulsive Gambling Symptoms, Causes and Effects." Signs and Symptoms of a Gambling
Addiction Causes and Effects. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

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Faerber, Logan. "How the Brain Gets Addicted to Gambling." Scientific American. Web.
17 Mar. 2016.

"Gambling 101." The Effects of Gambling. Web. 16 Mar. 2016

Nordqvist, Christian. "Gambling Addiction: How Is Gambling Bad for You?"Medical News

Pathological Gambling: A Critical Review. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 1999. Web.