North Dakota Gambling Call 2-1-1 : FAQ : FAQ

FAQ

Here you'll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about problem gambling.

What is problem gambling?
It's a pattern of behavior that disrupts and damages personal, family and professional lives. It includes an increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more and to bet more often, "chasing losses," loss of control of one's gambling habits, and restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop. Extreme cases can result in financial ruin, loss of careers and families, and even suicide.

What are the characteristics of a problem gambler?

Unwillingness or inability to accept reality. Gambling offers escape into a dream world.
Emotional insecurity. The problem gambler feels secure and comfortable only while gambling.
Immaturity. Many problem gamblers feel that they can have all the good things in life without effort. Gambling lets them avoid the responsibilities of adult life and holds out the prospect of having everything they've dreamed of when they get that big win.

Isn't problem gambling just a financial problem?
Financial problems are a symptom, not the root of the problem, which is an uncontrollable obsession with gambling. Pay a problem gambler's debts and he or she is still a problem gambler. Problem gambling is an emotional problem with consequences for all aspects of life: financial, personal, professional, legal, physical.

Isn't problem gambling just a lack of responsibility or willpower?
No. Many people who develop gambling problems are considered strong and responsible by their friends and family. Problem gamblers often promise to give up gambling, and may manage to do so for awhile, but an obsessive compulsion to gamble cannot be overcome by willpower alone.

Can you be a problem gambler if you don't gamble every day?
Yes. What's important is not the interval between sessions, but the effect that gambling behavior has on the gambler's life and the lack of control over gambling habits. Between gambling sessions, the problems caused by gambling will still be evident in the gambler's life.

Can a person really be "addicted" to gambling?
To a problem gambler, gambling is like a drug or a drink. It alters the person's mood and the gambler repeats the behavior to keep achieving the mood-altering effect. But just like drugs and alcohol, gamblers develop a tolerance and find it takes a heightened gambling experience to satisfy the craving that grows in intensity and frequency.

Are problem gamblers usually addicted to other things as well?
People who have one addiction are at risk to develop another. Not all problem gamblers have other addictions, but some have problems with drugs and alcohol. The crisis management specialists at the 2-1-1 HELP-LINE can determine the best resources to assist each individual based on his or her needs.