Gambling: issues, effects, and societal impact

¶ … Compulsive or pathological gambling [...] pathological gamblers and why they do not gamble for entertainment or retreatist purposes, but rather to try to chase their losses and beat the machine or the game they are playing. Pathological gamblers do not know how to stop gambling and in trying to chase their losses, they turn into problem or compulsive gamblers. Problem gambling is a huge problem in society today, and with the prevalence of casinos in so many more areas of the country, it just continues to grow. Some experts believe pathological or compulsive gambling is not a disease, however, most experts agree compulsive gambling is a life-threatening disease that not only affects the gambler, it affects all of those around him or her, from family and friends to employers, business associates, and creditors.

Compulsive gambling is a disease, and it affects far more than simply the gambler, as any loved one will tell you. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) defines "problem gambling" as behavior that:

Includes, but is not limited to, the condition known as 'Pathological,' or 'Compulsive' Gambling, a progressive addiction characterized by increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, 'chasing' losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting, serious, negative consequences (Editors).

The key to understanding pathological gambling is to understand that despite the "negative consequences" the gambler cannot stop their behavior. They can lose their home, their family, their job, their possessions, and everything they hold dear, yet they will continue gambling whenever they can. The losses mean nothing to them, because they are continually chasing that elusive win.

How do people become pathological gamblers? Most experts agree that pathological gambling usually begins with a significant gaming win. These experts note, "These windfalls self-gratify the player's perception of competence and power, whereas losses are perceived as circumstances of chance" (Barker and Britz 115). Thus, most pathological gamblers begin with social gambling, but graduate to more activity after they win a significant amount. The authors continue, "Graduation to the 'losing' phase is punctuated with periods of deceptive activity -- designed to elicit funds to replenish depleted accounts and provide capital to 'chase' monies lost (Barker and Britz 115). Most experts agree this "chasing" theory is also a key to the activity of most compulsive gamblers. Susan Fisher notes it in her essay "The Pull of the Fruit Machines," and the NCPG notes it on their Web site. Pathological gamblers lose so much money they are continually "chasing" their losses, and sadly, what they win is never enough to make up the difference, so they continue their behavior. The NCPG estimates there are about 3 million problem gamblers in America today, and as the number of gaming outlets continues to grow, it seems certain that number will rise. Once the compulsive bug bites a gambler, it is nearly impossible for them to stop. The American Psychiatric Association calls pathological gambling an "impulse control disorder," and note it can be treated by intensive therapy (Marriott 59). However, most gamblers do not seek out help for their addiction, at least until it is far out of control.

Not everyone who gambles is compulsive or pathological. Social gamblers enjoy the thrill of gaming, but they know when to stop. Social gamblers might lose but they will rationalize their losses and say, "hey, at least I had a good time." For pathological gamblers, this rationalization is impossible. For them, gambling is not an amusement, it is work, and they are trying desperately to win back what they have lost to make everything else "right." These "machine beaters" as Fisher calls them, play primarily alone, and enjoy the interaction with their machines, rather than other gamblers. They lack self-discipline, and they "invariably chase their losses in an attempt to beat the machine" (Fisher 463). These "machine beaters" care more about their interaction with the machine, and beating the machine, than they do about anything else, and this behavior can lead to pathological gambling. Fisher continues, "the inevitable losses suffered by the Machine Beaters leads to self deprecation and remorse. But this is rarely sufficient to halt their gambling" (Fisher 465). Thus, machine beaters represent a solid segment of the pathological gambling population, as they exhibit many of the characteristics common to problem gamblers. They bet more than they can afford, they cannot stop, and they adversely affect other relationships and responsibilities to gamble. As reporter Marriott notes about one problem gambler he encountered, the man, in a matter of fifteen months, bet more than a million dollars, and "All the while, Mr. S. said he could not manage his family's most basic expenses, such as regularly paying his household's electricity and telephone bills" (Marriott 61). Sadly, this is the case for most problem gamblers, and eventually they lose their families, their homes, their possessions, their jobs, and everything meaningful to them. Problem gambling can lead to homelessness, health problems, and even suicide when the gambler sees no other way out of their predicament.

Pathological gamblers do not know how to stop gambling and in trying to chase their losses, they turn into problem or compulsive gamblers. Clearly, the implications and consequences of problem gambling are numerous, and they affect more than the gambler, they affect people surrounding the gambler in many areas. The casinos and gaming establishments need to provide more information to these types of gamblers, and there need to be more avenues available for them to understand their disease and seek treatment. Few studies have been conducted on the treatment of compulsive gambling, but the most prevalent is psychotherapy. One expert in the treatment of the compulsion notes, "For many of those who seek help, several types of effective treatment are available; most are variants of psychotherapy" (Blaszczynski 38). Various types of psychotherapy are used, including aversion therapy, and they have had varying rates of success. The author continues, "like alcoholics and smokers, some compulsive gamblers can stop on their own, yet others seem uncontrollable despite the best of today's treatments. As our understanding of compulsive gambling increases, we may develop new treatments for people not now helped" (Blaszczynski 38).