Compulsive Gambling.

Essay by jared_rx7College, UndergraduateA, August 2005

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Compulsive gambling is a very common problem among many people in today's society. It is defined as being unable to stop gambling at any point in time and. To the gambler, gambling has become an addiction - like an addiction to alcohol or drugs. They find it extremely hard to stop gambling and believe they can "beat the odds" - even when their entire world begins to fall apart. When people can't stop gambling, they loose all their money, their job, family and can even loose their life over it. Problem gamblers come from many backgrounds. They can be rich, poor, young, or old. Problem gambling can affect people from every different race, every religion and every education and income level. It can happen in small towns as well as large cities.

People often gamble because they believe winning will solve all their problems, or they want to escape from, boredom, stress and grief.

They also do it to get time to think, not worry or they are tired and emotionally drained. Often times, compulsive gamblers are in troubled relationships and feel helpless or are lonely. The thrilling high of gambling can provide an exciting high, almost like a drug, to help people escape.

Having so many choices can make it difficult for people with problems to stop gambling. Some of these choices may include slot machines, casino table games, sports betting, video - poker, blackjack, and keno, cards, bingo, scratch tickets, the lottery and raffles. These are just to name a few ways to gamble. It is no wonder the problem is growing more common each year.

Some problem gamblers are easy to spot. They talk about betting all the time or continually look for ways to get gambling money. They may go to the racetrack every day or...