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The development of the online gambling industry has brought many undeniable benefits. Gambling has become more interesting, accessible and presented in great variety. No longer do you need to go to the casino to bet in poker, no longer do you need to go to a bookmaker’s office to put money on the nearest sporting event. Everything can be done from the comfort of your home. The availability of gambling in Canada is unprecedented. A recent study found that 6 out of 10 Canadians place bets.
The ease of access to gambling can be called an advantage, but it is also the main problem of the industry. Gambling addiction has become more common. Today, there are about 300,000 people in Canada addicted to gambling. Initially it may not seem like such a serious problem, but, in fact, the consequences can be dangerous. Experts compare gambling addiction to alcoholism because these addictions have more in common than you might think.
The experts at Onlinecasinospot.ca always say that playing at an online casino or bookmaker’s office should be responsible. On this page, we’ll break down how a player becomes an addict, what things can lead to and how to keep yourself safe from it.
What is a gambling addiction and what does it involve?
Gambling addiction—an uncontrollable desire to make bets. You start up a slot machine, sit down at a virtual poker table, play craps or lotteries and feel an overwhelming desire to continue. Losing a lot of money, the gambler tries to bet again and again, hoping to win back. This behaviour only leads to the fact that the online casino player leaves all his funds.
Experts have only recently begun to call this deviation an addiction. Until 1980, it was believed that the desire to bet was a mental disorder, which a little later began to be called gambling addiction. Beginning in 2013, uncontrolled betting began to be called an addiction. Importantly, experts compared the problem to the use of various psychotropic drugs, which suggests a serious impact on the psyche and physical health.
“Gambling addiction is nothing but a mental disorder, when a gambler cannot give up betting on his own. We can compare this problem to smoking. Many people have tried to quit this habit, but sooner or later they come back to it. I recommend taking gambling addiction seriously, because it ends very badly for the gambler”, Rose Davis.
In most cases, gambling addiction appears in those who are prone to it initially. Some people are contraindicated to make bets. Addiction can also manifest itself at the entrance of gambling. The person feels high from what he does in the casino, he has excitement during the games, there is insomnia due to constant thoughts of betting. As a result, the gambler can no longer stop, he tries to continue playing, whatever it may cost him.
Experts have already analysed the problem of gambling addiction in detail. This allowed determining that the main cause of the problem is the substances in our brain. The physiological state of the person directly affects the way he behaves during the betting. The desire to continue gambling is influenced by substances such as:
- Elevated levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a substance in our brain that causes euphoria from winning and the anticipation of a possible reward. When you place a bet and win, you feel an incredible sense of joy. This suggests that a special part of the brain has produced a portion of dopamine, which has caused that very buzz from winning. Some people have elevated levels of dopamine and are prone to gambling addiction. Euphoria not only brings joy, this feeling can also cause indifference to losses. For example, you made a deposit of 20 Canadian dollars, and after a while the balance increased to 100 dollars. You can take your money and walk away, dopamine leads you to want more rewards. Losing $20 does not seem scary, although you are already losing a lot more.
- The effects of endorphin. Like dopamine, this substance causes feelings of highs and euphoria from winning. Endorphin is most often produced during physical activity and is present in increased quantities in professional athletes. Studies have shown that gambling victories also significantly increase endorphin levels in the brain. At the moment of joy from winning, a player forgets about the risks, finds excuses for himself, and does not assess the real consequences of his frequent bets. Some gamblers become addicted to endorphin and bet more to feel the high.
Dopamine and endorphin in the brain can be considered the root of the problem. When betting at an online casino or bookmaker’s office, the gambler forgets about possible losses, does not notice losses. He bets more and more, trying to get big winnings and change his life. As soon as the betting stops, the players feel discomfort, a kind of withdrawal occurs. The addicted person is constantly thinking about betting, looking for an opportunity to play. Someone spends all their money, someone gets into debt. But as soon as dopamine and endorphin are produced in the brain again, all the problems become insignificant, regardless of the possible consequences.
How to gamble and not become addicted?
Betting in gambling may seem harmless to many. Moreover, gamblers often see these activities as a source of passive income. Yes, you can indeed win some money, there is even a chance of winning a large jackpot. Nevertheless, to say that gambling is safe and harmless is impossible. Gamblers from Canada who have already dealt with addiction and are getting professional help will never say that it is okay to approach gambling recklessly.
On the contrary, this kind of entertainment should be treated with extreme caution and be aware of the risks beforehand. You can check whether you are a gambler by playing free casino games no download no registration. You do not have to register, make a deposit or get upset about the money losses if you lose. Such a casino suggests a harmless way to distract yourself and just have fun.
“By running free slot machines, the player does not risk his money. Only virtual money is spent with each bet,” states Rose Davis, casino expert web portal onlinecasinospot.ca.
This is not a bad way out in a difficult situation or addiction. This is not to say that betting on the internet or land-based casinos is not allowed. It is an interesting pastime that can really bring winnings. Nevertheless, you should play responsibly, always keep in mind the risks and possible consequences. Onlinecasinospot.ca experts have prepared some simple recommendations that will help you avoid gambling addiction.
6. Change your attitude towards gambling
Don’t treat gambling as your job. Gambling is entertainment and you should treat it accordingly. Think that you deposited 100 Canadian dollars just to have fun. With this attitude, it is impossible to lose, because you are prepared for all that money to be spent on entertainment. You will get the service in any case, and as an addition, you can increase your capital.
If the gambler treats the online casino as his place of work, he will lose more. In this case, the player is psychologically determined to win. Nevertheless, losing is inevitable and will happen often. You cannot only win money, most bets turn out to be unsuccessful. That is why you should not treat gambling entertainment as a job.
5. Set loss limits
Before betting, you need to decide on the limits. Firstly, you should determine the amount that you are willing to lose. This should be an amount, the loss of which will not affect your financial situation in any way. It will be different for each gambler, someone may lose only 100 Canadian dollars in a week, and someone several thousand and not feel any problems.
It is important not only to decide on the limit, but also to stick to the set limit. If you stick to this rule, you can forget about gambling addiction. The problem will not arise if you control your actions and the state of your balance.
4. Don’t try to win back
The main indicator that you already have a gambling addiction is trying to win back money. You bet 100 Canadian dollars and won 400, but after a few bets you lost everything. Don’t immediately try to deposit more money to get what you lost back on your balance. Yes, you may think that during the next bet will be a big win, but it is not so. You must always remember that in gambling, the result is random. You can not affect the winning, so the next bet may bring even more financial losses. After losing your limit, leave gambling aside for a while.
3. Keep an eye on the time
An addicted gambler can spend a lot of time in an online casino. You should always monitor how long you are playing and whether it is time for you to take a break. During the game, time flies quickly, you can start in the morning and finish in the evening. For example, if you’re sitting down at the virtual poker table, you must realize that you will spend several hours. Firstly, you should have free time for this entertainment, and you need to determine how many such games you can play today. Don’t spend too much time at the online casino, it leads to gambling addiction.
2. Record your gambling experience in a spreadsheet
Create a spreadsheet, use a notepad on your phone, or draw a table on a piece of paper. In the table you need to record the following information: the size of the deposit, the name of the games, the size of bets, winnings, and losses. So you control your gameplay, you can analyse which games bring more, and which cause big losses. If you have a tendency to addiction, in the table, the number of bets and lost money will increase.
1. Don’t chase big winnings
There are gamblers who are trying to win the progressive jackpot. The prospects seem very good, because one victory can completely change your life. However, in the pursuit of a big win, you don’t notice the small losses. As a result, the gambler loses everything, but does not get his jackpot. Remember, the jackpot is always given out randomly. Don’t get your hopes up that no one has won the top prize in this or that slot for a long time, which means that your chances are higher. The odds are always the same, you will get your winnings when you don’t expect it.
What to do if you are a victim of gambling addiction?
You can talk for a long time about how to prevent this problem, but there are addicted people and there are a lot of them. The main reason why this problem is so massive is that the gambler begins to learn information about addiction only when the problem has already arisen. Don’t give up, gambling addiction problems can be solved. We have prepared a few recommendations for you, they will help get out of the situation.
7. Recognize the seriousness of your problem
Before you start to get out of the addiction, you need to be aware of its presence. This applies not only to gambling addiction, but also to alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking, etc. You have to understand that there is a problem, and it needs to be addressed. On a subconscious level you are preparing yourself for what will not be easy, but on a psychological level you are preparing yourself to get out of the addiction.
If a person doesn’t admit that there is an addiction, but at the same time his relatives start to solve the problem, the effectiveness of treatment is rather low. The gambler is under the influence of endorphin and dopamine, he perceives the problem differently than those around him. During addiction, it seems that there is no problem or its severity is insignificant. That’s why you should start by recognizing that you have a gambling addiction.
6. Find people with a similar problem and try to solve it together
You need a support group, it’s hard to deal with an addiction on your own. Relatives, acquaintances, or friends are not suitable as support. Any judgement from outside can only make the situation more difficult. People who have not experienced gambling addiction cannot understand how serious it is. From the outside, it seems like it’s easy enough to stop betting. They blame the gambler for not being able to take that simple, in their opinion, step. Therefore, it is important to find those who understand the problem from the inside.
Canadian gamblers can find their support group in the organization Gamblers Anonymous. This is an organization that has developed a gambling addiction treatment program. The program consists of 12 simple steps and shows quite high efficiency.
5. Don’t Tempt Yourself
To cope with the problem, you must initially protect yourself from everything that is associated with betting. For example, if you have a casino on your way home from work, it is better to change your route. You also need to change the display of advertisements in your devices that will constantly talk about betting. If you are addicted to sports betting, you should not watch the matches for a while. Keep yourself away from anything that associates you with gambling, this way it will be much easier to deal with the problem. Any external irritant can cause a relapse.
4. Find a substitute for gambling
Previously you spent a lot of time on gambling, when they are put aside, the freed time should be occupied with something. This can be sports, reading books, watching movies, studying, walking in the park, going to the theatre, relaxing with friends, etc. Do things that give you pleasure but do not involve gambling. If you just put gaming aside and stay at home on your couch, you will definitely open a gambling site. Boredom is your main enemy in this case, try to control yourself and your leisure time.
3. Always think about the consequences
Before you make another bet, you need to think about the possible consequences. Let these thoughts cause fear and shame, but do not forget what everything can lead to. For example, you must remember that if you lose money again today in the online casino, you will not be able to buy a child’s gift or groceries for dinner. Simulate the situation that could happen if you continue to gamble. By being aware of the consequences, you will be more responsible in your decision-making.
2. Talk to professionals
Often the gambler himself can not cope with the problem. Here it is necessary to understand that professional help is not a shame. Sometimes only professionals can help you with the problem you have. Don’t think that you are the only one facing this problem. As we said earlier, there are over 300,000 gamblers in Canada who suffer from gambling addiction. Turn to professionals to get expert help.
1. Watch your surroundings
You can’t beat gambling addiction if you have people around you who are also into betting. Even if friends or acquaintances do not have this problem, it does not mean that they will favourably influence you. The constant temptation to bet can lead you to even more problems. Moreover, this is the kind of environment you can borrow money from for betting; no one here worries about addiction and financial problems.
Conclusion
Gambling addiction is an irresistible urge to bet and a serious problem in the gaming community. Irresponsible gambling always leads to gambling addiction. Do not underestimate the consequences this problem will bring. If you are betting, you need to watch yourself, set limits, and stick to the rules of responsible gambling. By becoming addicted, a player loses everything, from his financial capabilities to his social connections in society.
Above, we have given some recommendations that will help you prevent gambling addiction and avoid possible consequences. We recommend reading these recommendations before you start using online casinos. If you already have problems with gambling addiction, know that there is a way out of any situation.