10 Gambling Addiction Facts You Probably Don’t Know

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The number one gambling addiction fact that you should know is that gambling is NOT just a financial problem. Some problem gamblers do not have financial issues even though they may lose money gambling. Gambling is an emotional issue where a person feels the need to gamble to alleviate stress or because they feel a certain type of euphoria when they gamble. Gambling is an obsession that can take over your life if you let it go too far, this can lead to the loss of relationships, jobs, and, yes, finances, but the issue behind compulsive gambling is not financial, it is emotional.

Nine more Gambling Addiction Facts

gambling addiction

Gambling addiction affects men much more often than women.

  1. Gambling is a BILLION dollar industry. In America, gambling has become a $40 billion dollar a year industry. Las Vegas alone brings in close to 10 billion dollars a year from people gambling at their casinos and placing bets.
  2. It is common for people to blame certain types of gambling methods, such as lotteries, casinos, and racetracks for causing compulsive gambling, but gambling problems are not caused from gambling being easily attainable, they are caused from a person’s inability to control their gambling habits. There are far more people who gamble on occasion than there are people who are compulsive gamblers.
  3. It has been estimated that around 80 percent of the US population has gambled in their lifetime. Gambling can be done in various different ways and therefore is easy for people to access.
  4. Pathological gamblers are significantly more likely to have mental health disorders and/or substance use disorders.
  5. A research study found that 75% of gamblers had an alcohol disorder, 38% had a drug use disorder, and 60% were nicotine dependent.
  6. 50% of gamblers have experienced a mood disorder, 41.3% had experienced an anxiety disorder, and 60.8% had experienced a personality disorder.
  7. Men are more likely to develop a gambling problem than women.
  8. It is estimated that three to four percent of the American population has a gambling problem; this is approximately between six to eight million people.
  9. The last gambling addiction fact to remember is that compulsive gambling does not mean that you are a weak person. Many people who have become problem gamblers are very successful and are seen by others as strong and intelligent people.

Get Help

If you have come to the conclusion that you have a problem with gambling there are options out there for you to consider. There are a plethora of gambling rehabilitation centers out there for you to choose from and there are numerous gambling hotlines that you can call in order to speak to an anonymous person regarding your gambling habits. Having support from outside sources and being able to talk to other people who understand your addiction have been proven to help people like you overcome their addictions.