Gambling in Casino

Analyzing Gambling Addiction

There's no doubt that gambling has always been a part of human civilization. Whether legally or illegally, gambling exists in every country and every culture. Gambling is as old as civilization itself.

For many years, people have debated the morality of gambling. Some say that it is an evil that must be shunned. Others say that it contributes many benefits to the economy and can be tolerated.

In past years, cases of gambling addiction have been growing in number, mainly due to the existence of legalized casinos. The introduction of online casino gambling has further contributed to the increasing levels of compulsive gambling. Just what is compulsive gambling and why does a person get addicted to gambling?

Some people think that a person becomes addicted to gambling simply because of money. If that is the case then everyone will become a gambling addict! Those who are hooked to gambling are not necessarily addicted to winning money, they are addicted to the "rush" or the kind of feeling that comes from gambling. Money is only the secondary objective. Win or lose, what's more important for the addicted gambler is the thrill and feel of gambling.

The brain is where everything starts. Hormones are released by the brain and these create endorphins which give you that mental and emotional "high" and makes you feel good. Addiction-prone people have a shortage of these hormones in their brains. So when they gamble, the feeling that accompanies the activity simulates the release of endorphins, and this creates a false sense of well-being.

Such feeling created by gambling addiction are temporary, so when the feeling subsides, you will be left in a worse situation than before. The only way to feel better again is to gamble again, and you will be placed in an endless cycle of addiction, as you gamble over and over again in order to feel good.

Gambling addiction is just like alcoholism or drug addiction because these addicts are in a constant state of denial and refuse to acknowledge their problem. However, gambling addiction is much more difficult to identify. In most cases, it might be too late when the gambler finally acknowledges that he has a problem.

How will you know that you are addicted to gambling? If you are itching to gamble and find it difficult to control your urge to gamble, maybe you are addicted to gambling. You may be addicted to gambling if you are spending an unreasonable amount of time and money in your gambling activities.

The key to preventing gambling addiction is to place reasonable limits to your time and expenses. If you have set limits to your gambling, you will find it much easier to quit playing before you find yourself hopelessly hooked to gambling.

Gambling addiction is no joke and is a serious matter that you should think about before placing any bet. Avoid becoming addicted to gambling and losing control of your life by being responsible in your gambling activities.