When Gambling Becomes an Addiction

The three phases leading to gambling addiction are:

• First phase: The player begins by winning. In some cases, the wins are substantial. Of course, everyone loves to win, but for some, this event produces such a high that they’ll pay any price to repeat the sensation. This is the winning phase.
• Second phase: Then come the losses. Inevitably, the person who plays excessively will not always win, and the losses eventually overtake the wins. The excessive player is not a good loser. He or she will play more and more to try to recoup the amounts lost, believing that luck is just around the corner. The losses mount, trapping the player in a vicious circle. This is the losing phase.
• Third phase: In this phase, every aspect of the player’s life is progressively affected by the gambling addiction. Relationships with family members and close friends suffer. The player becomes exhausted, isolated and hopeless. This is the desperation phase. At this stage, the player is often in considerable distress and will ask for help.

Players can be divided into the three categories that represent the three phases of gambling dependence:

• Recreational gambler: never really encounters any gambling-related problems.
• Problem gambler: faces episodic problems relating to gambling or experiences certain negative impacts relating to his or her gambling behaviour, though these lead to no serious consequences.
• Pathological gambler: encounters increasingly major problems caused by a serious dependence on games of chance and gambling.

Source: Web site of the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec (in French only)

Behaviour Patterns

There are many signs indicating that gaming may be a problem. They include, to name just a few:

• Being overly absorbed by gaming
• Spending more on wagers and other gaming expenses
• Trying to play less, but failing
• Becoming irritable when not playing
• Playing to forget problems
• After losing, returning to win back losses
• Lying to conceal the gambling problem
• Stealing or committing fraud to obtain money to play
• Borrowing money to pay gambling debts
• Running the risk of losing his or her job or family because of excessive gambling

Source: DMS-IV.-4th ed. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, American Psychiatric Association.