Mental Health

Understanding High-Risk Gambling and Its Effects

By David Thompson | Update Date: Nov 26, 2024 09:18 PM EST

(Photo : Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels)

Any gaming behavior that negatively impacts a person or their family is problematic. It commonly gets in the way of a person's daily and professional life. 

Anyone who places bets faces the risk of developing an addiction. It is a recognized diagnosis in mental health gambling. This condition is frequently referred to as gambling addiction or disorder.

What are the negative effects of gambling?

This can be anything detrimental to the lives of people who gamble or those around them. 

Gambling can cause numerous problems, such as:

• Financial hardship
• Relationship issues
• Difficulties at work or school
• Mental health issues
• A sense of loneliness or isolation

Besides financial ramifications, problem gambling is an emotional issue. Other gambling-related issues may still arise even after the individual settles their obligations. Changing negative betting behaviors is the only way to overcome the problem. Gambling help services, social support, and encouragement are essential to that transformation.

There is a spectrum of these hazards that ranges from no harm to really serious harm. They might be anything from little bad experiences to crisis points, which are frequently the times when people think about getting professional gambling therapy. 

Which kind of gaming is most likely to result in problem gambling?

Any gaming can become problematic. How? The root cause of a gambling issue is an individual's incapacity to manage their behavior. Nonetheless, some forms of gaming could exacerbate gambling issues. 

Although little is known about these characteristics, anecdotal evidence indicates that a quick pace of play might be one risk factor. In other words, players are more likely to experience issues with a given game the faster a wager reaches an outcome. Below, we explain some examples of high-risk gambling:

Online soccer betting

Football betting is common worldwide. Nonetheless, nearly 10% of those who wager on soccer are dealing with an addiction. This is more than typical.

Live betting or in-play betting has been demonstrated to be especially detrimental. This is due to the wide range of possible wagers and the rapidly fluctuating odds. These can readily divert people's attention from their reality.

Scratch cards

Although they're likewise a popular gambling game, scratch cards have a higher-than-normal likelihood of causing gambling harm. The public regards them as one of the most addictive gambling items available.

Pubs and bookmakers' machines

Despite being less popular than online games, physical gaming machines are strongly associated with negative gambling outcomes. Approximately 50% of people who frequently play on a bookmaker's gaming machines suffer from problem gambling. As a result, it is the most dangerous kind of gambling product out there.

Online casino games

Nearly 1 in 5 users of online casinos or instant win games suffer from problem gambling. These games are usually fast-paced, repetitious, and produce results quickly. They make it easy to waste a lot of time and money.

The Takeaway

Gambling help services are available. They assist you if you're concerned about gambling, either for yourself or someone else. An expert can provide tailored support and confidential therapy to help you or your loved one overcome the problem.

© 2024 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of counselheal.com

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics