Gambling Research Essay Example for Free

Gambling Research EssayGambling refers to the depend of any game where in that location is money, or something of value at stake. there argon many different forms of period of play including horse races, lotteries, casinos, moolah cards, stock market betting, and flush to a greater extent recently internet gambol. Although these games are meant for recreational use, the thrill of turn stirs some raft to become so involved in it that they become dependent on play. The cause of childs play sight cause rail at psychologically, be truly wrongful to ones loving sustenance and sewer in addition cause many physical damages. Gambling dependence and morbid gambling is not always seen as desperate as other colonys exchangeable substance abuse notwithstanding it earth-closet in fact be a genuinely damaging addiction to many aspects of life and should be considered a mull(ip) health problem.Not everyone who hazards has a gambling addiction or redden has the capability of being addicted to gambling. The absolute majority of people who gamble do not contrive an addiction and simply do it for recreational purposes. But there is a small percentage of people who gamble who are considered problem gamblers or pathological gamblers. pathological gamblers is described as, diseased gambling is characterized by degenerative and irresistible impulses to gamble, with consequent gambling compromises and disruptions to family, personal and vocational pursuits. (Coman, Burrows Evans, 1997)This addiction causes the gambler to gamble very frequently, a great carry off quantifys they testament begin to flip big and bigger bets and receiving feelings of anxiety or depression when they are not gambling. Pathological gambling brush aside also include gambling to recover rednesses from previous(prenominal) gambling episodes, lying to family members to try and hide their habits, committing woeful acts to obtain money for gambling and relying o n others to countenance money to relieve them from their financial situation. This is a very serious addiction and should be considered a major health problem because it can negatively affect many serious aspects of an one-on-ones life.There are many different influences and gateways that can cartroad to gambling and even a gambling addiction. Although things like scratch cards may not seem like much of a threat to fitting an addiction, they can intrigue the thought of decoyning money purely by chance which is a dangerous mindset to defend. Another factor that can ply to a gambling addiction is the link amongst the proximity from the casino and gambling participation. Living close to a casino causes much more border onability and can add to the possibility of gaining an addiction, additional gambling opportunities due to the presence of a casino augment the prevalence of gambling-related problems for people who fit close to a casino, as compared with people who live f ar from one.(Sevigny, Ladouceur, Jacques Cantinotti, 2008)People who live closer to the casino are much more likely to yet drop by and play a few hands rather than people who live farther and have to make an even of it.Accessibility can have a large impact on gaining an addiction to gambling. Also, the recent popularity of poker game has a huge impact on the view of gambling for younger people. Poker has become very popular in our society today and is televised quite frequently sho encourageg these players not whole making a living from this game of chance, but suitable millionaires. Some of these players are seen as celebrities who can cause some younger audiences to look up to them and strive to be like them. These aspects do not right off headliner to a gambling problem but they can definitely help principal to one. technology has become a large contributory factor to problem gambling. As stated earlier, accessibility can have a large impact on gaining an addiction to ga mbling and the technology of internet has brought accessibility of gambling to a whole new level. Gambling over the internet should be a major concern because the increase in gambling opportunities gives the potential for an increase in problem gamblers. Research endorse in other countries has clearly shown that where accessibility of gambling is increased there is an increase not only in the number of regular gamblers but also an increase in the number of problem gamblers. (Griffiths, 1999) net gambling websites has dramatically increased this accessibility which will in turn increase the number of people gambling. Not everyone is susceptible to becoming a problem gambler, but the more people gambling, the more people who have the chance of becoming addicted. The popularity of internet gambling is on the rise with its easy accessibility and quickness. This popularity itself cannot lead to a gambling addiction but a number of the more popular poker players on television practicall y promote different gambling websites where anyone of any age can play poker online. The websites allow someone to play in tournaments, play with friends and play with fake money or even real money. They are very appealing to people of all ages and easily accessible all the time which makes them a threat to contributing to problem gamblers and youth gambling. When someone suffers from problem gambling, it is not only that individual that is affected but their family, friends and community as well.There can be some positive aspects of gambling in terms of the social effects of gambling. Gambling can be seen as a recreation, a break from their problems of everyday life and a nice night out. Yet these positive effects only exist if gambling is done in moderation. Once gambling becomes a habit and a emergency is where the negative impacts arrive. Often, its those close to the pathological gambler that suffer the most. Constant gambling takes time away(p) from family, friends and othe r activities. If gambling becomes a problem, it can cause loss of trust between individuals and family members which can lead to family related problems and even divorce. Generally, the social problems begin with borrowing of money to support their addiction. At this point, many friends and family may lose touch with the gambler.Being distanced from those who are closest can cause desperation which may lead to criminal activity. Pathological gambling can become so severe that they can resort to criminal activity in a last effort to support their financial needs. People are more likely to commit crime without thinking of the consequences when they are in a desperation mindset which is what can transcend after a big loss due to gambling. Supporters for the spread of legalized gambling make claims around economic growth and more jobs but opponents have a strong case saying, various forms of street crimes, such as robberies and automobile thefts, come with gambling, as well as proble ms with connections to organized crime The majority of Wisconsin problem gamblers in treatment that were interviewed in Thompson et al. (1999) admitted to crimes as a result of their gambling activity, primarily billet crimes. (Gazel, Rickman Thompson, 2001)Pathological gamblers reach a point where there are no options left so they have to resort to illegal means to support themselves displaying the severity and control that a gambling addiction can have.Having a gambling addiction does not just affect someone economically or socially but it can deeply affect them psychologically. Once a pathological gambler is down money, they will make bets to try and regain that money that they have lost. Instead of cutting their losses, they get deeper into debt, preoccupying themselves with gambling, determined to win big to repay their loans and solve all their problems (Griffiths, 2001). A very dangerous way of thinking is the what if I win mentality. This way of thinking is especially dang erous because then they are more prone to make bigger bets with money they may not have to lose so they can receive bigger rewards. A large factor for whether someone develops this addiction has a lot to do with their constitution.The type of personality someone has can have on whether or not someone develops a gambling addiction or not. Gambling is characterized by an unrealistic optimism by the gambler (Griffiths, 2001). For the most part people mean that optimism is a good way to live life by always seeing the positive things quite of dwelling on the negatives. Optimists are known to be less likely to suffer from depression symptoms following(a) a stressful event and seem to have more psychological benefits when compared to pessimists.Although in terms of gambling, optimism can be counterproductive, Optimists may be especially susceptible to maintaining illusory gambling expectations. Because of their generalized expectations for success, optimists may approach gambling with the belief that they can win. (Gibson Sanbonmatsu, 2004) Optimists may also have a tendency to look at the positive aspects in a situation which may prolong their gambling thinking that they will win it all back. Also, people who are risk takers are more prone to gambling addiction than someone who is more conservative. Not everyone is susceptible to becoming a pathological gambler and a great deal of the matter has to do with their personality type and how they look at different negative situations.Having a gambling addiction not only affects ones social life but it can have a great impact on your mind and even cause physical difficulties. Pathological gamblers often suffer from stress-related disorders such as depression, insomnia, intestinal disorders and migraines. Health problems do not only occur from the gambling itself but a significant amount of people suffer problems from the withdrawal, Rosenthal and Lesieur (1992) found that at least 65 percent of pathological gamblers reported at least one physical side-effect during withdrawal including insomnia, headaches, upset stomach, loss of appetite, physical weakness, heart racing, muscle aches, breathing difficulty and/or chills. (Griffiths, 2001)It was also found that pathological gamblers experient more physical withdrawal effects when attempting to stop than substance abusers who are attempting to quit. This is quite astonishing and once again proves why gambling addiction is a very serious matter and should be considered just as much of a health problem as addiction to alcohol or other substances. Pathological gambling can cause great psychological damage and can cause people to do irrational things after a big loss which can sometimes even lead to suicide. Pathological gambling and suicide have been known to have a link to each other. Suicidal attempts among pathological gamblers are much more frequent than among the general public.The American Psychiatric connectedness did a study that with thes e results, Of individuals in treatment for Pathological Gambling, 20% are reported to have attempted suicide, (American Psychiatric Association (APA)) (Penfold, Hatcher, Sullivan Collins, 2006) For many gamblers, coping with the negative emotions relating to their issues in their life can be overwhelming. Feelings of shame, hopelessness and failure may be hard to bear which sometimes makes suicide seem like the best solution for their problems. The damage to the mental aspects is one of the reasons that make pathological gambling so dangerous. The act of gambling and casinos is a very controversial topic.There are some positive aspects to the casino and gambling that include a consultation of jobs and economic development. Gambling is meant to be for recreational use on occasion but it can also be very dangerous. Certain people with certain personality types and lifestyles may be prone to becoming a pathological gambler. The effects of pathological gambling can cause a lot of harm psychologically, destroy someones social and family life, cause physical damage to themselves which can even lead to their death. Gambling addiction may not be seen as dangerous or likely to happen as other addictions but the results from being a pathological gambler can be just as harmful as other addictions and should be considered just as much as a serious health issue as everything else.ReferencesGriffiths, M. (1999). Gambling Technologies Prospects for Problem Gambling. Journal of GamblingStudies, vol.15, no.3, p.265-283.Griffiths, M. (2001). Gambling An emerging Area of Concern for Health Psychologists. Journal ofPsychology, vol.6, no.5, p.477-479.Gibson, B., Sanbonmatsu, D. (2004). Optimism, Pessimism, and Gambling The Downside of Optimism.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 149-160.Coman, J., Burrows, G., Evans, B. (1997). variant and Anxiety as Factors in the Onset of Problem Gambling Implications for Treatment. Stress Medicine, Vol.13, no.4 , p.235-244.Sevigny, S., Ladouceur, R., Jacques, C., Cantinotti, M. (2008). Links between cassino Proximity andGambling Participation, Expenditure, and Pathology. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, vol.22, no.2, p.295-301.Penfold, A., Hatcher, S., Sullivan, S., Collins, N. (2006) Gambling Problems and Attempted Suicide. Part1. High Prevalence amongst hospital Admissions. International Journal of Mental Health andAddiction, vol.4, no.3, p.265-272.Gazel, R., Rickman, D., Thompson, W. (2001) Casino Gambling and Crime a Panel require of WisconsinCounties. Managerial and Decision Economics, vol.22, no.1-3, p.65-75.