A study conducted in 2010 examined whether implementing pop-up warning boxes on computer-based games might influence gambling behaviors (Jardin & Wulfert, 2010).

The researchers recruited 80 gamblers who had an average of 44 years. The participants were recruited in the local community. The researchers conducted the South Oaks Gambling Screen (Lesieur & Blume, 1987), which measured the participants’ gambling severity. Approximately 69 percent of the participants met criteria for "probable or possible pathological gamblers."

The participants engaged in a gambling game named "Lucky Wheel," in which they were given $1,000 in pretend money. The participants were invited to wager on the spins of the wheel and could lose or win varying money amounts for the spins. The chances of winning and losing were pre-programmed.

The participants’ decisions were measured, including the number of times they spun the wheel, how much was wagered, and whether any money remained in their possession when the game was completed.

The participants were randomly divided into four different groups:

• The accurate message group received pop-up warnings that gave accurate information about gambling.
• The neutral message group received pop-ups with factual messages.
• The inaccurate message group received pop-ups with typical erroneous beliefs about gambling in chance games.
• The no-message group received no pop-ups at all.

The results of the analysis showed that those who received accurate messages tended to gamble fewer times than members of the other groups. The type of message received also influenced the money amount that was wagered. Those who saw correct messages wagered less than those who received pop-ups with false or neutral messages. Those who received accurate messages were also more liable to still have some money when the game was completed.

Some limitations existed that might affect the usefulness of the information gained by the study. For instance, the researchers don’t disclose how the participants were recruited. Therefore, it is unknown whether the gamblers may have been inadvertently targeted that were not typical of the general population of gamblers who were excessive. It is also difficult to determine whether the pop-ups would be effective in use within a real gambling environment, where distractions and emotions are significant influences. Finally, the beliefs of the gamblers were not measured, so it is unknown whether the pop-ups affected or corrected actual beliefs.

Compulsive Gambling As a Way to Mask Problem Emotions

Experts with years of experience helping compulsive gamblers agree with the study’s findings. It may begin with monetary thrills, and for some that is a driver, but addiction is most frequently an escape mechanism. It is a way for people to get away and mask life’s difficulties and struggles. The emotional escape people look for through gambling is often just another method to silence those problem feelings. The survey revealed that almost 30 percent of gamblers polled had previously sought help for another type of addiction before they looked for help with their gambling, indicating a pattern of serial addiction. Actually, psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression are commonly coupled with problem gambling.

Who Suffers From Problem Gambling?

In terms of who suffers from gambling addiction, the survey again lined up with what addiction experts have witnessed in treatment. It seems that gambling addiction is an equal opportunity malady affecting men and women in equal numbers. Those who are ready to ask for help with their problem gambling are usually between 40-55 years of age. There are some gender-related differences however.

Men usually begin gambling earlier in life and develop an addiction at a younger age than women and will continue gambling even though it becomes a problem far longer than do women. In fact, men often need to run out of money and money sources before they are ready to ask for help. Women, on the other hand, start gambling later in life usually as a way to cope with struggles that appear in mid-life. Dealing with an empty nest, the death of loved ones or marital problems often underlie a woman’s entrance into problem gambling. Yet, while women appear to become addicted to gambling more quickly than do men, they also are ready to seek out treatment sooner as well.

Treating Gambling Addiction

Most people who seek out help for their compulsive gambling only do so after their own efforts to stop or cut back on gambling have failed. People will try to take less money with them to the casino, or will attempt to visit the casino less frequently, but when these methods prove useless they are usually followed by a call for help.

Outpatient treatment programs are available and they usually require two or more group meetings per week for no less than six months. Many such programs use a 12-step approach which effectively teaches gamblers about how and why addictions happen. Other support groups like Gamblers Anonymous are suggested in conjunction with formal addiction treatment.

Many compulsive gamblers are only ready to seek out help once they have gotten themselves into serious financial distress so paying for treatment can prove a challenge. North Dakota offers help through its Department of Human Services which provides subsidy or scholarship assistance so that no one ready to break free of gambling addiction be shut out of services over a lack of funding. Since addiction to gambling is about more than money – it is about psychological conditions which need to be addressed – getting people into helpful treatment really is the only way to stop the pattern of addiction.

According to News Max Health, scientists believe the new study leads the way to the possibility of developing drugs to help treat pathological or problem gamblers. The study further sheds light as to what might have been happening in the brains of those on Wall Street and the traders in London when the 2008 financial crisis hit.

Julio Licinio, editor with the Molecular Psychiatry journal, says when pathological gambling happens in regular casinos it’s bad enough but he believes it’s now happening also at Casino City of London and Casino Wall Street. Licinio said we all want to believe we have free will and can make whatever necessary decisions we want, but the study shows it’s not that easy.

The experiment revealed a great deal about gamblers and how they handled losing money. The brain has a chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, called norepinephrine or noradrenalin that is key in the response to money losses.

Researchers found that those people who had low levels of these neurotransmitters had higher amounts of chemicals in a critical part of the brain. This caused them to be less sensitive and less stimulated to the pain of monetary losses, researchers found.

People with higher amounts of transporters and lower noradrenalin/norepinephrine levels have something called loss aversion. This is a more distinct emotional response to losses as compared to gains. Researchers explained that loss aversion varies widely from person to person but that those with impaired decision-making ability have reduced sensitivity to financial losses.

Scientists still need to further analyze those who are known pathological gamblers in order to confirm if they have higher levels of brain chemical neurotransmitters than the non-gamblers.

Pathological gamblers exhibit problems similar to other types of addiction. In addition to various levels of financial difficulty, those with a gambling addiction also experience deterioration in social and family relationships, as well as challenges in academic and professional areas of life. It is important to understand the possible barriers to seeking treatment in order to design effective strategies for intervention.

A recent study investigated whether culture is a factor involved in the stigma that is associated with gambling problems and whether or not people seek treatment (Dhillon, Horch, Hodgins, 2011).

The researchers recruited participants from the University of Calgary, and particularly East Asian and Caucasian individuals from the Psychology Department Research Participation System. There were 64 East Asian individuals and 50 Caucasians involved.

The participants were given questionnaire packets that contained a vignette featuring the description of an East Asian or a Caucasian gambling addict. The vignettes’ only differing feature was the ethnicity of the person described.

The packets also included measures of Attitudinal Social Distance, an assessment that provides information about a person’s willingness to associate with a problem gambler. A higher score represents a lower tolerance for interacting with a problem gambler. The questions used in this measure were adjusted to assess attitudes specific to gambling problems.

The results of the analysis provided information about the stigma attached to problem gambling related to ethnicity. One interesting finding was that East Asian participants preferred more social distance from East Asian gamblers, but there was no difference measured in the desired distance from Caucasian gamblers among participants.

The authors of the study note that there are limitations on the results. For instance, the study only involved university students, and those of East Asian descent enrolled at a university may be more acculturated than other East Asians. In addition, only East Asian and Caucasian individuals were considered in the study. Finally, the measures of social distance may be biased and may not reflect an individuals actual behavior or practices.

The results of the study indicate that there may be support for concern about the stigma associated with problem gambling, especially among certain culture sub-groups. The culture of an individual with a gambling problem may create a significant barrier to seeking out a treatment solution. The authors of the study believe that future research may help identify specific cultural differences that may discourage an individual from seeking help with a gambling problem.

The 1961 Wire Act had once been applied to curb online sports betting but now will open the playing field to state lotteries and gambling. States may now see profits increased to around $12 billion a year for lottery games and nearly $5 billion for Internet gambling, according to Rick Brons, chairman of U.S. Digital Gaming, and a 2010 Morgan Stanley report.

The increase in revenue for states might be good for a struggling economy but the change will hurt those already battling a gambling addiction. A seemingly harmless allowance to an established rule could not only drive more gambling addicts online but also to their local casinos.

Whittier Law school professor, Nelson Rose argues that as states seek to finalize their newfound freedom with gambling revenues they will also need to consider regulations to enable individuals from forming a gambling addiction and to keep minors away from the games, too. There are an estimated 500,000 children, ages 12 to 17, that have gambling problems.

Young adults, well below the legal age to gamble, were already accessing Internet sites that had gaming. Keith Whyte, the executive director of the National Council of Problem Gambling, believes the gaming industry is obviously not doing its job with prevention so they will need to do more now. It is his expectation that the industry will continue with the lackluster job they are currently doing to prevent minors from gambling and those with addiction problems to bury themselves further into a hole.

In an effort to restrict a minor’s access to the gambling websites and for addicts to have limits, Whyte feels states should consider a study to fully understand their individual state’s problem with gambling. Finding a plan to minimize social costs as well as maximizing the revenues for gambling need to be equally considered, he says.

Researchers from the Department of Psychology interviewed people in rehabilitation centers being treated for compulsive gambling. Over 85% had been betting on sports and no-limit poker games. Playing poker while intoxicated raised the risk for financial difficulties by 15,000%. Blackjack games were mentioned by only one percent in the study.

The researchers picked a number of extreme sports from a list of groups and the team then sent a survey to parachuting teams in Norway. The results found that although the skydivers are typically individuals who do thrill-seek, the team found it interesting that the thrill seekers really are healthy individuals without a diagnosis or who are considered to have an illness. Ironically, they scored higher or more extreme in all the groups that were targeted, as compared with the addicted gamblers.

One of their major findings was that the extreme scores for thrill seeking or spontaneity don’t necessarily hold a negative connotation or need to be linked with a diagnosis, as with gambling addiction. The work also suggested that compulsive gamblers might not be able to feed their addiction without risking health or finances. Both groups, extreme sports athletes and gamblers, have a strong craving for powerful stimulus.

There was a noticeable difference on one level, however. Skydivers tend to seek the thrill of new adventures, whereas the gamblers are more locked into their routine. Skydivers do their sport on a less frequent basis but more intensely, whereas the gambler may play the slots all day.

The question that remains is whether the person is born with these impulsive desires such as thrill-seeking or gambling or the need is created as a result of seeking these activities.

A study conducted at Auckland University in New Zealand shows that this adjustment to a new location is taking a toll on the Asian population found there. Led by Amritha Sobrun-Maharaj, the Director of the Centre for Asian and Ethnic Minority Health Research at Auckland University, the study examined the factors leading to heavy gambling among Asian immigrants.

The study shows that many Asian immigrants and refugees in Auckland are using casinos as a safe haven, developing dangerous and addictive gambling habits that may be causing significant problems in the community. The study uncovers the impact of gambling on Asians in Auckland, identifying how it affects their families and their community.

Dr. Sobrun-Maharaj explained when speaking to delegates at the Public Health Association conference at Canterbury’s Lincoln University that the gambling habits have led to the loss of life savings for some Asian immigrants. Others have lost their businesses or their families.

Dr. Sobrun-Maharaj said that the Asian community is now the fourth-largest ethnic population in New Zealand. Approximately 15 percent of that community does not speak English. This results in a feeling of isolation and difficulty when attempting to integrate into a new setting and population.

Many of the immigrants and refugees are facing unemployment or struggle with “misemployment.” This occurs when a person transitions to a new occupation as a result of immigrating, such as when a doctor from India ends up driving taxis in a new country. Dr. Sobrun-Maharaj noted that this kind of transition can result in a severe problem with self-esteem.

Dr Sobrun-Maharaj said that the casino provides an escape where immigrants are made to feel welcome and important. They are escorted to VIP rooms for gambling games and are provided with free food and beverages. There is even a loyalty program offered to encourage the guests to become regulars. Walking into a New Zealand casino, Dr. Sobrun-Maharaj explained, it is very apparent in the number of Asian punters that this is a problem.

The draw for Asian immigrants, or “new New Zealanders,” is not just entertainment, but a perceived chance to significantly improve the family’s finances and standing in the community.

Las Vegas is the home to our nation’s attraction to fast money, but it is quickly losing its draw. Businesses are now choosing less flamboyant destinations for their corporate conventions and residential properties have fallen to nearly half their values in the past three years.

According to an article in The Trumpet, the casino and tourism industry used to foster growth of home sales but is now struggling to maintain its former image, as there are now 48 out of 50 states that offer legalized gambling. States now offer everything from casinos, riverboats, lotteries, Indian casinos, video lottery and slot machines to dog and horse racing. There is also the growing sport of Internet gaming that broadcasts gambling nationwide.

With over 20 million Americans being compulsive or addicted gamblers, our population accounts for nearly half of the worldwide expenditure on gambling, which is about $50 billion. According to a website report on gambling, the average pathological male gambler incurs $55,000 to $90,000 of debt in the U.S., compared to $15,000 for women gamblers.

A journalist with the Los Angeles Times reported the shocking discovery that in California, recipients of welfare can use their state-issued debit cards to withdraw cash while on the gaming floor in over half of the California casinos.

Increased gambling among teens has, not surprisingly, led to gambling addictions. As young people play and lose money, they enter the cycle of playing more in order to recoup losses while only digging themselves deeper into a hole of debt from which they can never hope to climb out.

Increased vulnerability to Gambling Addiction

Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to forming addictions and the adrenaline high that comes along with winnings can make gambling appealing. Unfortunately, addictions that form during youth can be much harder to break than addictions that develop in adulthood.

Boys are more likely than girls to become involved in and addicted to gambling. Many young people fall prey to the allure of the "get rich quick" siren call of gambling. However, boys who are competitive, intelligent, strong in math and who enjoy taking risks seem to be more vulnerable than others.

Signs of Teen Gambling Addiction

Parents who worry that their son may be overly involved in gambling and is either addicted already or headed that direction can look for these signs of addiction:

• Is your son preoccupied with gambling? Is it a constant theme of conversation and interest? Are gambling experiences the most important events of his week?
• Unexplained absences from school
• Requests for money without giving sensible explanations as to why it is needed
• Stealing money from parents
• Sharp declines in your son’s grades at school
• Who is he spending most of his time with? Is he isolating himself from everyone except friends with whom he gambles?
• Unexplainable mood changes
• Poor sleep and hygiene habits

Preventing & Treating Gambling Addiction in Teens

Parents should talk with their children, particularly sons, about the consequences of a gambling addiction. This can be a preventive measure. Discuss as a family the potential risks that gambling and addiction pose. Talk about how addictions distract a person from meaningful relationships with friends and family, and how schoolwork and grades get pushed aside until it seems overwhelming to reestablish solid academic footing. Advise young people of the dangerous paths to which money problems can lead. Few young men who like to gamble with their friends foresee a scenario where they may be tempted into illegal behavior because they are unable to pay gambling debts.

Lastly, parents are acting in the child’s best interest when they point out that gambling addiction can lead a person into associations with people of bad character. Bad company can corrupt good morals.

If parents recognize signs of addiction they should take swift and confident action to intervene. The teen most likely will not admit that they are addicted, but it is up to the parent to decide that things must change. Insisting that the teenager meets with a counselor – a gambling specialist if possible – is a key intervention. The parent also needs to ensure that all access to cash and credit cards has been cut off. If the teen attends a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, there are often Gamanon meetings for parents to attend nearby.