Gambling addiction: a psychological and social problem

When we talk about addictions, we tend to assume that we are referring to dependence on a legal or illegal drug: alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, the constant use of opiates, etc.

However, one of the most common addiction disorders today does not involve the use of any product that enters our circulatory system and then passes to the brain. It is a behavioral addiction and, therefore, is based solely on a habit, that is, a set of actions defined by the interaction with the environment, and not by what goes into the organism. It's pathological gambling, also known as problem gambling or gambling addiction.

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What is gambling addiction?

Whoever believes that we can only develop addictions by introducing molecules that interact with our neurons into our body, is wrong. Gambling is an example that we are capable of developing dependency disorders only by engaging in certain habits for a certain number of times.

And is that

gambling is a full-blown addiction; it is not just in a metaphorical sense. It already appears in the main diagnostic manuals used by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. It is part of the addictions without substances, which despite having characteristics that distinguish them from drug addiction, they are also capable of generating serious health problems and causing physical exhaustion important.

Among its effects and symptoms we find the appearance of anxiety peaks when it has been a long time without playing, the appearance of impulses that lead to to put personal and work life at risk in order to continue gambling, the feeling of loss of control (you feel the need to continue gambling, even to recover lost money), and the rapid deterioration of personal and family relationships, as well as greater exposure to poverty.

What's more, the need to bet increasing amounts of money is felt, even if that happens by getting into debt. This is a dynamic that is seen in all addictions: you need to get more and more involved to being able to "fill up" and relieve the tension produced by spending a few hours without consuming the addictive behavior.

On the other hand, people who develop any type of addiction are more likely to develop another, so that in psychotherapy and psychiatry consultations it is very common to find people with a tendency to gambling and alcoholism, addiction to opioids, etc.

Based on data from the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling, an entity linked to the Ministry of Finance, it is currently estimated that the prevalence in Spain of pathological gambling throughout life (that is, the percentage of inhabitants of Spain who develop this type of addiction at some point in their life) is about 1 in 100 people, while 0.3% have developed it in the last year.

Characteristics that make gambling a danger

These are several of the characteristics of gambling addiction that make it a serious danger both for the person and for their close environment.

1. It mainly affects the vulnerable classes

The idea that gambling houses proliferate especially in working-class neighborhoods with a large number of vulnerable neighbors is not new.

In fact, a study carried out in the 90s with a sample of more than 1600 people residing in Galicia suggested that approximately 43% of those affected by pathological gambling had no income, since they were unemployed, students or mistresses From home.

Today this tendency for gambling to affect the lower-middle classes is still there, although it no longer focuses on people without stable employment. According to the study by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling mentioned above, the portion of the Spanish population most affected due to pathological gambling is made up of men with jobs and whose family unit has an income of between 900 and 1500 euros.

Beyond the exceptional large casinos strategically located in tourist areas, the medium-sized bookmakers appear especially in places where there are a greater number of people exposed to poverty, as reported by various neighborhood entities Spanish.

For example, an article in El Español recently drew attention to the fact that among the metro stops in Ciudad Lineal and Quintana, in one of the humble parts of Madrid, has a betting shop for every 10 portal numbers, approximately.

The hope of being able to win a lot of money at once contributes to many people who already have few financial resources worsen their situation and they go into debt. This also affects their families, especially if the person bets assets such as the car, the house, etc.

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2. Enjoy a very normalized market

The betting house market is all the rage. Their marketing campaigns are ubiquitous in the world of soccer, for example, and they get advertised a lot by Internet, even with the support of familiar faces both on television and in YouTube videos.

This normalization in media that are seen by many young people makes them start experimenting with gambling at a very young age.

3. The anonymity of the Internet

Since betting websites have become popular, anyone can decide to start betting and be doing it in a matter of minutes from the privacy of your home, without exposing yourself to the prying eyes of friends and neighbors. This has become a gateway for new players, and for demographic profiles that would not typically gamble.

4. The illusion of being able to earn a lot of money

Gambling addiction is supported by cognitive distortions that lead us to think that gambling is better than not. The truth is that, mathematically, there are many more probabilities of losing a lot of money than of winning a fairly high amount, comparable to what was spent. However, the idea of ​​tempting luck and winning an instant fortune has such a powerful emotional charge that it captures our attention, make us think about that possibility beyond rationality.

To do?

Many psychologists specializing in psychological assistance for patients are trained to help both people with gambling addiction and other types of addictions.

Recovery requires commitment, perseverance and effort, but with the support of a professional it is much easier and the success rate higher. Because in therapy sessions we create the necessary changes, both in the way of thinking and in the way of interacting with the environment, to leave gambling behind.

Bibliographic references:

• Becoña, B. (1993). The prevalence of pathological gambling in Galicia (Spain). Journal of Gambling Studies, 9: 353-369.
• The Spanish (2019). One betting house every 100 meters: gambling takes place in poor neighborhoods in Madrid.
• Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (2015). Study on the prevalence, behavior and characteristics of gambling users in Spain 2015. Available in https://www.ordenacionjuego.es/es/estudio-prevalencia.