Youth Making Choices: Gambling Prevention Program

2GAMBLING AND ITS EFFECTS●●●●●●●●●●●●Is gambling addictive?Some people do become addicted to gambling. You can becomeaddicted to any activity that feels good or allows you to forgetyour problems for a while. This includes drinking alcohol, usingother drugs and shopping, as well as gambling.Who is at risk ofdeveloping a gamblingproblem?You are more at risk of developing a gamblingproblem if:you start gambling at an early ageyou have a big win early in your gambling historyyou have money problemsyou have had a recent personal loss or change,such as relationship problems or the death ofa loved oneyou gamble to cope with physical pain, emotional painor stressyou often feel lonely, bored, depressed or anxiousyou feel your life lacks directionyou have been abused or traumatizedyou or someone in your family have (or had) problemswith alcohol or other drugs, gambling or overspendingyou think you have a way of gambling that increasesyour chances of winningyou feel you have to win back what you have lostyou often take risks or act without thinking.The more items in this list that are truefor you, the more care you need to takeif you gamble.fast factsAround the year 1000 A.D.,the kings of Norway andSweden settled a disputeover ownership of the islandof Hising by rolling a pairof dice. Norway won the betand the two kings reportedlyparted on good terms.Doubling your bet after a loss is one of thefastest ways to guarantee that you will lose allyour money. The only sure way to “double” your moneyis to take a $20 bill, fold it over and put it backin your pocket.Ancient German tribesmen who gambledaway all their money would sometimesbet their personal freedom, so that thewinner could sell the loser as a slave.fast factsPeople who gamble to escapedepression, anxiety orstress often end up makingtheir lives much worseby losing more than theycan afford to.How doesgambling makeyou feel?Thinking about winning can be veryexciting, and an actual win can make youfeel important, successful, skilled—andvery happy. However, when you lose,these feelings can be replaced by anxiety,sadness, desperation, frustrationand anger.fast facts“Chasing” is when you try to win back yourgambling losses. It may involve not only chasingthe money that you lost, but also chasing thefeeling of how great it was to win.