"Fields Of Gold"

The above description of the "ultimate" poker player is ironic from the perspective of compulsive gambling, because the person it describes is the exact opposite of the compulsive gambler.  As you will learn, in the world of the compulsive gambler or "gambling addict," character qualities such as accepting reality, logical deduction and rational thinking have long since "left the building."  The world of the compulsive gambler is a world of unrealistic goals, illogical conclusions and irrational thinking.  And they're certainly not alone - one of the first things a compulsion or addiction does is rob you of common sense and the ability to see your problem for what it really is.

In this "How To," by necessity, you will see more distinctions made between Canada and the U.S., as gambling, unlike other addictions or "maladaptive" behaviors, is very much affected by the different laws that apply in a region or country.  But conceptually, there's no difference between Canada or the U.S. concerning the basic dynamics of gambling or the compulsive gambler.

The Last Type Of Person Who Should Be Sitting At A Poker Table

Ironically, in their pseudo-quest to "beat the system, the house, or the other players, the compulsive gambler couldn't possibly find a worse environment to put themselves in, even for the type of gambling that takes some real tactical skills, like poker.  One professional gambler in the U.S. who has been enormously successful at poker recently said:

"The most important personality trait of a professional poker player is an incredible amount of patience.  That's because 95% of your time at the poker table is going to be spent watching other people play.  And that's because 95% of the time, your cards aren't good enough to stay in a hand to its conclusion.  And if you're not patient, you get stupid and start betting cards that your rational mind knows aren't good enough.  At that point, losing isn't a possibility, it's a certainty."

An incredible amount of patience.  Does that sound like something the average "compulsive" or "addicted" gambler would have?  And a great many compulsive gamblers are also cross-addicted to other things like alcohol.  And the latest research indicates that among other things, alcoholics score very low on the ability to read non-verbal communication.  In the gambling world, those are called "tells," and most professional and successful gamblers are masters at it.  And 99.999% of everyone else, isn't.

How Many Are Riding This "Vehicle?"

And like any addiction or maladaptive behavior, in a "piranha fish" manner, compulsive gambling will nibble away at them until only a shell of a person is left.  Like virtually every addiction "vehicle," gambling has destructive consequences for a comparatively small percentage of people in society. (10 - 12% perhaps)  But for this percentage that do suffer with the addiction or compulsion, when you look at the level of destruction it causes in their lives, the lives of their friends and family, and the costs to society as a whole, it's a serious problem.

Gambling - Home Delivery?

Obviously, nothing can become a compulsive behavior or addiction if you're not exposed to it, or not exposed to it for a sufficient period of time for it to become habitual.  But with the advent of the internet, millions of people who might never have been exposed to gambling now are.  They don't have to go to "it," because "it" comes to them.  Online gambling sites will rake in $ 10,000,000,000 (ten billion) this year world-wide and 80% of those revenues will come from the U.S. and proportionately speaking, a huge amount will also come from Canada.  (The money comes from where the money is.)

In fact, now, in 2007, it's estimated that more poker games are played online per day than in all of the casinos in the world combined.  And these gambling web sites aren't design haphazardly.  They're designed to get you playing and to keep you playing.  There's nothing inherently sinister about that, all web sites want to achieve a certain level of "stickiness" for their visitors, but when you combine a sticky web site with an individual who has a predisposition for compulsive behavior, you truly have a case of "a fly in a spider's web." 

Hopefully, our comprehensive examination of gambling and compulsive gamblers will give you some insight into this problem from all perspectives, and as always, we welcome your input.

Is It An Addiction Or Not?

Compulsive or “problem” gambling” is another area where the academics and professionals are divided in their theories about whether or not it qualifies as a true “addiction.”  While gambling is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, there are differing views on it.

Some feel gambling on a pathological level shares similar characteristics with substance abuse and other impulse control disorders.  The most notable of these characteristics is a “neurobiological” (nervous system) change when problem gamblers are gambling.  From one perspective, this might be viewed as a “disease or medical model” approach, as in the 12 step philosophy of groups like Gamblers Anonymous.  Others would simply explain this as a "reward" pathway being rewarded.  

Others contend that gambling is simply an example of “maladaptive behavior.”  In other words, there’s no disease present in the compulsive gambler, he or she is simply the result of distorted and irrational thinking. They assert that if you change the thinking leading up to a behavior, you in turn, change the behavior.  As a result, the treatment method for gambling under this view is likely to involve some form of Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, Group Therapy and so on.

Obviously, the treatment program you choose for yourself, or on behalf of someone else, will to one degree or another, depend on what theory you favor.

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