Online Casino Game Addiction

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Adaptation to online gambling was not uniformly apparent, particularly for live action betting. The authors recommend maintaining a focus on the impact of such games in future research.7 online Casino Gamblers As with many online gambling operators, bwin offers a variety of casino games to its subscribers such as slots and video poker.

Our goal at OCBB is to provide a fun, exciting, and rewarding experience to gamblers everywhere by providing the best information regarding gaming and online casinos. Gambling is entertaining and enjoyable when done responsibly, but we also recognize the reality of gambling addiction and its effects on people’s lives. We encourage everyone who uses OCBB to gamble responsibly, but should you find yourself struggling with addiction, know that we are here to help.

It’s never too late to turn around gambling addiction, so please use these resources to get help and increase awareness if you or someone you know does struggle with gambling addiction. The well-being of our visitors is our number one priority.

Gambling Addiction Explained

The Mayo Clinic refers to gambling addiction as compulsive gambling and describes it as the uncontrollable urge to continue gambling no matter the toll it takes on your life. It’s important to know that compulsive gambling has nothing to do with how much you win or lose. A player who continually loses may not be an addict, and a player who often wins might still suffer from gambling addiction. Instead, it has less to do with your bank account (though it’s still an important factor) and more to do with the effect on your relationships with friends and family.

Symptoms of Gambling Addiction

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Gambling addiction is a serious condition and should be treated in the same manner as a drug or alcohol addiction, as the symptoms and effects can often be similar. Some of the telltale signs of gambling addiction include:

  • Increasingly larger gambling risks over time
  • Preoccupation with gambling, skipping other obligations
  • Gambling to escape problems or negative emotions
  • Spending time away from family to gamble
  • Lying about gambling and covering up losses
  • Borrowing money or even stealing to keep gambling
  • Failed efforts to quit or cut back

Addiction can happen at any time, but it often starts casually and plunges into an addiction during a time of high stress or depression. It’s moments like these of which you should be aware if you gamble casually and responsibly.
For most people suffering from gambling addiction, it’s less about the money and more about the thrill. That’s why it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, people who suffer from addiction will continue to gamble no matter the outcome.

Extreme & Dangerous Symptoms

Unfortunately, for some, gambling addiction can cross from harmful to physically or legally dangerous in the most extreme cases. If you or someone you know shows these symptoms, contact a mental health care professional immediately:

  • Commit fraud or theft to steal gambling money
  • Steal from loved ones specifically
  • Ask friends and family to bail out gambling debts
  • Thoughts of suicide due to negative effects of addiction

You should no ignore severe symtoms like these. But as bad as they appear, there is still hope to fight addiction head on and turn even the worse circumstances toward a positive direction.

At Risk Demographics

Who is the most at risk to suffer from gambling addiction? While anyone is susceptible to compulsive gambling under the most unfortunate circumstances, it is more likely to occur with young to middle-aged men, especially if someone else if their family also suffered from a gambling addiction. This can happen to anyone, but the demographic described is statistically more at risk than others.

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Counseling & Treatment Resources

Prevention

It’s always easier to stop addiction before it starts. That’s why Prevention Lane (preventionlane.org/prevention-topics/problem-gambling-prevention)(Lane County Public Health), a non-profit organization, works with people who show early signs of gambling addiction so they can stop a problem in its tracks before it becomes severe. Its website has plenty of tips and educational resources to help people identify a problem and cut back or even quit gambling if necessary.

Help & Treatment

If a gambling addiction issue is beyond prevention, you or someone you know could benefit from inpatient or outpatient treatment. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) can help you locate a treatment facility in your state. They also offer resources online to help with addiction (as well as prevention resources, in addition to Prevention Lane) and has a 24-hour confidential hotline. If you need to talk to a professional about your problem, you can reach the NCPG at 800-522-4700 or even talk to someone in a live chat on its website.

Therapy & Mental Health Care

You don’t necessarily need a professional who specializes in gambling addiction to help with your recovery. Any psychiatrist, psychologist, or certified therapist can help talk you through treatment for a gambling addiction. There are cases when they might prescribe medication to help with the depression and anxiety that often follows compulsive gambling, but that’s not always the case. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) can help you locate a therapist in your area and schedule appointments to get started. Even if you don’t immediately discuss gambling addiction, it’s important just to talk to someone.

Suicide Prevention

It’s a grim reality, but some people do choose to take their lives due to severe consequences of gambling addictions. Don’t let yourself or a loved one become part of this statistic. Befrienders Worldwide is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting with people who have suicidal thoughts, whether they relate to gambling addiction or not, and to be a friend to anyone in need. If you or someone you know shows any signs of suicidal thoughts, contact Befrienders Worldwide immediately and talk to someone who can help.
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Please take these resources like education and not fear. Most people gamble responsibly without any problems or addictions. So don’t take this as a sign not to gamble, but instead to be aware of the signs that lead to addiction. If you or anyone you know shows these signs of gambling addiction, don’t wait. Seek help immediately so you can solve the issue before it takes hold of your life.
Online Casino Bluebook

Fri, May 24, 1:58pm by Mia Chapman

Last Updated Tue, Oct 8, 12:24am


Some people place gaming and gambling into different categories, while others look at them as one in the same. For these latter individuals, both words refer to wagering money at games like pokies, roulette, and blackjack in the hopes of winning even larger sums of cash.

The average bloke tends to refer to the hobby as gambling, because that’s exactly what the definition of the word refers to. Whether they’re wagering money at a land-based casino or in the back of their local pub, they’re not ashamed to admit that they’re gambling.

The gambling industry, however, isn’t too fond of the word “gambling.” They think it presents their customers as greedy deviants and unlucky losers, as well as fostering the idea that casino games are a major risk to the player’s wallet (which is correct). To combat this negative stereotype, they cooked up the word “gaming” and started using it in place of gambling. It makes the process of wagering money sound more fun and less random, which is a great way to draw more patrons into their establishments.

In summary, anyone who uses the word “gaming” around a casino is probably an industry insider. If they call it “gambling,” then they’re likely a regular individual. But either way, they’re talking about the same thing.

A Stark Difference

For others, the terms “gaming” and “gambling” mean entirely different things. In the next two sections, I’ll define the terms and offer a number of examples.

Types of Gaming

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If someone uses the term “gaming” and they’re not talking about pastimes such as poker or blackjack, then they may be talking about one of the following hobbies:

Video Games – It might surprise you to know that video games were being patented as early as the 1940s. However, it wasn’t until Atari came out with Pong in the 1970s that the video game revolution got underway. Arcades thrived during the ‘70s and early ‘80s, and home gaming consoles by Atari, ColecoVision, and others started appearing in homes in record numbers.

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The second half of the ‘80s saw another boom in the industry with the release of the original Nintendo, and advances in technology slowly resulted in the decline of arcades in favour of more sophisticated home systems.

The video game revolution is still underway, as systems such as Nintendo, Xbox, and Playstation amass record sales for home and portable use. The age of the Internet is also involved, as multi-player online games like World of Warcraft bring in droves of new subscribers each year. (See also: Video Casino Games)

Miniature Wargaming – The hobby of miniature wargaming has been around for centuries, and you can still find it alive and well at hobby shops and gaming conventions. Intricate miniature figures comprise entire armies, and players use a complex series of rules to manoeuvre them around detailed landscapes and engage in battles. These armies can take the form of actual troops from history, while others are comprised of fantasy creatures such as orcs and dwarves.

Role-playing Games – Popularized by the release of Gary Gygax’s Dungeons & Dragons, role-playing games allow players to take on the persona of a fictional character and engage in all manner of adventures. Numerous genres are available, from horror RPGs such as Call of Cthulhu to sci-fi games like Nova Praxis.

Varieties of Gambling

If someone is talking about games of chance, there’s a strong chance they’re discussing one of the following:

Poker – Players compete against one another to make a poker hand with the highest rank. Numerous variations of the game exist, but the current favourite is known as Texas hold’em. This is due to the success of amateur players like Chris Moneymaker at the World Series of Poker Main Event, where the winning individual walks away with millions of dollars.

Blackjack – The objective of this popular casino game is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over (and having a higher total than the dealer in the process). The art of card counting can greatly increase a player’s chances of success.

Sports Betting – Players wager money on various sporting events, from football to auto racing. The payout for a win is determined in advanced by fixed odds.

Craps – The player rolls a pair of dice and attempts to throw certain totals while avoiding other numbers. Those not currently shooting the dice can also bet on the outcome. A wide range of betting options is available, and craps is known for its community experience.

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Pokies – Called slot machines in other parts of the world, pokies offer various cash prizes for players who match various symbols on the machine’s spinning reels. Pokies have become more advanced in the last decade, especially those featuring audio and video clips from popular movies and TV shows.

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Video Poker – The player receives a hand of five cards on a video screen, and they can then opt to exchange one or all of their cards for new ones. In order to win, their final hand must usually contain a pair of jacks or better. With perfect play, the house edge can be eliminated.

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Keno – Similar to the lottery, keno allows players to choose a series of numbers. A drawing of 20 numbers is then held, and the player wins money for all numbers that result in a match. In the history of keno, no player has ever matched all 20 numbers.

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For some, gaming may mean pokies or blackjack, while others may limit the definition to pastimes such as video games or role-playing; meanwhile, gambling is almost universally regarded as participating in various games of chance, although the connotations of the word can range from neutral to quite negative. Keep in mind these are just terms and whether you game or gamble, most importantly, enjoy it.