Gambling Addiction: Why We Should Be Checking In

• What do mental health therapists need to know about gambling?
• What types of gambling are there?
• What’s the connection to mental health?

Gambling is a pretty specialized topic.  Mental health therapists are a logical place for problem gamblers to show up. I’m making the case that we should be checking in about this with each client. Even if we only find a few problem gamblers over our careers, the freedom of having that secret out in the open can make all the difference. 

In this Podcast: 

**There is a sound issue about midway through where there's a small echo. It resolves later in the podcast. I apologize for the sound issue!

• More things “count” as gambling than we typically think of.
• Gambling is trading something of value and hoping for something of greater value. 
• Gambling disorder is a diagnosable condition with real tolerance and withdrawal syndrome. 
• Loss-chasing is what sets symptoms apart from substance addictions
• There are three types of games: games of pure chance, games of mostly chance and games of mostly skill
• The most popular and most lucrative of all gambling (for the house that is) continue to be slot machines.
• Slot machines are very different than the days when they had physical reels. 
• Electronic gaming machines (a more accurate term for what passes as slot machines today) are using specific mechanics to reinforce continued play. 
• It’s suggested that EGM’s are deliberately used to get gamblers hooked
• Approximately 90% of a casino’s income comes from 10-20% of their patrons. These represent the problem gamblers. 
• Casino’s are known to extend “credit” to problem gamblers in large quantities to keep them playing. 
• Depression is highly correlated with gambling. Anxiety, personality disorders and Bipolar disorder are correlated as well. 
• Alcohol abuse is also highly correlated with problem gambling along with use of drugs (stimulants especially). 
• There are high suicide rates among problem gamblers. 
• A phenomenon that is being considered for inclusion as “gambling” is loot boxes. 
• It is suggested that gaming companies are using the same tactics for loot boxes as the casinos are. 
• There is concern that loot boxes are creating a generation of problem gamblers and targeting people when they are at a vulnerable stage of development. 
• There are some screeners available to help therapists assess this gambling.