Gambling has been a popular source of entertainment and income through many centuries and across cultures all over the world. It is however necessary to define gambling. Gambling is wagering of money or commodities of value on an event, the outcome of which is uncertain. This is done to derive additional money or commodities of value usually within a short span of time.
Some say it is an excellent form of recreation and an important source of income for the government. There are numerous casinos in Britain and even the internet is providing different ways to gamble.
No matter where you are gambling in the casino or horse racing, it is common knowledge that the odds are systematically arranged to guarantee the casino or the bookmaker a profit and the gambler a steady loss. Yet gamblers continue to gamble. Why?
According to a psychologist Dr Luke Clark the factors of near misses and personal choice tends to create an illusion of control although the outcome is entirely based on chance. After having played and lost this illusion changes into loss chasing. This situation is one of severe addiction similar to that of drug use. If you are not given the chance to recover your losses, it may result into symptoms of withdrawal as experienced by drug users. A brain chemical known as dopamine which plays a key part in drug addiction also becomes active here.
There are a number of factors, which play a part in compulsive gambling for example gender, age, socioeconomic, family history, stress are all key elements.
The phenomenon of problem gambling is increasing. In Australia for instance, which has the highest number of addicts, which was 290000 in 2001 and the figure has been increasing ever since. The average gambler used to fritter away 1.8% of his disposable income now it has gone upto 3.6%.
In Britain child poverty is increasing because parents fritter away their money in gambling. It affects not only the gambler but all those who depend on him and those who love him. Though compared to drug addiction, it is actually worse because one night of gambling may ruin a perosn and not only him but his family and also those who depend upon him.
Links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/28/gambling.immigrationpolicy
http://www.research-horizons.cam.ac.uk/features/the-psychology-of-gambling.aspx
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/28/gambling.immigrationpolicy
Some say it is an excellent form of recreation and an important source of income for the government. There are numerous casinos in Britain and even the internet is providing different ways to gamble.
No matter where you are gambling in the casino or horse racing, it is common knowledge that the odds are systematically arranged to guarantee the casino or the bookmaker a profit and the gambler a steady loss. Yet gamblers continue to gamble. Why?
According to a psychologist Dr Luke Clark the factors of near misses and personal choice tends to create an illusion of control although the outcome is entirely based on chance. After having played and lost this illusion changes into loss chasing. This situation is one of severe addiction similar to that of drug use. If you are not given the chance to recover your losses, it may result into symptoms of withdrawal as experienced by drug users. A brain chemical known as dopamine which plays a key part in drug addiction also becomes active here.
There are a number of factors, which play a part in compulsive gambling for example gender, age, socioeconomic, family history, stress are all key elements.
The phenomenon of problem gambling is increasing. In Australia for instance, which has the highest number of addicts, which was 290000 in 2001 and the figure has been increasing ever since. The average gambler used to fritter away 1.8% of his disposable income now it has gone upto 3.6%.
In Britain child poverty is increasing because parents fritter away their money in gambling. It affects not only the gambler but all those who depend on him and those who love him. Though compared to drug addiction, it is actually worse because one night of gambling may ruin a perosn and not only him but his family and also those who depend upon him.
Links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/28/gambling.immigrationpolicy
http://www.research-horizons.cam.ac.uk/features/the-psychology-of-gambling.aspx
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/28/gambling.immigrationpolicy
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