Today many people suffer from some kind of disease psychological nature. This does not mean that you have developmental disabilities or some stage of schizophrenia, it may well be a simple addiction to something. More often, such people do not admit that they are not subject to their decisions; many things seem trivial.
For example, a person takes out another cigarette, justifying this by the fact that he likes it, and at any moment he can quit smoking, and after a couple of days, in the absence of money, he finds no place for himself, wanting to take the desired puff. It is also important to note that there are those who suffer from gambling addiction. How to recognize a gambling person who is ready to play slot machines at night? What should you pay attention to when analyzing your personality? You will learn about this in this article.
What signs can be used to determine the tendency to gamble?
1. You are quite aggressive. This is a character trait that is typical of many gamblers. In any gambling game there is an opponent, be it a person or a slot machine. This is why the player becomes competitive in an attempt to win. To do this, it is important to have enough strength and aggression so as not to give up and lose. The more difficult the game, the more pressure and skill to fight is required. It turns out that the player attacks the opponent, and as a result the game often resembles a battle. If you feel that aggression is a fairly common manifestation of your self, then you should categorically refuse gambling.
2. Sometimes you feel like taking risks. These are people who love to get incredible emotions from overcoming their fears. Often individuals who show a weakness for gambling jump from bridges on an elastic band, fly with parachutes and dive under water from scuba gear. The thirst for risk is part of the life of gambling people, so they often come to the point that such games become their passion and everyday life. If you have ever felt a surge of energy and a pleasant rapid heartbeat in a moment of danger, then there is a high probability that you will gamble. Such people get real pleasure from risk, sometimes wanting not to achieve results, but simply to take part.
3. You have a desire to assert yourself. You've probably noticed that most players are . It is very important for them to feel like a winner and arouse admiration from others. How to achieve this? You can conquer peaks and collect stars from the sky, or you can go to the local casino and get similar emotions. This is why people who lack self-confidence are more likely to have any kind of addiction. But here a trap awaits many, because you can increase your self-esteem a little, but you can get a completely opposite effect due to losses and the condemnation of others.
4. Do you like to "hunt". Most often, such a hunt is carried out by men, because they want to achieve their goal, demonstrate their strength and greatness. In order to provide for themselves and their families, many people do desperate things. People are hunters by nature, and in gambling you can express yourself to the fullest. If you are inclined to get your way by any means, and feel true pleasure when, after long days of hunting, you get what you wanted, then you are a gambling person. Perhaps you are not interested in gambling at the moment, but no one knows how it will be after some period of time.
5. Love to trust your intuition. Intuition is a wonderful quality that not many people have. If you start listening to your inner voice, there is a high chance that you will do a lot of positive things in life. But this does not apply to gambling, because it is not so important how you feel. Many people deceive themselves, convincing themselves that this game will definitely bring victory, and then they are surprised at how much money they spent. You should not trust your intuition when gambling, otherwise you risk losing everything. It’s better to approach it from a scientific point of view and build the game step by step. Many gambling people claim that it is necessary to trust your intuition, but what you do is your decision.
6. You are prone to impulsive actions. Have you ever done something, and then later realized how stupid it was? Often people who act impulsively start gambling. Here everything depends on the situation, because some people manage to get acquainted with this area personally, while others are not aware of what sensations gamblers get. If you react quickly and thoughtlessly to some situations in your life, then under no circumstances try to play slot machines or visit a casino. You simply cannot cope with yourself, and this is fraught with sad results.
7. Do you want to be a leader. Or you already are. Maybe you are successfully working as a director or managing manager, or maybe you were the organizer of many events at school and knew how to lead people. In this case, the risk of becoming an experienced gambler is also high. Surely you feel true pleasure when others recognize your primacy and want to be like you. It is in this case that there is a high probability of developing a gambling addiction. If you know that you are a leader or want to be one, take up other activities and let gambling become taboo for you.
8. It's easy to convince you. Be prepared for the fact that you will be “handled” by real professionals in their field, so leaving the casino with money is not so easy. They will convince you that luck is on your side, that there is nothing more valuable in life than winning a big game, etc. If you have already had the experience of being persuaded to buy a product you don’t need or make a choice that was not profitable for you, then you should give up gambling. It is possible that you came to the casino because someone brought you, or you simply heard a lot of positive reviews. People who are easy to convince of something become real victims of the gambling business. Choose something different for yourself, because when gambling it’s not you, but the employees of the establishment who will be thinking.
Who is the gambler? Maybe this is a player who occupies an intermediate position between a cold-blooded bettor and a gambler? Or someone for whom the stakes are still something more than entertainment? Let's try to understand these issues and draw a psychological portrait of a gambler.
The King's Last Argument
In a situation where parity is established between an informed decision and an impulse, the gambler will always choose the second option, that is, the emotional impulse. Because it is often more interesting and looks intriguing. Often a bettor ignores the last reasonable basis in order to clear the way for a decision that is closer to his soul.
Money is money, and a game is a game
As it was sung in the unforgettable song, “Everyone always needs money.” They really enhance victory like nothing else, but the game itself is no less important for a gambler. After all, there are many ways to make money. Working in oil fields in the Tyumen region promises much more profit. However, it is boring and difficult, which cannot be said about the game. The very sweet anticipation, the languid feeling of choice, the excitement that forces you to bet more than you intended - this is what the player expects from betting.
The importance of autonomy
The gambler is pleased with the fact that he makes all decisions himself. A boring, corrosive newcomer torments his experienced comrades, stares at the computer monitor until his eyes hurt, but there is no sign of excitement here. But a real bettor comes for him. Gambling implies independence of the bet, which in turn means participation in luck.
In other words, having won, such a player wants to feel proud that it was his opinion that attracted luck, that he himself was able to unravel the tangle of doubts and put on the toga of a winner. Your own decision, your own victory and, as a result, self-confidence.
Losing won't discourage you
It's as if the player is walking through deep snow. The crust survived one step, but failed on the next step. For a gambling person, every defeat is just a stepping stone to the next action. And if he pays attention to his failures, in the future he will be more careful, but he will still play.
A gambler is like a slalom athlete. He avoids obstacles that arise on his way, he may fall, but he continues to move towards his goal. A gambler will not just stop playing.
Professionalism offends him
A gambler is always an amateur. But not in the Olympic meaning of the word, which implies financial disinterest in the results, but in the original British meaning, where an amateur is someone who takes part in an event, including a sporting one, for pleasure. Amateurs in the UK are traditionally treated with respect. So, the professional approach to the game does not suit the gambling bettor. A professional may not play because there is no suitable event, or bet when he doesn’t feel like it, according to the system. A gambler knows many secrets of skill, but uses them as long as they do not limit the pleasure of the game.
Involvement in what you love
He talks about it everywhere. He listens to his acquaintances about their successes and fiascoes, but takes nothing away as useful baggage. He discusses his plans and past events, but is not going to listen to other people's opinions. He is also interested in sports broadcasts from the point of view of betting. And the player carefully notes those events that he was able to predict in his internal bookmaker's office.
He places bets in several bookmakers, but also looks at the sites of others. Complete immersion, but without the psychosis so typical of gambling addicts. Just a parallel flow of life, which from time to time approaches the main deep loop-like amplitude.
Innocent Surprise
Sometimes you are amazed at the childish expression on the face that appears on a bettor who has won good money. There is deep satisfaction in it, and disbelief that this actually happened, and disbelief that this even happens. Passionately believing in victory and declaring their confidence in winning at every corner, gamblers still receive a mixed feeling of surprise and joy from it. And their story about him is reminiscent of a detective story in which the player was in imminent danger of failure. But about the future, they again show brilliant confidence. And I'm eager to play.
Hobby
Hobbies have always been considered an appendage to a person’s professional activity. First, when meeting someone, they ask about work, then about hobbies. But a hobby is incomparably more important for a person. Most people work only for money; in this sense, bettors are no different from the mass of other people. And a hobby is what the heart cherishes and the soul requires, something that fills free time and colors it. As long as passion fits comfortably within the fragile framework of your favorite activity, it’s a hobby; if not, it’s an addiction. A favorite hobby pleases and warms the soul of a gambler.
Internet addiction is one of the most pressing problems facing humanity today. This is due to the perception of the Internet as a means of satisfying many needs: obtaining information quickly, conveniently and easily, establishing contacts with other people through communication on forums, correspondence and dating on social networks, and the like. This can lead to the fact that a person spends more and more time on the Internet, prefers being on it to other types of activities, experiences an obsessive desire to return to the Internet - a person develops Internet addiction.
The danger of developing Internet addiction is due to an inadequate perception of the Internet, the use of which becomes an end in itself, the lack of a culture of Internet use, and the insufficient introduction of preventive measures aimed at preventing the occurrence of Internet addiction. The famous psychologist Kimberly Young identifies five main types of Internet addiction: cybersex addiction (the attraction to visiting porn sites and engaging in cybersex); passion for virtual dating; passion for online gambling; endless surfing on sites and searching for information; addiction to computer games.
We are, of course, interested in gambling addiction. Let's look at where it comes from and how to avoid it. But first, I suggest all readers take the test for gambling addiction. If you answer “Yes” to the questions more than seven times, then this article is about you.
- Have you ever missed work or school to gamble?
- Did you feel unhappy after the game?
- Has gambling ever had a bad effect on your reputation?
- Have you ever felt remorse after playing?
- Have you played to pay off debt or solve your financial problems?
- Has gambling reduced your ambition or performance?
- Did you feel after a loss that you had to get back into the game as quickly as possible and win back?
- After winning, did you have a strong conviction that you should return to the game and win even more?
- Do you often play until you've lost everything?
- Have you ever played in debt?
- Did you have to sell anything to play?
- Is there a concept for you of “gambling money” that you use only for gambling?
- Has gambling caused significant financial harm to you or your family?
- Have you ever played longer than you planned?
- Have you ever played a game to forget about your troubles when you are bored or lonely?
- Have you ever broken the law to get money to play?
- Have you ever suffered from insomnia due to thoughts about gambling?
- Do problems, disappointments or frustrations make you want to get away from it all and play?
- Do you have a habit of celebrating your gambling victories?
- Have you ever thought about suicide after losing?
According to social studies conducted in the USA, gaming addiction was diagnosed in 1-1.5% of the total number of players surveyed. I hope that among visitors to the Casinoz portal the percentage of gambling addicts is not higher. Shall we check? Please write in the comments how many times you answered “Yes”. I think everyone will be interested.
Formation of gambling addiction
Online gaming is more likely to be addictive than offline gaming because it provides faster exposure and the opportunity to play alone. Mostly young people fall into the captivity of gambling due to their immaturity, although mature people can also show a penchant for it. Only a small number of addicted gamblers prefer specific types of gambling. Boredom and a feeling of emptiness in life can lead to pathological gambling. Some seek release and relaxation in the game, while others, on the contrary, seek thrills. Most play to win, but some play to lose or to see if they can win. Despite the fact that all over the world they are trying to control gambling in one way or another, gambling is legal in most countries. Therefore, it is difficult to draw the line between cultural characteristics and disease.
To explain the mechanisms of this dependence, its criteria should be highlighted: accessibility, control and arousal.
- Accessibility is explained by the fact that with the advent of the Internet, a person has immediate access to many virtual casino sites, to web pages with the latest stock information, to online stores where you can find almost any thing. This makes the Internet especially attractive for gambling.
- Control means personal control over one's actions in cyberspace.
- Excitement is realized as the receipt of peak emotional experiences that appear both in case of winning and in case of loss.
The abandoned wife of the player and the mother of a son who wanders in an unknown place suffers. Burdened with debts, frightenedly looking for money, he goes to other people's houses at night.
Rigveda, "The Gambler's Hymn". Translation by Elizarenkova T. Ya.
Online poker has been actively developing in the Russian segment of the World Wide Web since the second half of the 2000s. The disastrous consequences for a person from an addiction to playing poker and other card games are expressed no less noticeably in comparison with such widespread addictions on the World Wide Web as pornography, online casinos, and network games.
World religions, such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, clearly interpret the craving for gambling as an unnatural and sinful impulse. For a person on the path of spiritual development, the desire to gamble should be nipped in the bud.
For example, in Buddhism, the reasons for the negative attitude towards gambling can be traced to the four noble truths - the main teachings of the Buddha. The second noble truth speaks about the cause of suffering - it is desire, an insatiable desire. This insatiable desire is also present in the craving for an easy way to get money by participating in gambling.
Online poker began to grow at a particularly rapid pace - in the world and in Russia in particular - after the victory of amateur Chris Moneymaker at the largest poker tournament in Las Vegas in 2003 (the so-called “Moneymaker effect”, which poker industry businessmen did not fail to take advantage of) . In the same tournament in 2008, Russian professional player Ivan Demidov took second place, which gave additional impetus to the spread of poker in Russia.
Gaming applications are common on popular social networks that allow you to play poker with other people for play money. Is poker the art of reading an opponent and calculating the odds in a pot, or a severe gambling addiction that destroys a player’s personal life and prevents a person from developing in ordinary areas of life? Disputes on this topic have not subsided to this day.
Of course, if a player is fluent in poker mathematics, understands psychology, knows how to “read” opponents and determine their level of play, is calm and reasonable and does not succumb to “tilt” (inappropriate emotional state caused by losing or winning) – such a player will win more than to lose. Why? Because most players are amateurs and cannot make much progress in the game due to various reasons.
According to some data – poker sites don’t really like to disclose exact data – approximately 90% of online poker players lose. The remaining 10% (or even less) are professional poker masters who make a living from the amateur play of inexperienced players.
Some card game fans view poker as a leisure activity that allows them to tickle their nerves and experience excitement for reasonable money. Others may spend more free time playing poker, losing more money while still keeping their passion in check. The third category of losing players may have serious psychological problems, the cause of which is a painful addiction to the game (gambling, gambling addiction, gambling addiction).
And this third category is not so small. Young people who spend a lot of time on the Internet and pay attention to offers on how to easily earn money without leaving home are especially susceptible to acquiring a gaming addiction.
Many thematic sites related to leisure and the gaming industry are replete with offers of poker rooms (poker rooms where the actual game is played). Poker rooms offer tempting deposit bonuses, special offers and promotions for beginners.
In poker rooms where real money is played, there is a tense and unfriendly atmosphere. After all, the player’s goal is to defeat his opponent and add the money of the defeated player to the money in the account of the more skilled and successful player. It’s a common occurrence when a losing player starts swearing in the chat and cursing the offender at all costs. To be fair, it is worth noting that most players try to behave with dignity, despite the psychological stress.
Here are just a few facts indicating the harmfulness of addiction to gambling:
- Stewart Errol Unger, who won the main event of the World Series of Poker three times, spent most of his winnings on sports betting and drugs. Unger died at the age of 45 as a result of heart disease caused by drug use;
- Professional poker player Ernest Scherer was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his parents in 2008. The motive for the brutal crime was the desire to alleviate the difficult financial situation in which Scherer was by receiving an inheritance;
- poker player Alessandro Bastianoni committed suicide in 2013 after a series of significant losses;
- Andre Moore in October 2013, while playing cards with his brother, discovered that he had cheated, and in a fit of anger, fatally wounded his relative with a pistol shot.
The above examples of the harmful influence of games on human behavior make us think seriously.
In some countries, poker and other gambling are recognized not only as illegal, but as a real evil, for which you can get a real prison sentence or become the object of a public beating. These are Afghanistan, Indonesia (including a ban on online games), Bhutan, Algeria, and the Vatican. In Israel, the game of poker was banned in 2008, and residents of the country are prohibited from playing even at home with friends.
But, unfortunately, online poker is formally banned almost nowhere, including in Russia. It is also sad that many countries only pretend to somehow fight this problem, but in fact they are only trying to control the cash flow by collecting taxes from this business. So the game doesn't stop, but becomes a little more difficult for end users...
There are countries that recognized poker as a sport, and Russia was no exception (in August 2009, they still approved poker as a game of chance and introduced a ban on participation, but established 4 gambling zones). And here the saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” would be appropriate. Of course, the opinion that sports poker increases the intellectual and ethical development of the individual, helps to distract citizens from negative and bad habits and antisocial forms of behavior and is a useful and enjoyable way of spending free time, has a right to exist, BUT... Almost all people associate poker with with the opportunity to earn easy money, and an innocent, at first glance, hobby can provoke the appearance of mental disorders and the formation of a serious addiction. Statistics show that there are much fewer people suffering from drug addiction than those who gamble.
International classification of diseases: disease No. F60 “A disorder consisting of frequent, repeated episodes of gambling that dominate the subject’s life and lead to a decrease in social, professional, material and family values.” Pathological addiction to gambling leads to the fact that for a person, gaming is the only way to relieve stress, forget grievances, a way of communication, a pursuit, a dream of getting rich, establishing one’s importance, gaining recognition, a way to fill a certain emptiness. A process of personality destruction occurs, which is aggravated by social consequences, i.e. impoverishment, job loss and family breakdown. It is very difficult to understand this addiction, because it is a psychological programming and keeps the player’s thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions under control. In gamers, even the biochemical composition of the active substances of brain cells changes, which manifests itself in the form of perverted emotional reactions. Instead of fear from a sense of danger, players begin to experience euphoria, an intoxicating feeling. The very important neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for positive feelings towards others, feelings of satisfaction and joy, decreases to incredibly low levels.
In poker itself (or any other type of card game), in the eyes of the average person, there is nothing illegal or unacceptable. At the same time, does the game help the individual achieve something truly important and valuable, does it contribute to the development of your noble qualities or opens up a deeper understanding of the world and your purpose? A card game takes up time and energy - the most important resources at the disposal of an individual, and is capable of bringing out terrible feelings and disgusting impulses in the human personality that will destroy the player's life, turning it into one big stupidity...
So is it worth spending such a valuable life in the human body so as not to actually be present in it, immersed in the world of the game?
The decision is yours, I hope we will be on the same side!