The Behavior of the Compulsive Gambler

The behavior of compulsive gamblers affects absolutely everything in the long run .

Compulsive gamblers lie to family and friends about their gambling , their losses and their gambling debts

They try to keep their game, their losses, and gambling debts a secret as much as possible . They build lies and refined charades to hide their activities and issues .

When opportunities arise or when their financial situation becomes desperate , compulsive gamblers engage in illegal activities to get money to gamble or pay gambling debts off

Hey become soiled through the mud in a cycle of debt in which they constantly seek funds to pay off their debts and continue their game

In three studies of members of Gamblers Anonymous (GA ), which included a total of 394 people in Illinois , Wisconsin, and Connecticut, 56.6 percent admitted to theft in various ways to fund their game

The total amount of money stolen by these people was $ 30,065,812 --- an average of $ 76,309 per person. We had stole $ 8,000,000 and others had stolen $ 7.5 million .

A study of 306 Australian gamblers found that 59 percent had committed at least one crime - related play during their careers game

The most common crimes were theft, misappropriation , embezzlement , breaking and entering and shoplifting .

Armed robbery, drug dealing , and other crimes were less frequently reported.

While the similarities between compulsive gamblers and alcoholics and other addicts hit , compulsive gamblers do not interfere , do not inject or not inhale chemicals.

Exactly what it is they are addicted to ?

The answer seems to be "action" action was described in many ways. It is a euphoric state and awakened. It involves excitement, tension, and anticipation over the outcome of a game event

It's the thrill of life “on the edge “of riding have a destiny on the turn of a card or the roll of a dice.

Compulsive gamblers have described the action as “high" similar to that experienced in the coca ‘ne, the héro’ne, or other drugs.

Some report these sensations as they plan to engage in a gambling activity as well as when they actually play.

Compulsive gamblers also describe the action as “precipitation” which may include rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, even nausea.

A compulsive gambler with described his first major victory --- $ 600 on a long shot at Arlington race track near Chicago --- this way: ' It was like a lightning bolt went off my brain. Looking back [a surplus playing career twenty years], from that moment on, I was hooked. I keep trying to get that lightning bolt to go off again. '

They have been known to go for long periods without sleep, food, water, or use a bathroom. Compulsive gamblers reported experience disassociative trance -like states in which they lose track of time and experiences out-of- body.