Gambling Addiction: Pathological or Compulsive Gambling

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Recommended: Problems that arise when gambling

In order to properly discuss the problem, we should first answer two simple questions: What is gambling as a whole?
Gambling is generally defined as the voluntary risking of a sum of money called a stake, wager, or bet, on the outcome of a game or other event. Particularly in poker, the gambler puts his money on his own skill or luck in the game (Herman).
And what is problem gambling?
Gambling addiction is gambling behavior turned from a fun past-time hobby into an addiction that causes major disruptions in your life: psychological, physical, and social. The condition is also known as ''Pathological'' or ''Compulsive'' Gambling. It is characterized by the increasing preoccupation with the game, a desire, a need to bet more and more money on it, chasing losses, the inability to stop, the absolute loss of control, despise serious and negative consequences (NPC).
Sadly, in the present it is a serious, but easily overlooked problem in our society. In fact, according to the statistics of National Council, over 3 millions of adults and 35 millions of teens are addicted to gambling. The addiction also can easily become a problem that affects not just the person, but his family and friends as well. For some people, gambling can become as serious an addiction as drugs, tobacco, or alcohol (Gambling Addiction). Once started, it's very hard to stop: however, there are solutions to the problem no matter how deep in you are: staring with addmiting you have a problem, very similar to drug addiction, to seeking help from a specialist, and all around changing your lifestyle to a better future with responsible gambling.
There are multiple causes of gambling addiction, and the first of them is when a person feels that they are in financial ruin...

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...causes-and-effects/>
"Gamblers Aonymous Fellowship." No Gambling Addiction. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May
2014. http://nogamblingaddiction.com/gamblers-anonymous.htm
"Gambling Addiction." Kids Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/gambling.html Gambling Addiction & Problem Gambling." Help Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr.
2014. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/gambling_addiction.php
Herman, Robert D. Americana Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
NPC Gambling. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. pages/index.cfm?pageid=1> Shaheen, Kareem. "The Dark Side of Gambling." Daily Star [Beirut] 13 Sept. 2013:
n. pag. Print.
"USA Gambling Addiction Statistics." No Gambling Addiction. N.p., n.d. Web. 12
May 2014. .

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