The Hidden Addiction of Gambling: My Prison Without Bars by Pete Rose

2018 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gambling and its effects

“Unfortunately, gambling and winning don’t often go hand in hand.” Pete Rose – My prison without bars. Gambling should be a recreational past time, and to many people it is just that. To an estimated 2% - 3% of Americans it is a major problem in their lives. They are pathological gamblers; some studies indicate they spend around $5 billion dollars annually on gambling. When gambling becomes a problem it impacts that person’s social, emotional and financial life. Legalized gambling in America is creating a wide spread problem, pathological gamblers cannot resist the irresponsible urge to gamble, even though the impact could ruin their marriage, their job and financial security. The sad thing here is a person can very easily hide the fact they are losing control of themselves when it comes to gambling, at least for a while. When family or friends do finally realize what is going on. The gambler has a full blown addiction.
There are several causes of pathological gambling, a particular common cause among gambling addicts is depression. The gambler will use gambling as a way to cope or hide from their feelings or from their depression. While gambling they can get lost in the game and zone out. Gambling can fill a void in a person’s life such as loneliness, job loss or job dissatisfaction, a poor social life or an empty nest can all play a role in a gambling addiction. A lot of pathological gamblers have a distorted view of their financial situation. I interviewed a peer with a gambling problem recently, she said her finances were in shambles, she told me all she needed was one big win to get out of debt and be happy. It never occurred to her that gambling was the main reason her finances were messed up in the first place. She admitt...

... middle of paper ...

...al Health, Feb. 2001. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.
"Biological Basis for Problem Gambling." Gambling Recovery .org. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.
Grant, J.E., Brewer, J.A., & Potenza, M.N. (2006). The neurobiology of substance and behavioral addictions. CNS Spectrums, 11(12), 924-930. Web. 03 Apr.2014.
Blum, K., Cull, J.G., Braverman, E.R., & Comings, D.E. (1996). Reward deficiency syndrome. American Scientist, 84, 123-1 45. Web.03 Apr.2014.
Dackis, C. & O’Brien, C. (2005). Neurobiology of addiction: treatment and public policy ramifications. Nature Neuroscience, 8, 1431-1436. Web.03 Apr.2014.
The University of Granada, "Gambling Addicts Present Brain Function Abnormalities
That Affect Their Decision-making Capacity." Science Daily. Science Daily, 5 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
2013 AGA Survey of Casino Entertainment. Rep. American Gaming Association, 2013. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Gambling: Changing Lives

    1682 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gambling... Who does not like to gamble? People play lotteries, bet on sport games or try their luck on slot machines with a thought to win some amount of money. In fact, this excitement for gambling can be seen even from early ages; for example, ancient Egyptians used to play dice in 2000 BC or the first casinos opened their doors to customers during the Greeco-Roman period ( Whittaker and Cushman 1 ). Nowadays casino industry is a large business in the United States that brings high revenues and offers various entertainment that attracts people from different areas. So just recently residents and visitors of Worcester, Wicomico and surrounding counties got a great opportunity to try themselves in a new Ocean Downs casino that came into operation couple months ago. Ocean Downs casino is an excellent benefit to the community that helps to improve the economic and social status of the county and also serves as a great entertainment for the adult population.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Gambling In Texas

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gambling can have adverse effects on the social welfare of many individuals and families. Gambling can increase the number of individuals and families dealing with gambling addiction and exploit individuals and families who are economically disadvantaged. Under such circumstances, not all forms of gambling should be legalized. This is clear evidence that gambling revenue allocated for Texas schools is not worth the negative effects associated with gambling. Education is a valuable source of growth for all citizens in a community, no one in society can truly grow if one part of society is left

    Read More

  • Texas Gambling: The Morality vs Legality of Casino Gambling

    1845 Words  | 4 Pages

    For years casino gambling was portrayed in the media and Hollywood as being associated with criminal activities and the mafia. Now with proper scrutiny and government regulations casino gambling has become a lucrative business, with casinos stock even trading on Wall Street. Casino gambling is an ever increasingly popular and legal activity in many states throughout the United States. “The term gambling or ‘gaming’ as the industry calls it, means any legalized form of wagering or betting conducted in a casino, on a riverboat, on an Indian reservation, or at any other location under the jurisdiction of the United States” (National Gambling Impact Study Commission Act). States that allow casino gambling benefit vastly by re-incorporating the taxation off of commerce gained from casinos and tourism associated with the casinos back into the state and local communities. Jobs created by casinos also have a positive impact on the economy in local communities surrounding casinos as well as, the states that legalize gambling. Texas, while allowing horse and dog racing, lottery, and charitable bingo, does not currently prohibit casino gambling. In this essay, I will provide the different reasons the State of Texas will benefit from legalizing casinos gambling. By not having casinos, Texas continues to lose valuable tax revenue that could be awarded to state and local government funded programs for example, education, public safety, economic development, and infrastructure improvements. With the increasing number of legal casinos in bordering states such as Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, the loss of tourism and tax revenue is a growing concern for Texas. Passing legislation to allow casinos in the State of Texas will help fund ...

    Read More

  • Social Consequences of Gaming and Casino's

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Compared with other faux pas such as cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, gambling is a relatively new and legal outlet for people to abuse leading to self-harm, maladaptive family structures and an eventual strain on society. While gaming has been around since the beginning of time, the last thirty years has brought about new and more aggressive marketing and with it has come new set of problems. The new world of gambling is orientated around continuous and rapid mass consumption (slot machines) focused primarily upon individuals betting in increasingly socially dislocated environments (Adams). Communities with gaming centers, race-tracks, and casino’s are often located in the poorest parts of cities and suburbs. In the United States, racial and ethnic minorities are among the groups most at risk for gambling problems (Wiggins). A random-digit-dial telephone survey revealed that 8% of Hispanics were pathological gamblers, which is four times higher than the 1.8% rate for Whites (Wiggins). From a social exchange point of view we have to ask ourselves if the risk of increased social disruption outweighs the rewards of local economy stimulation. Is it acceptable to harm the social fabric by increasing crime, bankruptcies, and social pathologies? (Chhabra)

    Read More

  • Gambling and its Effects

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    The adrenaline-rushing feeling of gambling offers people the idea that opportunity lies within their hands. Unfortunately, there are far too many consequences to gambling to even begin to count. To win you must play, and to win big you must play big. As more gamblers can recall their losses rather than their winnings, gamblers are often dealt with poor hands and must play the risky game to stay alive. Even though gambling has so many faults, some still fall under its corruptions because of gambling’s deceiving fallacies.

    Read More

  • Poker's Popularity Grows Among Teenagers

    506 Words  | 2 Pages

    But then again there are also the adults who think that the game is a bad habit, and develops bad gambling habits. "It's fun. It's exciting. It's glamorized on TV and in the media in a way that other addictions are not," says Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. "There's the impression that through skill you can beat the odds. But randomness is always going to have a bigger factor in determining the outcome than your skill." The fact is, is that gambling is an addiction and has been known to be hard to overcome. However, I don’t think that anyone can actually say that it is forbidden because I really think that no matter what, every person takes a chance which can be considered gambling.

    Read More

  • Essay On Gambling In Australia

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gambling is very risk and will impact on finance, family, health and job. Firstly family risk, ”spend more time gambling or think about gambling and it can be difficult to maintain a normal life, this creates stress and ha...

    Read More

  • The Power Of Habit Charles Duhigg Analysis

    1647 Words  | 4 Pages

    Addiction is something that may seem inevitable, but at the end it’s entirely the fault of a person who is addicted. In the article, “the power of habit” by Charles Duhigg, it states how Angie Bachmann became addicted to gambling and how it was entirely her fault because she kept accepting the offers from casinos and many other reasons. Both the casino and Angie knew what they were doing by Angie letting herself get into the situation and the casino encouraging it. She started out as a well-settled housewife. When everybody left the house, she ended up all alone without having much to do. Because of this, one day, as she was passing through the streets, she decided to visit a casino for a change. “She knew gambling could lead to trouble, so

    Read More

  • Gambling Persuasive Essay

    2387 Words  | 5 Pages

    Gambling has been an activity that has been around many states for a while. People like to gamble to test their luck and hopefully get lucky enough to win a prize. Nowadays you don 't have to go to the casino to test your luck, at majority of grocery stores they offer the ability to buy scratch off ticket and or play the powerball. Many people gamble to have fun, as well as, have a good time, but there are others that gambling becomes an addiction that is hard to control. The odds of winning are less favorable than the odds of losing. According to Jost, “lotteries in 43 states” as well as, DC “collectively” made “18 billion in revenue for the state,” along with the “local government.” (Jost,525) The lottery is a great investment for many states and the local government. Something that everyone has to be aware of is that the the lottery will always make a profit. Someone might get lucky enough to win 100 dollars, while 2 other people loss 100 dollars each. The big picture is that nobody is going to invest in a company that is not going to

    Read More

  • Gambling: Pros and Cons

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gambling has been around since 2300 B.C. It has its positive and negative effects; it also has somewhat of a positive impact on the economy. It stimulates most communities by creating jobs and generates tax revenue for state and local governments. The gambling industry in “2002 and the commercial casino industry provided 350,000 jobs in the United States” (americangaming.org). Even though gambling can bring a lot of economic growth to the economy there is still an argument going on today whether it is a great choice to legalize it everywhere.

    Read More

  • Is Gambling A Moral Business Model?

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    Previous anti-gambling arguments focused on the perceived immorality and considered gambling as a sin against God, the society and family. Modern arguments on the other hand, consider gambling as a diseases rather than as a sin. This means that criticism for gambling is directed at the gambling industry, which is condemned for taking advantage of the weaknesses of the gamblers. The opposition to gambling is because it increases family disruptions, domestic violence, increase crime rate and increased use of drugs. However, when gambling is done in moderation there are positive consequences that outweigh the bad consequences. This paper will argue that gambling is a moral business model.

    Read More

  • Angie Bachmann's Article: The Power Of Addiction

    1482 Words  | 3 Pages

    I honestly believe anyone in my shoes would have done the same things,” (pg 252, Duhigg) The relationships were strained and all she thought about was ‘Gambling’ whether she was up or down. It takes courage to stop an addiction especially if you have lost a big amount of money and broke the relationships by that time. But compulsive gamblers (addicted to gambling) go through a problem of being totally out of control. It disrupts their life but still they won’t prefer to stay off the bet.

    Read More

  • Morality And Ethics: Ethical Issues Of Gambling

    1246 Words  | 3 Pages

    As previously mentioned, the issue at the center of the controversy or debate is morality or ethics. Morality or ethics has been at the heart of controversies regarding gambling because some people consider it as unethical. The consideration of gambling as an immoral act is largely attributed to religious beliefs and stigma of obtaining money relatively for nothing. Moreover, the ethical dilemmas and concerns associated with gambling is brought by the emergence of problem gamblers who account for nearly 2.1 percent of total number of gamblers (Kannon, 2012). Therefore, ethical concerns and dilemmas in gambling are fueled by the inherently sinful attitude about the activities, which generate a classical ethical problem from an individual level

    Read More

  • Gambling Addiction

    1128 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gambling addiction is an issue found in numerous areas where gambling is legal. People who are addicted to gambling, also know as problem gamblers, face many health risks including depression, suicidal thoughts, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, migraine and anxiety in addition to marriage breakdown, problems at work and bankruptcy (9). About 2 percent of adults are thought to be problem gamblers (1). In today’s society this costly addiction is not often considered to be a common problem among those who gamble. Only a small amount of states in the U.S. give enough attention toward this rising problem of people that are sometimes even willing to commit crimes just to aid their addiction. In the past our government has sought out a few solutions that help those who have developed an addiction and prevent a further increase in the number of people becoming addicted. Personally, my outlook on the problem is that it needs a better solution. I think that a higher funding to gambling addiction clinics, more ordinance and restriction laws, and more prevention and awareness programs should bee brought into consideration in order to lower the amount of people who become addict to gambling.

    Read More

  • Essay On Gambling And Gambling

    647 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, many “house advantages” exist in gaming today which makes it unfair. Gaming overall has taken a great toll on American society. Recently, gambling has been made legal in several states nationwide, this will eventually cause more issues with economy and bankruptcies all across the nation. Many factors play a role in these bankruptcies, for example probability. Many people have suffered and will continue suffering from gambling. The new laws passed indirectly encourage citizens around the nation to gamble, which will cause many future problems for our nation.

    Read More

More about The Hidden Addiction of Gambling: My Prison Without Bars by Pete Rose

Open Document