Gambling involves risking something of value (the stakes) on an event with an uncertain outcome, for the chance to win something of greater value. The event can be as simple as a roll of the dice, a spin of the wheel or betting on a horse race.
While gambling can be fun and exciting, for some people it becomes a serious problem that causes harm to their health, relationships with family and friends and even work performance and financial difficulties. It can also lead to depression and even suicide in extreme cases. Many people have told us that they didn’t realise that their gambling was a problem until they were hit with mounting debts, court summons for non-payment of debt or repossession action on their home.
There are a number of ways to reduce the chances of gambling becoming a problem, including setting time limits for how long you spend at the casino or on online gaming sites. You can also set a daily budget and divide your cash into envelopes for each day of the week to prevent you from using money that is meant for the weekend on a Monday morning.
Another way to limit your gambling is to find a hobby or social activity that fills the void that gambling can create in your life. If you spend time with your loved ones, take a walk or go shopping, for example, it will distract you from your cravings to gamble.
It is important to talk openly about gambling with your family and friends, so that you can discuss the issues and help to find solutions together. This will be particularly useful if your gambling is causing conflict with your family, for example if it is affecting the relationship between you and your partner or child.
Gambling is a highly addictive activity, and it’s easy to lose track of how much time you are spending gambling. It is a good idea to keep a diary of your gambling activity, so that you can see how often and how much you are gambling each day. This will allow you to identify any patterns or habits that you can change.
If you feel that your gambling is a problem, it is helpful to seek support from a trusted friend or family member who will not judge you. It’s also worth talking to a GP or finding NHS support. You may also find that writing down your motivations to gamble can be helpful in identifying the triggers and helping you to address them. Lastly, it’s worth trying to reduce your access to money – you can do this by getting rid of credit cards or only keeping those that cannot be used for gambling, closing any online betting accounts and only carrying a small amount of cash with you. You can also try to reduce your exposure to gambling environments by telling any gambling establishments that you have a gambling problem and asking them to restrict your access.