Developing Stages to Gambling Addiction

To get a proper overview of how gambling addiction occurs at non GamStop casinos, we can use Custer’s classification to explain it.

The Building Phase

In the first phase, winning and losing are included and affect whether the player continues to play. If the player ends up constantly losing, he/she usually decides to quit. If the player ends up making money, it is more common to continue playing and enter the winning phase.

The Winning Phase

In the winning phase, the player gambles from time to time, but this is increased as the player wins more often and larger amounts. There is a strong urge from the player to get more and more money. Gradually, the gameplay increases in length and becomes more integrated into the player’s general behavior. The player develops self-confidence and a belief that it is his own skills and knowledge that are the reason for the winnings.

The Loss Phase

When the winning phase comes to an end, the player enters a losing phase with long periods of losses. Here, the player feels that his self-image is threatened. Therefore, he hides the losses, and tries to find money to play through both legal and illegal methods to win back the lost. This causes the player to end up in debt and move into the desperate phase.

The Desperate Phase

In the desperate phase, the player must accept the negative consequences of his gambling behavior. It often involves enormous debt, loss of close relationships and social contacts, loss of job or income, as well as psychological and physical ailments.

Gambling is no longer a realistic solution. The player experiences becoming more and more desperate, and wants to run away or even has suicidal thoughts. Here, the player can also become a participant in criminal activity, which means that he/she has to deal with the police and the judiciary. At this point, some players end up with the emergency services.

The Road Back From Gambling Addiction

In the midst of all the desperation, the player is put in a situation where a choice to be helped must be made. This leads the player into three stages to recover fromgambling addiction.

The Critical Stage

In this phase, the player feels more in control of the situation that has arisen and has a desire to be helped. In this connection, the first steps are being taken to overcome the problems that have arisen.

The Recovery Phase

In this phase, the player begins to rebuild his life. The player has income at the same time as family and friends begin to regain their trust.

The Growth Phase

In this phase, players have grown and established a new lifestyle without gambling.

What Causes Gambling Addiction at Non GamStop Casinos?

No one knows exactly what causes gambling addiction, but there is no doubt that there are several influencing factors. This can include mental disorders (such as substance abuse), how old you are when you first start playing, and how big your first winnings are.

Biological Factors

One of the most important causes of gambling addiction is biological factors, as certain aspects of gambling addiction have similarities with other addictions. Brain imaging has shown that winning at gambling can trigger a neurological response, similar to when a cocaine addict takes cocaine.

Other factors that have been linked to compulsive behavior are missing levels of norepinephrine (a chemical linked to dangerous situations and stress), as well as serotonin (a chemical linked to well-being and happiness). There are genetic studies that show risk factors that indicate that people may be genetically predisposed to develop impulse or addiction disorders.

Psychological Factors

How a person thinks about gambling can play an indirect role in whether or not a problem develops. What is called the gambler’s fallacy, also called the Monte Carlo fallacy, provides an apparent rationalization of compulsive behaviour.

The gambler’s mistaken thinking is that a series of independent events can affect the chances of independent future events. For example, if a coin is flipped five times and ends in crowns each time, the chance is still 50% for both crowns and coins the next time, even if the previous flips all ended in crowns.

The gambler, on the other hand, thinks that the coin has a higher probability of landing on coins next time to make up for the previous streak of coins. This in turn leads to problem players often getting extra motivation to chase losses, in the belief that luck must just turn around the corner.

People with gambling addiction often have a different and distorted way of thinking. Some examples of this are players refusing to admit the seriousness of their gambling behaviour, having superstitions, not emphasizing and pushing away losses, as well as an excessive belief in the outcome of future events.

It has been observed that fast-paced games can increase the likelihood of problem gambling behaviour. A slot machine with quick bets and game rounds may be more attractive to problem gamblers than, for example, a lottery that only takes place once per day.

Social Factors

There may also be other external factors that cause this behaviour. Stress, personal problems or difficulties in working life can be factors that trigger gambling problems in some people, but still do not have to be the cause of such behaviour. Your sociological environment can influence and promote unhealthy gambling habits. Addiction to gambling can also increase during periods of social isolation or when you cannot leave your home.

There is also a common thread between gambling addiction and depression, anxiety, life events, loneliness, and less social support from the circle of friends. Gambling addiction can also be passed down to or affect younger family members.