MORE COMPELLING FACTS ABOUT GAMBLING!!

These economic times may encourage more people, out of desperation, to "try their luck" for a quick fix for problems! I urge you to please read this blog!

I have another blog named "The Good About Casinos and Gambling????" However, I found this information today that has even more compelling facts about gambling and how it affects the gambler, family, and other people when there is a gambling addiction. There may be three or four of the symptoms already included in my first gambling blog, but this information in this on is WORTH reading!

Today, December 22, there is an article in The Town Talk (link provided below) with an interview with a recovering addict. Very interesting information in this article. The information in this blog is also included in the newspaper article from The Town Talk.

Interesting story 12-22-07 in newspaper, interview with recovering addict (Click here) (This link may not work now, in 2009) Very educational, though.

TWELVE STAGGERING FACTS, BY THE NUMBERS!

Pathological gamblers have a suicide rate 20 times higher than non-gamblers.

Women comprise one-third of pathological gamblers.

Nearly 50 percent of pathological gamblers borrow on or use up the cash value of their insurance policy.

Forty-two percent of 14-year-olds gamble, 49 percent of 15-year-olds, 63 percent of 16-year-olds, 71 percent of 17-year-olds, 76 percent of 18-year-olds and 89 percent of 19-year-olds.

Eleven percent of gamblers' spouses attempt suicide.

Twenty-five percent of children of problem gamblers have significant behavioral problems.

Sixty-five percent of spouses' of problem gamblers give their spouses their personal savings to gamble or pay debts.

The average among of money owed when a problem gambler seeks help is $43,150.

Almost 75 percent of compulsive gamblers admit that they had thoughts of suicide, 17 percent attempted it.

Nearly 80 percent of problem gamblers say they committed a felony because of their gambling, 22 percent cashed bad checks and 18 percent embezzled money.

More than 10 percent of compulsive gamblers are physically abusive to their spouses and are two times more likely to be abusive to their children.

The average amount of debt for a compulsive gambler ranges from $54,000 to $92,000.

Source: Earl Reed, director of Avoyelles Gambling Recovery Center

TWENTY MORE THINGS WORTH NOTING, BELOW!

Can't stand boredom

Blames others for problems

Has other addictions

Poor money management skills

Addicted to action

Lost significant amount of weight

Doesn't think clearly

Restless and not sleeping

Short-term memory loss

Just talks about the wins, never the losses

Irritable

Poor concentration

Moodiness

Often borrows money or gets paycheck advances

Sells valuable items

Caught stealing or sneaking money from family or friends

Unexplained need for money

Uncharacteristic phone usage

Exaggerated displays of money or other possessions

Unusual interest or reaction to a sports game

Source: Earl Reed, director of Avoyelles Gambling Recovery Center
For HELP: Web sites: www.thegamble.org, http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/or http://www.dhh.state.la.us/

The Good About Casinos and Gambling???

With casinos and other forms of gambling available, the population will find they probably will need to ask these questions at some point, either about themselves, a family member, or a friend. I KNOW it has affected MANY people in Louisiana and other states that that have gambling in their state.

I know that every person that goes into a casino is not addicted to gambling. However, a lot of people that started going for fun, innocently--did develop a problem.
I am not against people having fun, but those who do slip into addictive behavior--it's not fun nor funny!

If you have the opportunity to keep it out of your area, I suggest you read these questions below and weigh the desire to risk needing to ask these questions against any proclaimed wonderful things about having casinos or other gambling/gaming activities near you. Oh, don't forget the on-line availabiltiy of gambling, too.

I know people can always go to Las Vegas or something, but with a casino up the street--it certainly makes it easier for more and more people to "fall in the trap". These questions cover only part of the problems gambling can bring, but it's an eyeopener just to read them. These questions are from various HELP programs that have resulted from gambling addiction in their state.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO EVER NEED TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS to yourself or about someone you know or love????

Twenty Questions about Gambling Addiction, provided to me by a gambling addiction help center.

Answering yes to seven or more of these questions may indicate a gambling problem.

Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?

Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?

Did gambling affect your reputation

Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?

Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?

After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?

Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?

Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?

Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?

Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?

Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?

Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?

Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?

Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?

Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?

Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?



Some Indicators of Compulsive Gambling

How much time is spent gambling

Increase in gambling time and places

Increase in size of bets (sudden and dramatic)

Working up special occasions for gambling (canceling other plans)

Intensity of interest in gambling (constant tension & excitement)

Boasting about winning; evasive about losing

Exaggerated display of money and other possessions

Gambling when there is a crisis

Drop off in other activities

Frequent absences from home and work

Excessive phone use

Withdrawal from family

Personality changes (increased irritability/hostility)

Diversion of family funds

Ask yourself the following questions:

Are you puzzled because you are always short of money?

Does this person sometimes borrow money to pay ordinary monthly bills even though there has been no known change of income or specific increased expense?

Has anything of personal or property value mysteriously disappeared?

Have you sold anything of personal or property value to pay debts?

Is this person secretive about money?

Does this person seem to be more reckless about money than other people and not really weigh his chances?

Have you accidentally discovered secret loans?

Does this person continue to acquire different credit cards?

Has this person ever urgently requested you to cosign a loan?

Do you have any reason to question whether this person has filed an accurate or for that matter, any IRS return?

Has there been a change in the way this person handles money?

Has this person reordered spending priorities?

Has this person let health or life insurance lapse?

Do you have to resort to subterfuge to get money you need from this person?(i.e., overestimating some expenses, under reporting your own income, stealing from this person).

Do you suspect this person took money from you?

Is this person seeking new ways to earn extra money, have a second job or work overtime?

Is this person gambling with greater frequency?