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GAMBLING
PSYCHOLOGY
Laurie
Eddie
(Investigator
110, 2006
September)
There are many
different
types of gambling
and for most people they are not a problem.
However, for
some people
gambling can become
an addiction, for these people, whatever the form the gambling takes,
whether
it involves cards, poker machines, horses, lotto tickets, or any other
type of gambling, there are certain common patterns of motivation and
behaviour.
The following
material is
a brief examination
of why people gamble!
THE GAMBLING
HABIT
Behaviour does
not occur
without certain
thoughts preceding it. To try and identify the internal thoughts that
are
at work in your mind, think back to just before your last bout of
gambling:–
- Where were
you?
- What were
you
feeling?
- What were
you
thinking just before the idea
of gambling started to occupy your thoughts?
- Were you in
an
area
where gambling takes place,
or elsewhere?
- If elsewhere
what
encouraged your thoughts about
gambling?
- Why did the
gambling
stop? Was it control or
lack of money?
- That they,
the
gambler has some special talent
that will enable them to beat the odds;
- That they
possess
an
exceptional amount of 'luck'
that will enable them to win;
- That if they
play
a
particular machine long
enough it HAS to pay out;
- That poker
machines
have feelings and that if
they talk nicely to the machine or plead with it, the machine will
eventually
let them win;
- That machine
has
their money and that they will
play the machine until it gives the money back;
- That they
‘deserve’
to win because they have
invested so much time, money or effort on a particular machine;
- That by
winning a
few
small amounts they are
on a winning streak and the jackpot will soon follow.
The fact is
that,
although gamblers dream
about having some special talents or "good-luck" these are simply
delusions.
Even if they do occasionally collect, the winning margins, whether on
the
horses, poker machines, blackjack, etc. are very carefully calculated
so
that the house is the only winner.
The idea that if a person
sits at a poker
machine for a long enough time the machine eventually has to make a
payout,
or give a reward for their effort, is irrational thinking. For
instance,
it has been calculated that some poker machines would have to be played
at least eight hours a day for over twenty years before they pay out a
single jackpot.
The idea of
being on a
winning streak and
it is only a matter of time before the jackpot comes up, is a dream
rather
than a reality. Gamblers believe that, because there are few small wins
the big prize has to soon follow, however the machines are designed to
pay out that way. The manufacturers understand that small wins
reinforce
the gamblers belief that winning is possible and that encourages them
to
keep trying.
Another common fallacy of
gamblers is to
recall their wins and forget their losses. They will recall how they
previously
won $1000 and "how easy it was to win", forgetting that they probably
outlaid
$10,000 to win that $ 1,000.
It is part of human
behaviour to remember
our successes and forget our failures, and gamblers are the very worst
users of this form of rationalization. Not only do they forget they
spent
$10,000 to win $1,000 but also they forget that their winnings plus
other
money was also lost and that they ended up broke.
Gamblers will usually
promise themselves
they will only spend $20 and then walk away. In fact the $20 becomes
$30,
$50, then $100, as they remain certain that the very next $1 has to be
the winning dollar.
THE WAY
BACK –
REBUILDING
A LIFE WITHOUT
GAMBLING.
No one is ever born a
gambler; like so many
other habits gambling is a form of behaviour that is learned.
Over time habits tend to
be formed because
they give positive emotional stimulation. This influences the way that
people think and then behaviours form to maintain the emotional
stimulations.
Often the behaviour acts as a reward, relieving stress or boredom.
Sometimes
the behaviour is triggered by greed, or as an act of defiance, a secret
way of getting back at a spouse; there are as many reasons why people
gamble
as there are gamblers.
Just as gambling habits
generally develop
gradually, so too does the gambler behaviour need to he gradually
replaced.
As part of this process there is a need to exchange the gambling for
something
else, to avoid leaving a vacuum in the gambler’s life.
Gamblers had a life before
the habit became
an obsession and compulsion. The gambler must decide what they really
want
out of life!
Personal motivation is
essential. No one
else can do it for them; no one else can make another person gamble and
no one else can make them stop gambling.
In our society, at the
present time, poker
machines have become the most popular form of gambling; there are a
number
of underlying reasons for this, reasons that few poker machine players
understand.
In an attempt to explain
some of the hidden
drives that encourage gambling addiction, we will use poker machines as
an example of how gamblers are manipulated.
The environment of poker
machine parlours
has been carefully designed to attract and hold customers, especially
gamblers.
They are like cocoons. Because there are no windows the outside world
is
completely shut out, removing any possible external stimulation. They
do
not have clocks so that people lose track of time. They have people
there
to help players spend money; they provide free tokens to get players
started,
free coffee and tea, cheap meals. All add to the gambler’s feelings
that
they are in a caring environment, with real friends who want to help
and
care for them.
For the bored they offer
the excitement of
the noise and the flashing lights, all designed to stimulate you, get
you
excited, so that you stop thinking rationally. The lights, color,
sounds
are all part of the tender trap. The facts are that the bigger the
prize
they offer, the greater are the losses. There are no free lunches; all
the free gifts are given because the operators know that for every
dollar
they give away they get thousands back as profit!
Sometimes the gambling
starts as a means
of escaping from personal or domestic problems. However, gambling
usually
makes matters worse; it adds to the problems, especially the financial
problems. Gambling is an insidious trap; it is not the means to freedom.
A major
problem with
gambling addicts is
that the gamblers do not feel good about themselves. They often feel
they
are failures and their gambling enables them to keep on proving how
much
of a failure they really are. Coping with the negative thoughts,
raising
self-esteem are all essential parts of the come back trail
STEPS
TO HELP STOP GAMBLING
There are a number of ways
that can help
you stop gambling. Some of the psychological processes are listed
below:–-
Personality Assessments:
These are
often described as "pen and paper" assessments. There are long
established
questionnaires which can help identify personality profiles, locate
strengths
and resources as well as being able to locate weaknesses. They provide
useful information to allow a plan of action to he developed.
Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy: A practical
step by step way to unravel thought patterns and replace the negative
thinking
and behaviour with a more-positive constructive way. This in turn can
lead
to new ways of coping with life events. Habits commence with thoughts
and
emotions. These in turn shape behaviour. CBT allows the person to gain
insights into their irrational thought patterns, and enables them to
rediscover
thought pattern that can help change the behaviour. It allows
the
person to regain control.
Behaviour Modification:
A conscious
planned approach to changing habits or behaviours. Though a person may
have tried to change unwanted habits by choice or will power these
often
fail. Success is more likely with a behaviour modification planned
approach.
Relaxation Training is
a step towards
regaining control over thoughts and actions.
Thought blocking:
Thoughts are a form
of internalized communication; often the more the attention focuses on
a problem the more it becomes an obsession. Trying not to think or
behave
in a manner often leads to the inability to resist.
Hypnosis: This can
be a useful part
of management of many habits. It can assist in locating issues,
identifying
resources and reshaping behaviors.
Self-hypnosis:
Though all hypnosis is actually self hypnosis, this process allows the
user to create patterns of self management and self control.
Self-hypnosis
can be used as a choice and can assist the individual to be more in
control
of their life.
Bio-feedback: The
mind is constantly
active. For some, a lot of this activity is fear, worry and concern.
These
thoughts can cause stress and that stress can he measured simply by a
finger
tip measuring device. It allows the person to actually see and hear how
the body is responding to thought processes. The person can also see
and
hear what occurs when those thought patterns are changed.
Sound Light Entrainment:
A new way
of using old methods. It is effective in a way similar to relaxation
training,
meditation or self hypnosis. This method uses a carefully balanced
state
of light and sound combined with guided instructions to discover the
origins
of the gambling and then develop changes in your behaviour. This form
of
therapy can also assist other changes, by reducing stress, and helping
to develop useful alternative strategies.
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hundreds of questions in religion and the paranormal are on this
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