{"id":32874,"date":"2023-02-08T01:51:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T01:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=32874"},"modified":"2023-02-09T20:55:08","modified_gmt":"2023-02-09T20:55:08","slug":"millions-of-americans-are-problem-gamblers-so-why-do-so-few-people-ever-seek-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/millions-of-americans-are-problem-gamblers-so-why-do-so-few-people-ever-seek-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions of Americans are problem gamblers \u2013 so why do so few people ever seek\u00a0treatment?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

James P. Whelan<\/a>, University of Memphis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity to gamble has moved from a trip to Vegas, to a drive to a local casino, to the phone in your pocket. And if you\u2019re a sports fan, nudges to place bets have become nearly impossible to ignore<\/a>, with sports gambling ads and promos routinely appearing on TV, social media, sports radio and in arenas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stunning expansion of sports wagering<\/a> following decades of casino expansion<\/a> certainly gives any rational person reason to pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most bettors, gambling is an occasional form of entertainment \u2013 Powerball tickets when the jackpot swells to $1 billion<\/a>, Super Bowl squares<\/a> with co-workers, a birthday trip to the casino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for other people, the possibility of developing a gambling disorder looms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To what extent should Americans be worried?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To gamble is to be human<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A nuanced answer begins with the fact that gambling has been popular for a long, long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence of gambling has been found in ancient cultures around the world<\/a>. Archaeologists have unearthed dice marked with pips, or dots, in Mesopotamia that date back to 1300 B.C. Historians have located records of dice games in Greek and Indian cities before 400 B.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In North America, one Navajo myth tells the story of Noqo\u00eclpi<\/a>, or \u201cthe gambler.\u201d Informal gambling games and lotteries were common in the American Colonies, including lotteries to fund the Continental Army<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the U.S., sports and gambling have long been intertwined. In the decades after the Civil War, pool halls were set up near Western Union stations so gamblers could easily place bets on horses<\/a>. And sports like baseball and boxing became hugely popular in the 19th century, in part because they attracted action from bettors<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Magazine
Baseball great Pete Rose was punished with a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball for betting on games while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Sports Illustrated<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For as long as there\u2019s been gambling, there has also been problem gambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several writers in ancient India highlighted the consequences of habitual gambling<\/a>. Over 150 years ago, Dostoyevsky famously wrote \u201cCrime and Punishment\u201d to pay off gambling debts<\/a>. And in the 20th century, sports betting imploded the careers of baseball legends \u201cShoeless\u201d Joe Jackson<\/a> and Pete Rose<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When problems arise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I describe this history because it shows that humans have always seemed to find a way to gamble, whether it\u2019s legal or not. And, inevitably, some bettors will experience harm or a gambling disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I direct the Institute for Gambling Education and Research<\/a>, where we focus on the treatment of gambling disorder<\/a> and gambling problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychologists have only recently begun to view problem gamblers as a form of addictive behavior, in which gambling urges, tolerance and withdrawal are akin to how substance use disorders unfold. Researchers have found that brain imaging data and symptom patterns of problem gamblers are similar to those of people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Gamblers can build a tolerance, meaning that they need to gamble more and bet in higher amounts in order to maintain the same levels of excitement. And attempts to cut back or stop can lead to emotional struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also financial and social ramifications to gambling disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distress about money<\/a> is the most frequently cited reason people start questioning whether they have a problem. But other symptoms include<\/a> damage done to relationships, deterioration in mood and the physical costs of this distress. Problem gamblers often lie about or hide their gambling, which can make it difficult for loved ones to recognize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best prevalence research<\/a> shows that somewhere between 1% and 2% of the U.S. adult population, or 2 to 4 million adults, will experience a gambling disorder in their lifetime. Another 3% to 5%, or 5 to 9 million people, will, at some point in their lives, report a subclinical problem, which means that some gambling disorder symptoms are present but the psychiatric diagnosis is not warranted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite some hand-wringing over the expansion of sports betting, I believe any increase in the rate of problems is likely to be temporary. A review of 30 years of research<\/a> on the prevalence of problem gambling and gambling disorder reveals a pattern. More gambling availability tends to lead to a spike in the number of people reporting gambling issues in the short term. However, populations tend to adapt over time; the rate of gambling problems decreases accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will be interesting to see whether the same pattern plays out for sports betting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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