Online Gambling is a popular activity that offers players a wide range of options including casino games, sports betting, poker, fantasy sports and lotteries. While online gambling can provide a fun and exciting experience, it also poses several risks and consequences for individuals. These include financial loss, addiction, and the potential for fraud and lack of regulation. Problem gambling can also cause emotional distress and impact personal relationships. For these reasons, it is important to recognize the signs of online gambling addiction and seek help if needed.
The increased accessibility of online gambling has brought new challenges for addiction treatment providers. The American Psychiatric Association has recognized the similarities between gambling and substance use disorders and included gambling disorder in their fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders. This is the first time that a non-substance behavioural disorder has been included in this section.
Some people who gamble become addicted to the habit and find it difficult to stop. This is called pathological gambling or compulsive gambling and can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. Symptoms can include a desire to gamble more money or more frequently to achieve the same high that you get from gambling, lying about how much you gamble, making excuses to gamble and becoming restless and irritable when you try to stop.
Using self-exclusion tools or blocking gambling transactions on your devices is one way to curb these habits. If you have an addictive gambling disorder, professional treatment is recommended alongside self-exclusion to overcome the unwanted side effects of the condition.