A Better Way to Identify Compulsive Gambling Problems

May 16, 2014 by

identify-compulsive gambling problemsOne of the realities of the online gambling world is that there are a small percentage of people who are predisposed to addictive behavior, and when those people get involved with gambling, things can turn out bad for them. The standard way to identify compulsive gambling problems is through a 20-question survey that asks a wide range of questions, and if you say yes to a number of them, then you are likely to have problem gambling issues. The 20 questions model has been criticized for being vague and redundant, and we have a suggestion for a better way to tackle the issue.

Identify Compulsive Gambling Problems With One Simple Question

The 20 questions format is a good effort, and it’s helped a lot of people. However, it can be difficult in the moment to remember all 20 of the questions and to analyze a situation using so many pieces of information. In light of this, we have a simple question that you can ask that will cut right to the heart of the matter in black or white:

Has the person in question gambled at a time they should not have or with money that should not have been wagered?

This question makes it easy and straight-forward to evaluate the behavior of yourself or someone else who gambles. If the answer to this question is yes, then efforts should be made to curb your own gambling or to help someone else to get help.

How This Question Works

Let’s apply this question to an example scenario. Suppose that Jim gets off work and goes home to dinner with his family. During dinner, he gets up to go to the bathroom and takes his phone with him. In the bathroom, he’s actually hiding away to play a few rounds of penny slots that are well within his budget before going back and finishing dinner with his family. Does Jim have a compulsive gambling problem?

Chances are that Jim is starting to exhibit signs of compulsive gambling because it was an inappropriate time for him to go play slots even though it was with a reasonable amount of money.

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