In recent times we find a change in the pattern of addictions, with behavioural addictions becoming more frequent, i.e. those that are not based on the consumption of substances but on behaviour.

Specifically, with the irruption of new technologies and the fashion of sports betting, this type of gambling goes up steps in terms of frequency and severity in today’s society. Let’s see what sports betting addiction looks like and what can be done against it.

What is sportsbook addiction?

The profile of the gambler has changed . Years ago we could associate it with the image of the person in the bar playing the slot machines. Nowadays, although this profile and this addiction are still in force, we are faced with a younger profile. Generally, a young man who either plays from home, betting from a mobile application or with the computer, or goes to specific gambling halls to bet money.

We can observe how more and more salons of this type are proliferating and there are more advertising and more applications that predispose to online gaming, which does not facilitate the eradication of this pathology. All this adds up to the fact that is something quite standardised, which is not seen as problematic until the person has already entered a spiral from which it is difficult to get out.

Sometimes this addiction is accompanied either by other types of addictions, such as cannabis or alcohol, or by other types of problems, such as lack of social skills or low self-esteem, although it is true that it is not always this way and there are exceptions.

Symptoms

According to the DSM, pathological gambling or pathological gambling could be diagnosed in a patient showing persistent and maladaptive gambling behaviour, as reflected in the presence of 4 or more of the following symptoms within a 12-month period, along with persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behaviour:

  • The need to bet an increasing amount of money in order to satisfy yourself appears.
  • Nervousness or irritability appears when you try to stop playing, or when you interrupt this practice.
  • It’s hard for him to stop playing, and it takes several attempts where he doesn’t succeed.
  • He spends a lot of time thinking about betting, whether it’s reminiscing about plays, planning new ones or fantasizing about winning a large amount.
  • There is a tendency to gamble more when you feel bad, whether you are sad or anxious.
  • After losing, he feels the urge to bet more to win back what he has lost.
  • He lies to others to hide his involvement in gambling.
  • It compromises friendships and family ties because of gambling and its tendency to ask for money that will not be returned.

What can I do if I have this problem?

Surely, it all started innocently, downloading an application and making a small bet , going to a game room to pass the time… The problem usually occurs when you win a certain amount of money easily, this generates a great satisfaction, which we call positive reinforcement, which can help create and consolidate the false belief that you can control it and win more money (control fallacy).

The bets are increasing, there may be a win some day, but the losses are much higher and the consequences are therefore more serious .

First of all, do not hide the problem and ask for help, getting out of this addiction alone is very complicated, you will need professional and social-family help. Don’t be ashamed, these games are very addictive; once you take the step of wanting to quit, you have already done the main thing to abandon this addiction, following some therapeutic guidelines and working with a psychologist you can abandon this very problematic behaviour.

What can I do if I know someone who has this problem?

Talk to him/her without blaming him/her, try to make him/her understand that he/she has a problem . If he/she doesn’t want to assume it, most likely he/she will deny it, but it may be significant for him/her that someone around him/her has seen this problem and that this generates a “deposit” that may help him/her to realize that something is wrong.

Don’t normalize his behavior , that is, don’t try to minimize it, to compare it with other types of addictions and to minimize it, since you can reduce his motivation.

Offer your help to accompany him in his process ; for example, to look for information together on where to go, to accompany him to the psychologist etc.

Also, let him express how he feels and don’t minimize what he tells you. It is important to have patience, it can be a complex and long process, the important thing is that you stay by his side while he/she goes through the path of unhabitability.

In Mariva Psychologists, we work with this type of addiction both from the most cognitive level (control beliefs, false expectations, use of gambling as an escape route, underlying problems, guilt, low self-esteem, etc.) and at a behavioural level, that is, providing strategies that help change this behaviour and prevent relapses.

If you need more information about this type of treatment, we are at your disposal.