Online casinos: what are the signs of compulsive gambling

Playing in online casinos means gambling . Gambling is fun for most people, but some particularly predisposed individuals can lose control and develop a real pathology.

Unlike other addictions that usually produce visible signs on a physical level, gambling addiction can only be identified by carefully observing the behavior of those at risk.

Compulsive gamblers tend to be active and bright, energetic and competitive, basically the portrait of a model employee looking for a career, until the moment they come to the realization that they have reached “the bottom of the barrel”. Furthermore, the widespread tendency is to hide the problem at all costs, minimizing it even with oneself, even if in reality there is a desperate need for help.

It is difficult to identify suspicious behavior in other behaviors: it is not uncommon for an individual who appears “normal” from all points of view in public to spend most of his free time betting in online casinos , without friends or family making account of the problem.

The most significant indicator of a compulsive gambling situation is the constant need to obtain money, to borrow from friends, family or worse by getting into debt with disreputable individuals. Another common feature is that of hiding the “evidence” of gambling activity: using online casino programs on personal PCs and not shared with others, as well as hiding the account statements in which the charges for playing in the casino appear. online.

The individuals most at risk are those who lead a boring, emotionless life, who suffer from anxiety or depression and who therefore see online casinos, lotteries or slot machines as an escape from an unpleasant reality.

Legal online casinos in Italy put in place some measures to prevent gambling addiction and loss of control, such as customizing daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits and the possibility to request permanent exclusion from gambling activity. .

These procedures, however, have no real use: the online casino databases are not shared, so a player who has reached the limits in a particular gaming site can always turn to another online casino to start playing again. For this reason, not only is it always recommended to play responsibly and only if in stable psychological conditions, but above all to ask someone for help when you begin to become aware of the problem . There are many associations that take care of those with gambling problems.

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