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Many times we are in a situation and we do not not realize the intensity of the problem. One such case is compulsive gambling. In simple words, it means that you are unable to control the urge to get involved with gambling even after understanding the potential harms associated with it.

Here are some signs of compulsive gambling :

1) Gambling related thoughts are always in your mind even when you are working on other activities

2) You keep increasing the gambling related money with each game

3) You try to gamble more in attempt to recover loss

4) Ignoring other important work like job just for gambling

Would you like to add to these signs ? Have you ever found yourself trapped in this situation and how did you get rid of this ?

The number one sign is enough to spark all the next numbers as a compulsive gamer.I remember being in that phase many many years ago where even when I was laying down to sleep my thoughts kept revolving about gambling and about what slot machine I will play tomorrow,during the whole day I kept playing slot machines and this is a clear sign that I was addicted.The only choice to recover from such illness though is if you really want to and no one else can help,maybe in the extreme case recovering in a gambling rehab center would be a good solution to this illness,for many people this is the only option,I was luck though as I recovered myself by a strong will to be a better person and do better things in life than keep gambling.

The best way to control this are to ask for help, because when you reached that stage... you are beyond the point where "self exclusion" will help you. There are just too many ways for people to bypass these self exclusions ..with all the casinos that are not asking for KYC details.

I set myself a budget and it takes huge self discipline not to go over that budget... especially when you have gone into "degen" mode. Also "block" all gambling advertisements and promotions in your emails.. or create a mail filtering rule to delete it, so that it will not provoke you to gamble.

One of the main symptoms that I have observed of compulsive gambling or gambling disorder is the need to gamble daily. You are there on a high that you want to achieve more and feel that adrenaline rush that you are yearning for, and as a result, you bet more and more money with regards to the usual amount that you should have, OR you didn't follow your betting system and risk management.

The sure way to say that you have a gambling disorder is you lie about gambling. If you can't tell the truth or somehow, someway, you don't want to say it because they might think that you are an addict or something, that's already a sign that you are.

Compulsive simply means doing something against one's consciousness. We can only say that you are gambling compulsively if you cannot subdue the urge of doing so even if you are aware of what is happening. But is a different thing than addiction. So somehow I am against mentioned sign 3 because it somehow speaks for a need to do so, which is a determinant of addiction. Same thing goes with obsession whoch is also a different thing wherein it allows you to focus your attention into it such as with signs  1 & 4. But any of these would simply mean that you are going too much more than what should be. If it affects your daily functioning then seeking for professionl help would be the best thing to do.

When I was addicted, I tried to gamble more if I am losing, but also when I have gained a lot. There are days I would have gained so much, but continue to gamble as it is enjoyable and I will lose more at the end of the day. Be it if losing or winning, you will gamble more if you are a compulsive gambler.

You forgot to add the most important and the one that will consider you a compulsive gambler and that is you are chasing your losses once you cannot accept your losses and you keep on adding thinking of your losses to the point that you taking a loan or putting money that you can't afford to lose to recoup those losses then that's the sign the obvious sign that you are a compulsive gambler, you just cannot accept your losses and you always think that you can recover it.

I am  the only one thinking that it is almost the same with addiction? since it is like an urge or we can't control ourselves to gamble? or it is different, like it is just some urge and it is only in our mind, unlike addiction, that it can affect your life. Though I think I have experienced it one time when I was supposedly going to sleep, again, my mind was somewhat telling me to gamble just one hour, so in the end, I did gamble that time and lost my money I wasnt able to sleep lol.

several years ago when I was not married, I experienced a gambling addiction that was really crazy causing the destruction of myself and those around me. and I want to add a little bit that I felt when I became a gambling addict.

*always feel anxious about funds to gamble and always think negatively to earn money by all means to gamble.

I define compulsive gamblers as gambling addicts who really can't avoid gambling, always thinking about gambling. like life just to gamble and gamble.
so my advice to gamblers who have experienced the things you wrote on your topic, it is better to immediately improve yourself to control so that you don't become a gambling addict to a worse level. because if you can't control yourself to avoid those things, that's really really bad.

There are various signs of someone that is slowly descending into a habit of compulsive gambling and gradually into an addiction. The individual would always want to gamble more despite steadily losing money. With thoughts and hopes of recouping his losses in a mighty win. That would drive the individual quickly to financial ruin. To hide the losses accumulated, the individual would probably lie to himself and others around.
Financial problems would follow as the individual would have spent whatever monies that might have been saved up.

I think you can add to this list: Debts. If they start to appear en masse, then this is the finish line.Gamblers when they try to recoup, they can very much get into debt both to the bank and to their relatives.And another point I would add is a nervous disorder, sleep and nutrition are disturbed.I did not get into such a situation, but I knew a person who had such problems.

Self-denial. Living in denial of a gambling addiction is an early sign. A gambler who knows that they have lost more money than they can ever think of to gambling and would keep on returning to the casino while telling themselves that it is because of a wrong strategy and not because they are addicted.
These people will turn to other people's money when they are broke to gamble. They would lie for it, steal for it just to satisfy that urge. Yet, they will go on denying that it is not because they are addicted but because of their love for the whatever game they are playing or the potential to hit it big.

Gambling addiction is a major problem that affects many individuals. You've hit on several of the most telling symptoms of gambling addiction, including preoccupation with the activity and an inability to limit either your financial or time commitments to it. The urge for everyday gaming or the need to conceal one's gambling habits are further symptoms of a gambling disease.

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling addiction, it's crucial to get assistance. A variety of options, such as counselling and support groups, are available to assist addicts recover control and beat their habits. A better, more fulfilling life is always within reach, regardless of how old you are.

that is why it is important to control ourselves before playing gambling because when we have become an addict it is rather difficult to control ourselves even from the signs above explaining the symptoms of addiction, so it is necessary for someone to get rid of these feelings for example going on vacation with family or a lover might be able to help much better and also avoid cell phones or laptops

Too much of everything is just bad, I always fail after two successful gambling rounds, instead of quitting I always want more, and later on, I end up losing all I've won already, now I keep cautioning myself whenever I am gambling online, after every win I take my leave, this has greatly reduced my losses.

You need to understand who you are at first, where I am from we believe that gambling as spirits on it's own, you need to find out what works for you, some are time lucky and some get more luck on a particular day, Thursday's? Wednesday's? Some get lucky on rounds, as for me it's taking my leave after a win,  highest, twice.

Are we talking about Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that just only related to gambling?

Until some point, we keep doing it even realizing what are the harms behind gambling but their urge to make money or feel the adrenaline keeps pushing them to bet more and more. So it's better to have limitations and restrictions over anything we do whether it's drinking coffee or betting money.

Could it be one of the signs when someone keeps talking about gambling addiction? 
LOL Yup better not talk about it anymore.  Seriously. The more I see topics like this the more I ask myself if I am addicted which I think I am not. I bet I'm not.


This one I think is already one of the effects of addiction. It's close to neglecting duties and responsibilities.

I saw a meme back then on twitter where the guy's literally shaking with dedication every time he wants to gamble. Some random guy subtweeted him saying that he's addicted or something along the lines.
Now this at first glance is just a harmless jab at how in denial some people who are afflicted with gambling addiction are. But honestly it's also a good statement against these people, a little wake up call if you will. Sucks that they are the last to know that they're in too deep to. But if you suspect yourself of being addicted to gambling already, watch out for these signs:

• Uncontrollable/Intrusive urge to gamble. You feel like you're at loss when you don't gamble for that particular day
• Dwindling savings and worsening financial situation. Most gamblers find themselves sweeping off their savings, and sometimes even taking out loans to fund their addiction. If you find yourself spending more than what you normally would, you should check yourself.
• You found other things to be addicted to as well. Smoking, Drinking, all of these forms of leisure, if you've picked these things up from the Casino or from the stress of losing tons of money from gambling, it's often a good indicator that something is already wrong.

Aforementioned meme here:
https://img.ifunny.co/images/518ebb6c12f3aae4b22c2be21bce9b7b06beab6b607618d20096e4672e4e3b43_1.jpg

It is enough to indicate that a person has a severe gambling addiction.
He really had to find a solution by telling other people to help him overcome his gambling addiction problem.
That is the consequence that a gambler will experience if he cannot control himself while playing gambling and will get it after playing for a long time without stopping for a moment.
I almost experienced it but fortunately, my best friend saw me playing gambling in my room and he immediately asked me to go out of the house to talk about it alone.
And since then, I really decided to learn to control myself over it until I can be free from (almost) gambling addiction.

A person is able to overcome any addiction, if only the desire and gambling addiction is no exception. It is only necessary to admit the existence of the problem and deal with it. Most of the same gamblers have a gambling addiction are afraid to admit the existence of the problem and are trying to hide their problems from the environment. Only by understanding what your problem is you can develop a plan to combat the problem. Otherwise, nothing will work. If you feel that you have a problem with gambling, then tell the people closest to you who can help you.

Others will only realise that they are into compulsive gambling when people already called them addicted or when they need some advice to remove themselves from this addiction or in thinking of gambling. When one is in denial that they gambling too much then that is also a sign that they are into compulsive gambling. Many will be in denial of their status and will just say that they are gambling for fun until they lose everything they have. There should be open mindedness when we enter gambling once we lose that we will lose our way in stopping to play and will just keep ourselves doing it until such time it will be too late to stop.

All of those are signs of a problem.

But addiction itself isn't the problem. We are addicted to all sorts of things, positive and negative. And it's easy to check if you are addicted or not. Just measure the time you are spending into different things in a week or a month. You will know when it's too much and too time consuming or is it pushing away other things you would like to do.

Problem rises when it affects to your life and you let it control your behavior. I've seen men bored to death in poker tables that seem unhappy to be there. It's like obligation for them like a cigarette for a chain smoker as they are looking for the rush they got used to now.

You can have fun gambling if you are honest to your self and acknowledge your addiction and emotions towards it. Only then you have tools to keep it in check.

These are mostly backed by the addiction that a gambler would have been suffering from and the truth is that we don't gambkes because we are forced, compelled or triggered to do so, while winning a bet in gambling also is not by how determined we are or how provoked we got to desperately win, which is why we need to gamble with mederacy, caution and considers many factors before we go i to gambling so that we don't regret some of our actions or got frustrated by the consequences of what we do whenever we gamble while loosing money often.

Chasing your lost is the worst of all because you wouldn't know that you will end up losing all that you have. Gambling everyday is good, as long as you have a budget for it and you don't go beyond your budget limit.

There was a time when I was sick,while on my sick bed,the thought of gambling came up and I felt like gambling but it was impossible for me to do that. I love gambling everyday and I see it at fun because after the day  stress, I gamble to relief myself.

5) Just play gambling all day ;D

I had experienced this before but not to gamble all day but at that time, I only thought about gambling. But all that has passed and now I can say that I am no longer addicted to gambling, even though I still often play gambling again, within reasonable limits.

How to get rid of it? I just sat down and started to contemplate what I had done with my life and looked at the fact that I had lost so much money gambling. And that's when I felt like I had to stop immediately or else I would lose so much more that I couldn't take it.

Chasing a loss can be the worst but it's not a sign of compulsive gambling. A one timer can find himself unable to stop and chasing losses. You can be a newbie and chase losses, it's not yet an addiction.
Compulsive gambler goes to it to escape problems. Every time he comes home he has to do it, it becomes a habit. He gets yelled at at work or at school and he has to gamble the rest of the day, he gets a promotion he has to gamble it away.

A compulsive gambler does it often and ignores whatever is happening around him. He'll do it at his wedding under the table if he feels the need for it.

I guess most of these can be attributed to one thing: poor decision-making skills. People can always think about gambling but not act on it, but if they have poor decision-making skills, they'd probably be lured in almost everytime and lose everytime. That's what separates a normal.gambler from an impulsive one, and while it may seem to be pretty a pretty thin line, it still matters quite a lot due to how important that single trait is.

I guess everyone has experience at least one sign of being a compulsive gambling.

I mean the first one? sure majority of us here went to the kind of situation, everyday we think of gambling but we try to fight it out and take control of our emotions. Otherwise, your life will be ruined if we keep on putting gambling a priority in life. So that is the key there, you need to understand which one is important in your life, i.e. putting food in the table for your family. So maybe at the end of the day, you will have to stay away from gambling and treat your family first.

That is the worst thing to do while trading or gambling, this is because if you are gambling and you lose and lose again, the chase for the money the gambler has already lost will make the gambler to lose more money. The best the gambler can do if he has lost in gambling is to just stop until he no longer think about the money and he should not see it as lost, it would be good if the person do not gamble that day again.

addiction is without a doubt something very serious, without a doubt it is a disease that causes many problems for the addict and also brings many problems for the people around the addicted to gambling, but it is necessary that when someone shows signs of being addicted that person goes to the doctor because only the doctor can say whether or not the person is addicted to gambling, it is not the person without going to the doctor to conclude that he has gambling addiction, I understand that these are all signs that you posted in this thread are the signs that most people who have been diagnosed that they are addicted to gambling have had

but you have to be careful not to jump to conclusions and think that just because you had these signs then you are already addicted to gambling until you went to the doctor, I always advise people to go to the doctor and only the doctor can say if the person whether you are addicted to gambling or not, there are people who spend a lot of time talking about gambling, but are not addicted to gambling, an example of this is that in this section we spend every day and many hours talking about gambling , this does not mean that we are all addicted to gambling

1, 3 and 4 has been a sign on me when I was an active Gambler.
I got rid of it when I was on a relationship my partner was the one who changed me.
I focus more on something that is more important and beneficial to both of us.

Compulsive gamblers always have the thought of getting rich through gambling and they could recover all their losses once they have one good hit which usually falls in more losses. As long as they have funds, they always follow their urge to gamble and are unwise when it comes to budgeting. If these things become a habit, a person's life could be a mess. Irresponsible gambling could easily ruin a person's life so as much as possible, we should lesrn how to control our urges.

5) Selling family relics to fund gambling habits
6) Travelling to other countries to play in a casino (it is because gambling is forbidden in his/her home country)
7) Coming up with new complex strategies to beat the house, reading articles about beating the house
8) Watching poker games on youtube and envying them players.

You can come with a lot more.

A neighbor of mine lost his life savings while playing dice and then lost his car too while trying to recover his first loss.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

All the the OP outlined are indeed some of the signs of gambling addiction. I have seen people abandoning their jobs because they want a gamble. Let me add that when a gambler starts borrowingg money from friends, family and colleagues because of gambling, this might be a sign of compulsive gambling. I have also had contact with persons that can sell their belongings at a very cheap price because they want to gamble with the funds. This could also be another sign of compulsive gambling. I will advise that persons with such behavior should retrace back their steps or consult a gambling psychologist.

I think the major cause of the highlighted problems you listed is from loss precisely, but you made mention of it among the list anyway. Ones you see a gambler is having disturbance about his gambling ways, then it could be that his trying to recoup lost or probably borrow money to gamble and he is in a state of denial trying to get back what he has lost, it is this moment you see them with unrealized calculated risk but they forget that gambling doesn't work that way.

You know what gives me comfort any time I stake a game or wager my money, I make sure that I zero my mind off that money I used as soon as that game becomes accepted, if the result comes as I predicted, it is fine and if it doesn't, I'm still good to go but I make sure I don't stake my money blindly, I go through my options before I bet, and the earlier you realized this, the better days you have with your normal life.

Doing these things are already a sign of gambling addiction. Selling our assets for gambling and borrowing funds that we can't afford to pay is surely a sign of compulsive gambling. If we are doing things that affect our careers, relationships, and even our health then we have already fallen for gambling addiction. I have plenty of friends who have done those things and they lost not just their assets but also their families and relationships. If we could feel that we can't control our urge to gamble, then we must seek professional help and we must not let our emotions take over because we could possibly lose everything we have.

The first sign too is very common for every gambler out there who always anticipate to win in gambling. But I would not deal with this as gambling addiction because based on my experience, this is not that annoying that I should go and find its solution. There are times when gambling suddenly popped up in my mind in the middle of my work and I wish I had bet on that particular team to win a good amount. But definitely, it’s not happening at all times so I can say it’s still quite manageable for me.

That could be the best scenario that we can expect from a gambler who faces gambling disorder. He has that uncontrollable urge to gamble in any time of the day because he thinks the more he will spend time and money in gambling, the bigger chances of winning and beating others. But we know actually that it’s not what is happening in casinos as the house will always have the edge to win over the gamblers. As a result, once a gambler becomes a compulsive gambler, he will surely end up having a deep gambling addiction that will make him restless most of the time.

a compulsive gambler lives to bet.
Un practice, he spends the whole day thinking about bets, about how to get the money back to play, he tries to mask his addiction (to family or inner circle), he has little tricks to be able to play (for example, he takes the dog out to play on his mobile phone)... in short, all is directed to this activity, all efforts, all interest, all ideas.

above all there is no limit. he will continue to play always and without a limit! even if he lost everything he will have just the idea to gamble again :(

I could remember that I used to have a friend who was a compulsive gambler, he would gamble away his money, and then locate where his wife kept her money and gamble that away soon, it wasn't easy for this couple as they fought each other almost every day that breaks.

Compulsive gambling is a habit one must never allow to take over them, and for those that are already into it, they must find a way to stop as this can lead to serious issues in the gamblers financial life as well as family too, it can lead to depression, health challenges and so on, gambling too much  was never a good habit.

This is the worst of gambling. To come out of compulsive gambling is really hard thing, because through addiction free centres support or through someone's advice it can't be stopped. Only if the person himself decides and take required measures to keep himself focused on other activities he can come out of compulsive gambling. Most of the gamblers used to be compulsive gamblers at some point. Further the experience gives them best learning and understand the limits of gambling.

There might be a few other signs: Like rushing to get through all other stuff in your life to get back to gambling. Spending more money than you can afford to on the game is also a very bad sign, often as you try to chase the loss and lose all grip of spending. Letting it engulf your life and maybe lowering your standards in other areas, usually an inadvertent side effect of losing control. The best way to stop I've found is to cut it out all together. No half measures. If you identify that you have a problem with gambling then you just need to stop and find other things to distract you instead, you cannot try to get it under control by cutting down spending, just stop it altogether if you really want to quit. Give it at least a year or two before even thinking about trying again, even then you should probably avoid it.

In short, compulsive gambling is not good, a bad habit in gambling and it can result into a more problematic situation. As a gambler you should be more responsible by knowing your limitations because if you are too emotional and didn’t have a plan in gambling, you might forget your purpose and probably will be more greedy. There’s a lot of addicted gambler started from this situation, better to avoid it now and just play the usual.

That’s how probably compulsive gamblers are. Regardless if you win or lose at the end of the day, the irresistible urge to gamble again will always be there. And for me, once your actions become out of your own control, that is a warning that needs immediate response, because if that will be tolerated and ignored, you will eventually end up as a gambling addict and might need a serious rehab for you to recover.

Most people that have compulsive gambling lost control over his budget, followed by using the money he posses to gamble and lie about it when they losses.  They also take loan for gambling activities that is possibly because they run out of money and they can't stop gambling so they resort in barrowing money to have their bankroll filled.  They actually say they are doing it to recover losses but in fact even if they already recover their losses they still keep on gambling until they lost their bankroll again and the cycle continues.

One of the signs of gambling addiction that really matters is, the urge that makes you see gambling for a solution to your financial issues. There would always be issues right? Issues that money could solve but, when you don't have it and the only thing that comes to your mind for a means of generating funds is gambling, your in for some addiction problems. It doesn't mean that there would always be issues to ha e these urges but the point is, having a compulsivenesss to source out funds from gambling is the sign that matters.
Find yourself having this attitude towards funds generation, your best solution would be getting a job, be focused on it and have good money management skills.

We don't live in an anime world were simple will power could get you through anything. Sometimes gamblers who have succumbed to addiction outrightly require professional healthcare assistance. Addiction is a serious mental illness and is not something you can pass off as a simple problem with discipline, although not gonna lie that's where it all starts. Gambling addiction, like most forms of addictions are easier to cut off when the bud is just little, so judging from that statement, it's much better to actually recognize that you need help as early as possible, because it will hasten your recovery and you can get back to your life faster. I would agree with your statement though wherein it all starts with recognizing you have a problem, because that is true. You can only be given help if you recognize that you yourself needed it.

Urge could come from desperation because there are moments or situations in life on which you do need to have lots of money or immediate ones basing up on some emergencies which you do know that you cant be

able to provide it on a short span of time and i've seen some of my colleagues does have this kind of approach on making up a solution on having that immediate money which is through gambling.
Honestly they had just made out themselves put up on big trouble because the extra money that they do have had lost it all which it worsen up the situation even more.

Gambling addiction is a different topic also which is really that very common where lots of gamblers do really experience out this problem.

This is not good at all since you are uncontrolled and you tend to gamble that much even if you don’t have budget anymore. If you are into this situations, you are being hyped by your emotion and tendency are you will gambling without any strategy or plan when to stop and take profit. The worst part here is that, you’ll use money that is not your and you will lose it, this can create another problem for you. Gambling should be more fun and not a stressful like this, if you are slowly falling into this trap, better to address that issue right now.

I remember reading somewhere before that Isolating yourself and becoming secretive about your gambling habits are one of the symptoms you can find in a compulsive gambler.

this one is quite sad because we all know that other than jobs, someone who is a gambling addict tends to prioritize their gambling addiction more than their own family.

if the person is still in denial with his situation, that's hard to ask for professional help. because he will just go back to where he is. the person should know what he really wanted to do in his life. if he is already determined to change, he can ask for help and assistance from professionals. if he can't afford to pay those professional services, ask for help from close friends and family. more then likely they will be happy to help if they know you want to change for the betterment of yourself.

Compulsive gamblers not only gamble to recover losses but also to chase more of their luck and anticipate more winnings. That’s why most of these gamblers are always present in gambling casinos as they never want to skip a day without gambling and chasing for bigger profits. That’s how gambling addiction started. Once they become irresponsible of their own actions and they tend to be more greedy about money making, eventually they will fall on gambling addiction which will lead to a very unhealthy lifestyle.

If you suffer from compulsive gambling, the first step is always to acknowledge that you indeed suffer from it. Without any acceptance and realization, you will always live in denial and rationalize your actions stating that what you are doing is indeed right.

Compulsive gambling is not only the worst type but it is also the most destructive in the long-run. You start disregarding your obligations and you center your whole life in gambling, which is already risky in nature. Even if there may be days that you win, there will be more days that losses will be experienced more in the process.

If you know someone who is into gambling and always looked depressed that's the outward sign that he is a compulsive gambler, the physical sign of a compulsive gambler is very much obviously easily irritated and depressed, so if you know someone who used to be jolly and started gambling then you notice those signs it's time to intervene and help him out, they should not stay depressed for a long time and only an intervention can help them get back to who they used to be.

^It all starts with this.
The number one sign that you must be aware of first is chasing your loss, that is why I did not hunt my loss after my allocation amount has been done, it means it is beyond my limit if I push myself to continue gambling. Once you are there at that stage of being a compulsive gambler it is very hard to get out, you need help probably from one of your family, friends, or relatives.
However, there are too many ways to determine the sign, the problem is how we will manage ourselves to avoid gambling addiction, it should be self-control.

Number 3 is the most, because most gamblers play more to recover losses and turn things around but in reality they always lose and keep feeling like they want to keep playing until they feel the symptoms above like a gambling addict

What so if we experienced those signs? We are gambling after all and those actions can't be avoided when we gamble.

What matter here is, we understand the risks of gambling and we are still responsible for our actions outside of gambling even if we experienced loss, sudden disappointment, regrets, and any emotions we feel while gambling.

Just try to be responsible at all times and everything will be smooth.

When you are an experienced gambler already, it is just normal for me to feel those.

No need to get rid of those as once you are used to feeling it, you can actually deal with it without a problem.

Not unless you are showing worst, that's the time you need a big help.

Sometimes is not even our fault to end up in a condition where we will not be able to control ourselves on how frequently we want to bet. When we keep doing something often especially something interest us a lot, there is every possibility that we would going to be doing that thing often. This is how gambling addiction starts most time. We just have to ensure that we look for ways to make sure that we will not become a continual victim. Gambling addiction is very fast to become addicted because is what involves money and intention to make more money.

Loss of self-control and financial problems.

I believe that most of the gamblers are experiencing this disorder as most of them can't control their urge to gamble even more even though they lost a huge amount already. There are some gamblers out there who can't control themselves thus, they gamble more and more that it affects other people already and at the same time, it affects their mind as well. There are some gamblers though that can control themselves and they can stop whenever they wanted to.

Compulsive gambling is a serious disorder for gamblers and if you are having this, the best thing to get rid is either reach out to an expert or go to a place where there are no physical casinos or if they are gambling online, maybe at least don't let them use smartphone and observe them. As for me, fortunately I know when to stop whenever I'm gambling so I didn't experience this, and I hope I will not.

The related sign of compulsivity, in this and other problems, is that of continuing the behaviour despite negative consequences. That sums it up.

Although I wouldn't confuse this with sometimes going a bit over the top, as if you go to the casino expecting to spend a certain amount, and because you're unlucky and run out early, you spend a bit more.

All of these signs and behaviors you mentioned are true and happen to gamblers all the time, and this is why gamblers go back to gambling again and again, and gamblers can't quit even when they promise to quit gambling over and over again. And gamblers cannot concentrate on any work because of these incidents.  And they always misbehave with family members too because gambling addiction keeps his mind always rough

I have been observing friend of mine for the past year with gambling problem. I can honestly say that it's hard to get him to be honest about anything now especially when it comes to money. He has become terrible slotter in the past year where all his salary is no longer enough to pay off debts due to his gambling habit. He went into debt just to gamble and lose, it kept repeating itself every month and stupidly he just forgot to withdraw the winnings out of greed.

None of the wins have really covered his gambling debts and he is only working to pay off his gambling debts. It was obvious he had become compulsive on gambling and now anything to do with money would be really hard to believe.

We will not realize when gambling addiction will come because we are still busy playing gambling. One day, we see the use of money getting bigger to play gambling, and we start to become addicted to gambling. And some people realize it and immediately reduce their gambling time by doing other things. But not for some others because they still think it's okay for me to lose that much money and can accept it because I still have a chance to win from gambling. We have to prevent such thinking because if we don't, we will find it difficult later even to control ourselves and stop after gambling enough.

added on the list is that you ignored the advise of others telling you to not make gambling as priorities in life instead to denied those words and if choose not to talk to them again.
and being a compulsive gambler is next to addicting , better not to let yourself become one or else your life and family will be ruined.

that would definitely a compulsive gambling , when you allocate this amount and eventually add more once you did not get what you expect or may i say losing the initial capital.
if you can control yourself then you'll stand up the table and walk away as you already gambler your target amount.
I hate this but sometimes? yeah I admit that being a compulsive gambler is what i acted.

There are different signs of gambling addiction like you can't control yourself whenever you place bet without even calculating your budget limits so this is why it's advised that always be in your limits without pushing yourself too much after every loss.Once you get addicted it's really hard to come back and for small gamblers who don't have huge financial status it could be worse in other aspects as well.

That's where the problem will become bigger, it's either his family members will try to search the main problem which cause him misbehaving or his family member will just leave him since there's no benefit to continue the relationship. The best choice is seek for professional and let see does there's any improvement or not. If he's didn't change and keep gambling exceed the money that he can afford to lose, it's better for the family to break up to prevent from the future financial problem.

Being a compulsive gambler is already a sign of gambling addiction but based on my own experience, not all gambling addiction will eventually ruin our lives. As long as it’s manageable enough, it can never be destructive for us. But if we keep on tolerating being a compulsive gambler, that will affect already our decision making and eventually ruin our normal life once the addiction cannot be address immediately.

It is easy to spot someone who is severely addicted to gambling. If you are sensitive enough, you can pick it up as soon as you have a conversation with the person. It is a difficult habit to break and requires a massive amount of discipline and help. The most prominent sign of a gambler is that he or she keeps talking about the next game to bet on even when they are out of cash, haven't gotten anything to eat, etc. Where possible, I think one of the best ways to quit the addiction is to talk to someone, join Gamblers Anonymous (https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline).

I'd actually argue with one, there are probably only some instances where a totally unrelated thought would come when you're working on something like the activity your doing is not really interesting, or a forced activity so to speak. I've had a few instances of my mind wandering about when doing some random stuff, but never when I'm working since it's my passion really. I also wouldn't think it's bad to think of gambling then, since it may just be the activity that you really enjoy. Nothing wrong about it imo. I'd only ever consider something wrong if you're mindlessly spending money on gambling, to the point that it's negatively affecting your financial needs.

     -    Compulsiveness is a disease in an addicted gambler, and it is not something that a gambler can easily eliminate from his routine. Maybe what I can add to that is that when an addicted gambler can't gamble, he becomes hot-headed or irritable.

There is also a chance that they do illegal things just to finance or meet their gambling, in addition to this the gambler also neglects his own family because of gambling which sometimes even leads to the sale of property without the family's knowledge.

Whoever is dealing with such a problem caused it themselves; how can one create a situation for himself that he allows to control him? Compulsive gambling just makes your mind set on gambling all the time, despite what the person is doing. Most often, the gambler feels lost in a state of mind where they are over-fantasizing on which game to bet on, if their bet has busted or not, if they can win the jackpot, and all sorts. Gambling needs to be handled with maturity; while you have fun, you also enjoy your winnings, and when you lose, you just get over it. The fact that it makes some people ignore even more serious work is so bad.

I was fortunate enough not to have a gambling addiction which is why I didn't have any of these signs for compulsive gambling.
I have a good self control when it comes to gambling and thus I haven't lost a huge amount in gambling.
Yes, I have lost many bets but all that I had lost was something that I can afford yo lose.
This is the same strategy that everyone should use in the long run to keep a healthy lifestyle at gambling.

Compulsive gambling is gambling addiction and it is what that can ruin someone's marriage or relationship with someone. I hope your friend is not an addict or compulsive gambler anymore? Because not being a compulsive gambler is what that can help him that can let his marriage hold.

But for someone to think of stealing his wife money to gamble is not only a compulsive gambling, it is more like stupidity. Please do not mind me for saying the truth.

It can put someone in a situation of depression and a state of thinking of killing oneself. It is what got some people to thievery and robbery too as they have nothing left to rely on.

These are the signs that we noticed in compulsive gamblers that are close to us, but compulsive gamblers if you asked think everything is ok and natural to them, all addicted to anything are like that we can see their addiction but they are in denial and even if they admit it, they just continue what they are doing, but once compulsive gamblers admit his addiction and find a way to heal himself then that will be the time that he wants to be healed of his addiction.

Online casinos are easily accessible with a smart phone so anyone can hide their gambling habits and continue gambling without family members ever realizing how a gambler's behavior has changed.  And why does he create so much turmoil in the family? So we always have to control gambling and always watch that gambling cannot control us. If gambling controls us then we cannot do much good in life but if we can control gambling then we will never become addicted to gambling.

That's why when we play gambling, we really have to control ourselves so we don't try to chase victory and can stop at the right time before we experience a big defeat. Gambling is about how we can get entertainment from playing lots of gambling games and being able to enjoy whatever happens so that we don't neglect other things that we have to do. But many people cannot take care of themselves when they gamble. In the end, they become compulsive gamblers who cannot escape gambling. And for a long time, they end up being gamblers who are addicted to gambling and don't even realize it if they already have a gambling addiction problem.

This is the only sign of a compulsive gambler and the rest on your list is just the normal effect on gambling. Being compulsive has different effect compared to normal gambler because you are skipping your regular routine of life just to gamble while normal gambler still can do their normal life after a few days of gambling rest. Chasing loss, thinking about gambling sometime and increasing bets is just a common effect of gambling because the game is designed so that people will enjoy and chase losses. There’s no way you will bet just for fun and doesn’t think recovering losses.

A desperate gambler will do stupid things without neglecting the risk and huge losses.
I'm sure I was not in that category and I hope I won't be there as well. Chasing what we lost in the past is somewhat impossible in gambling, so instead of thinking of it, we'd rather enjoy ourselves. In fact, gambling is designed to make us entertain, and winning from this is absolute luck.
That is why we don't need to be compulsive in gambling and act with high emotions or else, we just be disappointed.

Thankfully, I don't have this yet.  :D
Martingale? Nah, and even if I am doing sports gambling I don't have the urge yet to chase the losses in double the amount of what is gone in the previous bet. I bet the same.
Chasing losses. I think this is normal as long as you don't double it, just like what is said above. And, you have to be calm before doing this or you will get rekt.
Job first, real money accumulation should be the priority and not where there's a risky part. 50/50
I think what I always did was the "chasing the losses" part, but like I said in number 3 it becomes a normal thing especially if you know the game you are betting with. In my case, it's basketball, NBA specifically, if there is still an on going game then I tend to take one more bet although I already admitted defeat so I will just try to get back part of it.
After that, win or lose, resting will be next and will just try again tomorrow.

It's still possible for a compulsive gambler to recover so no, it's not the end of the world for them but those who only believe on themselves and has a strong will, that they can do it because there were also hopeless and just accept the fact that they are born for it and will also die for it. When you say recoup, it means to recover so how come they will get into more debts this way?

But, I think the opposite can only happen in which their debts will now get lessened (if ever they got involved with it) and eventually they will now be debt free. The same goes on other things that you listed after. Their routine can also return to normal if they will recoup.

Some of the gamblers cannot overcome this stupid thing, including the big risks that will be faced, even those who are frustrated always think about the game that continues, hoping to recover, but basically it is impossible.

Meanwhile, for those of us who are aware of gambling and always consider the risks and just for fun, this will not cause problems. We might be able to overcome all of this. When the capital has run out in the account, gamblers who are aware will stop and play another time.

You don't need to overdo it, let alone wanting a bigger win, then making a bigger deposit, but if there is control and emotions can be stopped, it doesn't matter, while what most often happens is the effect after they lose.

Number 1 is very destructive, you will lose your focus and attention to every thing that youare doing. If you are having a job you will feel to go home just to. gamble or when pay day comes all your salary will be put in your gambling addiction. This kind of mindset can destroy yourself and can affect every person around you. Actually, some people might deny they are addicted they will say they just think gambling to often because they need to have an outlet of stress or what but then if it is affecting other things they it is already bad.

Anger is also a sign. Normal people will play and just walk away when they lose, some with a little bad humor, but an addicted gambler may overreact, try to blame others, threaten people, maybe even become sick and depressed until he's able to play again. It's really a bad addiction if you fall deep into it.
First signs of gambling addiction are usually spending too much time playing when you should be doing something essential like going to work, sleeping, eating, studying. It's obvious when you're getting addicted but people lie to themselves and think it's not that bad.

Every time you are seeking just to play in gambling that's the time you are getting addicted and sooner or later you can't control this emotion and you will do anything just to play gambling that's why always keep making reasonable gambling, not all the time it shows a good return and outcome even though you keep playing always set a goal and limit to your self, not all the time is luck be with you. Gambling is not always the key for getting rich.

Being compulsive is completely undesirable for the average gambler, but it is the worst consequence of gambling when the gambler is unable to control his gambling.

Being a responsible gambler is something that is expected, even so, by any casino for its customers. But the problem is, not all gamblers are able to control themselves and their desire for gambling. Some problem gamblers become compulsive, which will get worse the longer term the inability to control themselves and their gambling.

I will probably add disregarding the needs of your family, it is quite easy to think about the money you are not giving to them as a result of your gambling addiction but you need to also consider the lack of attention and time not given as well, as both are necessary to have a functional family, I have personally never be engaged in this but at the same time if your addiction is that bad then you need professional help as it is almost impossible to overcome it any other way.

Gamblers tend to spend a lot of time in casinos. Spending a lot of time gambling can have negative consequences. The gambler becomes stressed and has trouble sleeping. Not getting enough sleep can lead to a loss of health, both mental and physical.

When someone is experiencing all of that or at least one of those factors in the OP, you need to seek professional help because it is no joke at all.

Those compulsive gamblers think that they're still at their best shape but little did they know, they're not really good and need someone to tap their backs to remind them that everything is no longer normal.

And it'll even get worse if no help is being done or if they don't want to accept the fact that they're already compulsive.

These signs you've mentioned are true signs of gambling addition and one ought to do something urgently about it especially when you begin placing gambling over regular jobs especially when you're not winning but rather losing and trying to chase after ones loss then you ought to seek professional help just as other users have said.
Most times, one of the major reasons why it seems people are getting addicted to gambling is the fact that most of them are already chasing their losses and in bid to recover them, make more losses and if you'll agree with me, you'll see that this singular factor alone is the major reason of gambling addition

You can very often not recognize in a gambling addict that they are addicted to gambling. If someone doesn't get out much or is less heard from, that doesn't mean they have an addiction right? And often compulsive gamblers themselves do not want to admit that they are dealing with an addiction. That should be the first step towards a process to get rid of it. And finally, you can't force an addict to stop. That is perhaps the biggest problem. People must of their own free will recognize the addiction and deal with it.

This is not just being compulsive in gambling but definitely, a serious gambling disorder that leads to gambling addiction. Living in debt just because of gambling is most likely the worst possible scenario that could happen to a gambling addict, because it’s like he only does his job to pay for his debt, and not for him to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Although gambling could also be his kind of enjoyment, but gambling without limits and restrictions, will totally ruin his future.

"Compulsive" is a strong word here, if something is "compulsive" there are just two ways to control it, you either have a strong character, or there are some pills! Hard truth! If you can't control it it will eat you sooner or later, whatever it is... gambling, drugs, or some pussy!

I believe we all feel the urge to do some things, but before doing it we think about whether can we afford it or not... and about the consequences if we "overdo it". Compulsive people don't think, they just do it! They follow that urge no matter what and that gets them in trouble. Sooner or later, as I pointed out what happens if you lose control.

The realization will hit hard on those gamblers that are transitioning from being a gambler to a compulsive gamblers. Doing other important tasks that are being neglected due to gambling is a serious sign.
I saw many cases that have became like that and it stopped them from being productive into their jobs because all they think is about gambling, that's an unhealthy sign and I agree with people telling that asking for an expert like counselling is what these people need.

Some people will be in their office and still be gambling, some will be in critical condition and still be gambling, when it comes to gambling I think it's just better you are not addicted to it, because you might endup doing crazy things just for gambling.
Whenever a gambler is trying to recover loss, then he/she is still going to lose more and will never be able able to recover the loss, the more you are making attempts to recover your loss, the more you are losing. Some people get addicted to gambling because they are having mind set to recover their loss, which they will keep on gambling and they will keep on losing.
One of the sign I know is that, some people are doing illegal things just to get money to gamble, I think that's one of the reasons why gambler's are always seen as bad people in my society, some gamblers do steal just to get money to gamble.

Not "without neglecting" but they do neglect all the risk due to their stupidity or being desperate enough to win but a gambling casino won't get shocked about this kind of attitude. There is still no way that they will lessen their difficulty of winning and favour that gambler who rages. They aren't showing an emotions because if they do then they are the ones that will suffer.

It's nice that you aren't among that and don't wish you will be, because you are curious if what it feels like to be one. Chasing past losses is I think possible but that can only happen for some occasions like if we only lose small before and then we won a really huge amount. We should only ensure that we must not gamble high enough than the amount that we won if we don't want our gambling stats to become negative again.

Most time desperate mindset can lead to misfortunes that is why we need to try as much to control our urge anytime any day.
Becoming a consistent gambler is not always done when we try too hard. Tryin too hard can  make up do the wrong things that would not help us at all. We need to be more focused and make sure that we go in a way that will be very comfortable for us not betting with big fund because of greed or just to impress people around us. Winning is an habit and we don't have to force it to ourselves.

Hence, it leads me to a conclusion that being a compulsive gambler is certainly a choice, not a chance. While others can still control the urge to gamble, these compulsive gamblers have a hard time to control themselves simply because they gamble without self-limits and discipline. They always gamble everytime they want to, so as an outcome, they become addicted in gambling that they find it hard now to control their urge because their actions are way more advanced than their thinking.

I would partly agree with that. I think that some people here have never had the displeasure of suffering from an addiction, whether gambling or otherwise. We are all human, we all make mistakes and we all have weaknesses. Sometimes the difference between a choice and a forced choice (by addiction) is hard to tell apart. But anyone who has known what it feels like, the feeling of desperation becomes a gun to one's head. So at that point, you cannot really call it a choice anymore. But rather it becomes an illness.

Although showing compassion to those people could be right or wrong, depending on whether it helps them overcome their illness or if it just reinforces it by enabling.

Sometimes i could really say up that these decisions been made which its impossible for a certain person for it not to be aware.We could really be able to distinguish good things from bad which even how addicted

you are or on having that compulsive type of condition which its impossible that your own self will cant be able to determine it but still you do end up on choosing on doing some unethical things which
it is really basing up with your own decision and you cant really blame up any possible reason to be attached with it.

You had made a choice and you are the ones who are really putting up yourself into big trouble.

Shouldn't this be refere to sever gambling addictions case, where the gambler have tge urge to keep playing while losing heavily because explanation they both refer to the same way a gambler who is into excessive gamblingis also cal a gambling compulsion since their actions will be very...
 

A gambler that’s hooked would in most cases overreact and definitely blame others for his losses. Anger is an emotion that would come into view as well. The losses may be overwhelming to the gambler and in an attempt to shield himself from the blame of it all, he results to blaming and threatening others instead of himself. Self denial can be really harmful.
Signs of any addiction and not just gambling includes spending a whole lot of  time feeding the addiction and neglecting other vital aspects of your life. In time, your life would crash and crumble cause you’ve been spending all the time feeding the addiction.

Yes, and I have said it in many posts. I can't remember the details, but the peak of my addiction was in 2010-11. however, point 1 and point 4, are exceptions. I remain firm and consistent, also responsible for my work until now. it never crossed my mind to gamble when I was doing activities or working. but by the way, for points 2 and 3, I once did something wrong and gambled beyond my usual limits at that time. but, not at online casinos because at that time land casinos were still the main choice when you wanted to gamble. yes, the experience that put me in a phase of difficult times. in short, I'm going through a troubled life and it's not easy to let go of habits that have become excessive routines.

To get rid of it, it's not easy believe me. it takes strong determination, and a desire to heal. despite the fact, to this day I still like to gamble. however there is a difference, not as extreme as it used to be. IMO, a good understanding and responsibility that allows me to have better control and how we define gambling itself. there is nothing better, than we define as fun entertainment with a budget ready to lose.

And it's faster to get rekt when it's casino games, slots, dice, blackjack, and more. With the era now where we could easily access gambling sites and they are running 24/7 we ought to continue chasing the losses until we realize all the money is gone. This is why I prefer sports gambling more than casino games. Money in sports can be a one-time bet for the day and you won't have anything to chase because the next game will be tomorrow or better the next couple of days. Somehow, you can rest, think carefully, analyze your bet, and until you find the highest chance to win in the next sports event.
Based on my own experience, I have never felt like I am on the losing side in sports gambling (not a big winner too), I stay with one amount of bet and do it regularly, staying disciplined is the crucial part.

Compulsive gambling is a bad habit that anybody should try and get in order very quickly before it could lead down to an addiction. Losing control over our own actions when there are large sums of money involved is very dangerous and can make us lose a lot of money. Taking a step back and analysing our behaviour is a good idea, but we shouldn't be too critical and need to put everything into perspective. Especially your point 2.) and 3.) made me a bit nervous at first. Both of these points fit my gambling style very well, even though I try not to be a compulsory gambler. But after reading it again I realised that it's describing a normal martingale strategy, my most used gambling approach. The martingale strategy needs us to bet always larger amounts after a loss, so that we recover all previous losses with one single win. To someone who doesn't know the strategy this could seem like compulsory gambling.

I can imagine what it is because I was on the place of a compulsive gambler many times. Only it lasted several hours max, and never days or weeks like with really sick people. What makes me stop finally? A really big loss, much bigger than I can afford to lose. Fortunately, it is never that big that I feel the consequences for many days after it happens, but still it is big and painful, and I remember some cases even when years have passed.

My advice is: stop before losing even more. It does happen sometimes that you recover your losses and even win something on top of that, when you keep rolling. But don't fall for that trap. Stop when you lost a bit more than you can easily afford to. It's better than to win your money back this time because of luck, and then always hope that it can happen again. Gambling addicts even think it must happen. That's exactly the trap we should stay out of.

There are more signs that a person is becoming a compulsive gambler that you didn't mentioned or include in the list you made. You forgot about finding ways to earn money when you are waiting for your salary to come just to gamble which I am sure you know that it will result in having loans or borrowed money from friends or someone they knew. I am like that before whiyI tried tk recover my lose but didn't made me a compulsive gambler and also been quite some time since I haven't gamble a single cent.

I think that's what the reality isn't? people will spend more money when he received his salary because the money he have only enough to buy foods. Even he's not use it for gambling, he will use it to buy branded stuff or expensive foods as for his self reward. It's nothing wrong to spend more money during salary, but it's wrong if you can't manage your money and you need to take a loan from your friends.

Actually your statement about sports betting will not keep you or someone from chasing losses or the money you have lost is not an accurate statement.
Because basically sports betting is not only in one match, but there are many or several matches that take place on one day as well as for example when there is a football match and in the list of soccer bets there are many matches that will take place so that if someone loses in one match then he can bet again in another match to be able to recover his losses.
So what actually happens is curiosity and emotion about a bet to be able to win it cannot be avoided by anyone and there is only one way to be able to stop betting, namely exiting the gambling platform where we bet, whether in one bet we lose or win we have to exit on right away so you can stop betting.

That's actually applies to everything in general in terms of being hooked up to a certain things/activities, including gambling. Taking a loan to gamble is the worst idea, not unless you're lucky enough to make a profit out of it and repay the loan right after you win to avoid additional interest.
Another worst thing to happen when someone is so desperate to gamble without money is, stealing money from others  just to satisfy one's gambling addiction.

Also trying to play to win more after winning a game, thinking you can always win just because he/she has won the first time. These is also a sign of addiction. It is better after winning to wait for awhile than to be playing continuously.

But the issue about luck is that no one actually knows when he will be lucky or not, especially when you have plans to pay a loan you took just to make extra money for yourself. You might just end up adding more problems and debt for yourself. I have had bad habits myself but i think going to the extent of borrowing money for loan isnt part of my habits. i feel its better you stay with what you can afford when gambling and Dont take extreme major of finding money through gambling or else you loose more to it.

stealing money just to gamble, it's a really really bad thing and it usually happens to gambling addicts of insane levels.
if a gambler who already feels himself always thinking about gambling and in any conversation always involves gambling, that is already a sign that the gambler has entered the addiction level. and if these things are not avoided, in the end, you will continue to gamble until you lose all your money and valuables. and when it's all over, the addict will do reckless things like steal other people's money or rob just to gamble (as I said in the previous reply)

Insane levels of addiction can lead individuals to put their primitive instincts over the reason, consequently taking them to commit acts like the one you mentioned above. They can also show aggressive behavior, lack of focus and attention on basic tasks of their routines, sleep deprivation, and on long term it might have further negative impacts on their cognitive system, if the addiction isn't addressed and treated in time.

Sometimes we shouldn't blame everything on addiction, why should anyone be stealing. Any gambler doing such is a thief and should be punished if caught. If you're an addict then you should learn to control yourself so when you don't have any money available you don't go looking for illegal alternative means to get the money.

Why should you steal money then go put it at stake in a chance game that you're not even assured of winning or retaining your money. You're not only been foolish by doing such but putting yourself at great risk. An addict should try to keep some spare to be used when he's having the urge of gambling so it prevents drastical decision like stealing.

Taking out loans to gamble would never be advisable because we would not know whether we could win or even lose in gambling. If we win, we can return the loan money. But how will we repay the loan while the deadline is approaching if we lose?

Stealing money from other people to gamble can also be categorized as a gambling addiction because he needs money to gamble and does not always win. And when he has no money, even though his desire to gamble is high, he will steal money from other people just to continue gambling.

That act can really put someone into deep trouble, having a debt with a large interest as time passes by can really make a person to sell all his belongings until he don't have anything but still need to pay. It is really hard to have a self discipline and also it is hard to be a gambling as well, so the question will be in what hard way you want to choose in your life? We should not blame gambling always we should be accountable to anything that is happening to us.

This is what we know, we mostly chase our losses when we gamble and it's not going to help us stop when there are still losses that need to be covered.
What we aim is to at least recover those losses that we've made and we also know where it is going. Instead of recovering those, what's happening is that we're adding more losses and that's not resulting in good.
We only realize it at the end when we've done so much and we almost got nothing left anymore in our balances.

A gambler may indulge in some of the things mentioned at the beginning of gambling. Because it is very as usual to get into this type of addiction after the initial introduction to gambling. Especially when a new gambler gets a few wins in betting, his desire to win will increase manifold. And if he loses, he also tries to recover it. These signs are seen by almost all gamblers. But when the gambler can achieve everything with his skill, he gradually learns responsible gambling.

If you are really that a type of person whose really that impulsive when it comes to gambling or losing money then this activity and leisure time isnt really for you because you would really be just making yourself getting wrecked on the time on which emotions would really be taking over.We know that each person doesnt really have the same self control and discpline towards themselves on which it would really be just normal
that they would really be having that different approach when it comes to things. Some could able to get away mid-way but most of the time people would stay untile
they would be busting up their entire balance which is really a common scenario.

^ I have done this before and that is why I repeatedly advise them to avoid this possible problem as much as they can, all they have to do is to put self-control so that thinking about chasing loss will not happen. This is also could be a sign of a compulsive gambler and it is not good if you will not correct yourself from the start. When I have continuous losses I usually take a break for a while and then come back when I can get over those consecutive losses. Because I know the more you will urge yourself to take cover losses, you will probably be out of your mind and can't concentrate on gambling, the result could be massive losses. Always put in our mind to be a responsible gamblers.

Your explanation openly contradicts your belief that compulsive gambling is a choice.  As we understand compulsive gambling is an uncontrollable urge to gamble.  From that the addicted to gambling person had already lost his control, so definitely he already lost the ability to choose but instead is force to gamble even though he doesn't wanted to or his minds wanted to stop but he can't control himself already.  It is a choice when he isn't addicted at all, and not anymore when a gambler become a compulsive gambler.  Until that person recovers his control, it will never be a choice to be a compulsive gambling.

Of course, we don't want our lives to experience difficulties such as losing everything valuable, including things we already have, all lost because of gambling. No one will want to see it, and because of that, we really have to be able to prevent ourselves from falling into any debt if we can't pay off the loan. We should live a simple life and still be able to play gambling like other people, but with really tight restrictions so we don't lose more money at the gambling table. And yes, we must be truly responsible for whatever happens to us.

If the gamblers had already lost his controls that means He needs a therapy solutions for this matter I think.
But I definitely agrerd as well that being compulsive is a matter of choice. Although, if the gamblers already in stage of
addiction this choice of changing will become difficult for the gamber itself for sure.

However, if there is a determination to change it, we can able to change still of being compulsive anyway
in the end.

It might take years though before gamblers really learn from this past mistakes and become responsible. I'm talking about experience here, as I have said in the past, I'm addicted to the point that I almost lose everything in gambling. And it went for years before I realized that I'm not just a compulsive gambler, but an addiction one.

So all the signs being mentioned in the beginning of the thread? I felt that before, but know I'm totally change, no longer playing and addicted but become a responsible bettor. And just gamble what I can afford to lose in a night and that's it.

Consistency on what you are doing is one important aspect for you to became more better gambler today since realization on situation happened from the past what can make you decide on what to do on things we like to continue. That's why mostly disciplined gamblers knows when to stop and how much amount they could afford to lose since they know what it feels to lose more bigger amount that they can't handle to take. I'm also not playing in addicted manner and all things what I do on casinos is controlled.

This is actually addiction and wishing for more and more , when a gambling wins he gambles more to win more and more money and this lead to addiction to an extent. He looses his balance and reasoning power to control his desire and that ends in destruction .

I have friends who are compulsive gamblers and one thing I have observed about them is how they somehow always have the money to gamble even when they complain about not having money for other certain important bills like feeding, clothing etc. Compulsive gamblers can chose not to eat or reduce their meals, to cutting internet subscription, cutting television subscription, and refuse to get new clothes when necessary just so they can have money to gamble with. A compulsive gambler in chronic and severe cases can get aggressive when they cannot gamble or do not have the money to.

When they get aggressive it means they are in the most severe case of their disease and they should immediately recover in a rehab center,they should be forced by family members to go there in order for them to recover from such a bad illness.

It is true that these kind of gamblers always have the money to do so and I know a story of a friend of mine that he together with his brother were playing sport betting during all day and spent all the money they had even those to get meals and food to eat but some other fellow gamblers gave them like 10 dollar tips in support to them and that is the only good from gambling I think,people who gamble show empathy,we can see it even in online websites,in big casinos where in their chat people are tipping each other.

Those are bad signs. Whoever those friends of yours are, I think they badly need some help from people who they could talk to or perhaps urge them to change their habits. There's a chance he will try to steal or scam their friends or relatives just so he could provide his thirst to gamble.
I gamble daily but I never had this kind of moment yet.
I hate losing and I get mad when the team I am betting on loses but it's normal because it's the feeling of being wrong in your predictions and analysis.
But after an hour or two, I usually just forget about it and move on. There are those who cannot absorb their failures and they tend to force their way by chasing the losses and this is where it gets wrong.

I absolutely agree with you about these people needing help, but I understand you have some gambling problems as well. Daily gambling is an indicator that you already have a gambling addiction and if you don't fight it, you can make it worse. I would try to change your gambling style if I were you. If you gamble less often you won't let the gambling addiction develop further, at least I have practiced this myself.

If true, this is more painful than with my experience. Your friend really needs immediate help and what happened to him, he is out of control and can't even think rationally. at least, as friends. the first aid that you did, invited him to talk and then advised him. second, talk to his closest family. third, take it to the experts. at least, you have made efforts to help him get free from the addiction trap. even though it is difficult, it even takes an indeterminate amount of time.

I can feel it, because we also have the same experience. however, if there is no will from within himself. apparently, it will be very difficult to persuade him to seek treatment at a rehabilitation center. your friend's story, can be an illustration for all of us to only make gambling a fun means of entertainment, nothing more and with the condition that money can afford to lose.

The pattern is obvious to us that are aware of this. There's really no way to go and we'll just end up being disappointed if we're not careful to watch out for our emotions.
Losing money will also make us lose our emotions which will result in losing more. That's why we need to look at ourselves when we're in such a situation because it's not really going to show a good ending.
You like the idea of chasing but you'll never like the result of it if you've done that several times and you've come up with nothing.

These signs are for an addicted gambler in the gambling field. Addicted gambler always have spot in which where he has  gang of other gamblers who are always encouraging one another not to give up the gambling games. Increasing the amount of money so the determination that they will win big when they gamble big. Gamblers never give up, they always have the hope to win the lost ones. Real gamblers forget what they have planned to do in the next minutes because the brain has been configured.

Because they believe that they can easily get what they had lost once they wi the jackpot prize, it makes them a false hope that. leads them addiction,  we should learn to be part of a good circle, we can choose of course, with them we can grow our discipline holding and managing money, I knew some group of people in real life that helping each other not to be addicted and they are doing sport betting only for finals so the anxiety is not that frequent.

I do no think that it is a sign of being an addict to have people around them as gamblers and encouraging them to continue gambling.  Gambling addiction is all about a person having an uncontrollable urge to gamble and not people around them encouraging them to gamble.

A sign of compulsive gambling is more on a person despite of losses keeps on gambling not because they wanted to chase their losses but rather because they can't stop gambling since there is already this uncontrollable urges.

Players who have this pathology should be treated with psychologists, and really, although it may seem a bit harsh, the possible signs of these pathologies are the responsibility of the person.

Like addiction, these are problems that the casino is not to blame, nor will it ever be, because the casino does not force people to play, people make their own decision, what happens is that there are some people who do not They have a very defined personality and tend to fall into this type of problem, but compulsive gambling is something that the person must control and call attention to as urgently as possible.

It is not always easy for the outside world to recognize certain signs. If you don't know if someone is involved in gambling, how do you make the link between signaling and gambling? In the winter, for example, many people don't go outside anyway and you hardly see each other. At work you see each other every day, but you don't want to interfere too much with other people and certainly not with their private lives. Addressing someone about gambling behavior can be confrontational and this can also lead to angry, irritated reactions from the gambler.

Recovering normal game activity is difficult, but only if you are healthy is it possible to make changes, everyone goes through those points you mention, normal, healthy players and pathological or sick players.

The ability of each of these types of players mentioned in their perspective, is that the healthy player can no matter how long it takes him to find a way out, but the sick player never finds it.

So, in theory you can write a lot of advice here but putting it into practice is what determines the true type of player you are, seek help if you are not able to determine if you are a healthy or sick player, sometimes the sick believe that They are finding the way out, so a professional can determine it, pay for that consultation, that is my advice.

As a friend, you can see changes in the behavior of a person.  You can also see the changes in how he spends his money and his financial status.  Often times compulsive gamblers lost all their savings, are full of debt, and even sell their items to have funds to play gambling games.  

Since gambling is related to money, the most easiest way to check if there is a sign of compulsive gambling is through his financial data.

Number one sign for me is spending more then you intended to or should ever risk on the game.   Having an allocated budget for anything is a positive over blind spending, so perhaps not having a bad habit of spending all your cash available on that one day can help prevent any negative chain of something leading to compulsive gambling.
   Risking it all might be a common thing but if it leaves a person without anything left for food and other essentials even if they are ok later that week, I'd say thats a dangerous road to be walking down.  To rely purely on the gamble result is too extreme and puts the player in a position they are no longer in control.   Forget the risk, this attitude imo will lead to greater losses and poor gameplay it wont lead to a winning strategy imo.

actually it is not referral but a warning that if you let yourself to be compulsive gamblers? then you will become addicted meaning this is a just a beginning of addictions.
but what I wanted to say to you here? better to check your post each time because it seems that you mostly missed spelling and also the thought about the one you are quoting.
and the main objective of this post? never to let yourself become one either compulsive of addicted in gambler.
completely agreed in those points mate, yeah spending allocated amount will be best for us all.

It may be difficult to know if our friend has a gambling addiction, especially if we are not close to that person. But there should be signs we can identify just from their movements or a feeling of anxiety often shown by that person. But if it is our co-worker, it won't be easy to recognize the signs because we can't see them as often as possible, especially when we've returned home. But at least if he's our close friend, we can tell the signs. But those addicted to gambling may not know or feel anything is wrong with it.

I would add that gambling increases the likelihood of having problems with family (spouse and children).
It could happen because the neglect of important matters (as you mentioned) and the fact a compulsive gambler could feel  too stressed or depressed to have a quality time with them, not even mentioning the possible loss of money intended to family expenses.

Just to add with this one, I don't think that the phrase "increases the likelihood" can be applied here because I believe that whenever you're gambling and you don't know how to control your urge on it, it's a 100% sure that you're relationship with your family will be affected.

I mean your savings might get depleted, your relative might do something bad if you have a relative that has a compulsive gambling disorder. Family problems in a gambler that has this kind of disorder is inevitable. This is the reason why I don't want to get addicted to gambling. As a family-oriented person, I don't want my relation with my family be destroyed just because of me getting addicted into gambling. Maybe there will be a time where these compulsive gamblers will soon realize their wrong decisions. There will be a where they will realize and think that "I just hope I didn't ever tried to gamble at all. This is the after effects of my decisions. My family is now gone."

Your argument is true, most of the time addicted gambler only realize the big mistake after they already ruined their lives, not just their own but also those who are close to them, family and a like will be affected with this addiction, better not to engage that much if you don't want to suffer in this same situation, gambling can use to kill some time but always knows you limitations.

Proper money managements and good overview with what you intend to achieve, your life is what you are risking if you failed to have that right control over this activity.

Gambling was so difficult even a few years ago but now that it is very easy. Earlier it was easy to detect a gambler but now it is very difficult to do so. There is no scope to identify. When they gamble online at home, there is no sign of it. Many times they lose but try to hide that fact from everyone. But it is visible from the face of those who are addicted to gambling. I have also seen many gamblers who cannot identify themselves as an addicted gambler after being addicted to gambling.

It should actually be pretty easy imo. Never ask the person themselves, they'd most likely just deny it all the time, instead, look at the people surrounding the person and ask them instead. Ask them if he's been having a depressed atmosphere, if he's asking/taking on debts, if he's always frustrated, anything weird or odd that would make him seem or look crazy. They best know what's up. Even if you were a friend, I doubt you'd be the person closest to him all the time, it should be his/her work mates or family instead.

Indeed, talking to a colleague about his recent behavior that seems like he is addicted to gambling could be offensive, but helping out in a polite way won't sound so horrible to the victim. It takes a gambling conversation to convert a gambler to play responsibly and the person can then become friends with his colleague. What matters is saving the player from being convulsive; it could ruin his career because he won't provide the best services anymore. Secondly, I know a friend that was saved from gambling through his girlfriend. It works if the addicted player is married or in a relationship instead of meeting them to complain about their gambling habit, their spouse can handle vividly the task of advising, and counseling the victim to change their habit. The victim needs to hear it from someone they trust. It's more effective this way than causing more misunderstanding.

Op you have knack the nail to the wall. Those 4 features you just outlined for a gambler are the fact about them. The number one is like the gambler can't do other things without thinking of gambling. The number two another wonderful one, they always increase they bets. And the number is even d their anthem or what will I call it. Every gambler has that in mind that they would win their losses one day while continue losing every day. Then number four and one are one which they can't do without.

Not all gambler like that, if you have such mind it's mean you're an addict and you should try to limit your gambling habit to prevent from huge losses in the future. If a gambler always think to gamble and one day they will recover all of their losses, their losses will become big and bigger because they're not realizing if not all gambler can make money through gambling. Even they're gamble on sport or poker which is a skill based games, not all analysis and prediction will come true.

Yes I agree, it is not normal for a person to always think about gambling because for sure it will become a distraction to everyday routine and become a bad habit to always think about it. We should learn to set aside our gambling thoughts if it is not needed for example if you are working you should only focus to your work and then think of gambling when you go home or during your weekends.

Are you referring to the games? I think gambling games before are much simple so they are much easier to play but now casinos added some varieties or gimmicks only to bring something new in the table, so some can find them a little difficult. If you mean gambling addictions, there are ways to tell if the person is a gambling addict or not.

One obvious sign is you will see them playing gambling at all times. They also beg money, take a loan and the worst part of all is they steal money to fuel their gambling habits. I don't think that an addict gambler won't know that they are already addicted in the game. They are only denying it and they are afraid to quit their addiction because for them this gaies them a different kind of happiness.

This is true and part of the reality that is really happening with many homes and marriages with thier spouse into gambling, the more you see some men trying to hide gambling from their family because they know it won't make peace with them, how i wish there could be an avenue to reorient gamblers on how to make this balance without anyone being affected, gambling today has gone beyond the normal expected procedures and people were now using it as . An excuse for their personal behavioural indiscipline which is affecting the family.

Additionally one of the things that creates compulsive gambling is the mentality of some gamblers believing that they could get rich through gambling and this believe system push them to occupy their mindset with gambling thoughts or strategies on how to make big and better wins which end up making them obsessed with it that it tears them apart at every loss.

i had a very bad past experience at gambling when i was very addicted to gambling and almost went crazy because i lost everything valuable. but after that I can change after finding one woman who has become my current wife.
so it was my wife who made me aware first that gambling is just entertainment with a budget that can afford to lose and if we lose, don't even try to chase that loss. have fun having fun at gambling at the appointed time and spend the gambling budget without having to spend other money.
those words are what I still remember to this day and make me realize every time I gamble.

and what the OP wrote, I really have experienced the same as you.

so it's true that all of that takes a long time and maybe it can take years to wake up from addiction.

Right! this kind of delussional thinking, hoping that by luck they will be able to manage changing their lifestyle with the help of gambling, most of the time if not all such gambler ending it up of losing everything and suffer from being addicted gambler. The idea of chasing your luck and finding the right patterns to keep winning is something that pushes a gambler to keep trying.

The keyword is being obsessed on the thinking that they will eventually get rich in gambling.  Normal gambler do have some mentality that they can get rich if they got lucky especially in lottery.  I do not think that there is problem on that as long as they have control in their gambling activity.  Being obsessed does the trick since being in an obsessed condition removes the rational thinking of a normal mind.  They will do anything just to make their obsession come true and in gambling, it means they will gamble all they have to take chance of getting rich which somehow triggers compulsive gambling.

When you do have that kind of motive on getting rich with gambling then you are on the wrong path since you do believe on things which cant really be that possible considering that odds of winning big is impossible.

Yes, we can win but comparing out the number of losses in against with it then it would really be totally a disaster.Therefore, you shouldnt really make yourself that hopeful or really that desperate so that you
wont really be ending up on playing with having those intents which it would really be pushing you beyond your limit.

If you dont like to suffer financial problems then it would be better that you shouldn't really be having this kind of mindset in the first place.

Much like any sort of compulsive behavior, the original reason and the joy that they give people is often long gone by the time it becomes a problem. Essentially it becomes a habitual act that illogically takes over reason in the brain and people simply do it because that's what they did yesterday. If you keep repeating an activity then your brain starts to hardwire your daily routine around it and other parts of the day can even become an inconvenience like you've described. Generally people go gambling because they have the idea that they can take a short cut to make a lot of money, then they can get trapped by all the enticing behavior and psychology that the casinos have mastered over the years.

There is a difference between having the natural desire of winning which we all have and being obsessed with it, the obsession part is what gets people in trouble as when they do not win instead of simply accepting as part of the results they could get and move on, they think they are owed a win and they try their luck once again and again until they win, and in the case of the lottery a person could spend all their life playing and never win it.

In other words, what you are talking about is chasing after losses, i do agree with you, too much of everything in life is bad, and that also includes the desire to win or succeed, when the desire becomes too much, it turns into desperation, and when one is desperate, such individual can go to any length to get what they want, not minding whether what they are doing is right or wrong.
Desperation for things have landed many to prison, some have been meet with early death while some gamblers who were desperate for a win are now wallowing in chronic gambling addiction with no ability to help themselves, this is for those that maybe realized that they are addicted  though.
So it is very important that we watch it when the desire to achieve things or some kind of result hit up, never allow yourself to become desperate, desperation is what drives gamblers into chasing after their losses. 

There are numerous signs of compulsive gambling, and they are easy to spot. The OP and other users have mentioned some very obvious signs, Just to add to what has already been said, compulsive gamblers use gambling as a coping mechanism or as an escape route from reality. For example, a compulsive gambler would turn to gambling to cushion the effects of a loss. It may be the loss of a significant other, a spouse, a parent, or a relationship. If you ever feel this way, please seek help.

Actually, I did not want to say it happens on the 100% of the cases because out there in the world there will be always special cases and I did not want to generalize. Regardless of that detail, I can agree on what you have said.

Sometimes, people forget how valuable is family until they cannot be there anymore to help. Same with money, people can take their savings for granted specially if it is money that was inherited.

"Risking it all" has been romanticized for centuries in theaters, books and later in movies and TV series. And I forgot to mention video games. It certainly romanticized there as well. I don't know what the right word, "hate"?, for describing what I feel about those authors who have made "Risking it all" attitude attractive to so many people, and although I don't want to hate anyone, I'm afraid that's the right word.

I think people with this type on syndrome always develop some kind of denial along with it. If you tell them they are damaging themselves they reply "no i rarely gamble". If you tell them they are wasting their money, they reply "its just unimportant amount". Its very hard to heal this type of people with usual methods. Isolation is probably necessary. I think better honest social life can fix these issues. Gambling in itself can be fun thing if you do it with caution.

Something that really happening when a person is unable to control their emotions, setting limitations and knowing how to control is a good prevention to a potential addiction. If you know how to work with both time and money, you'll be able to avoid losing a lot. But, if you are always losing and you are unable to control the amount of money that you are using, it's already a sign that you are falling to this addiction, better to observe yourself and try to analyze, maybe you are in deniable stage but in reality you are already engaging too much.

A better solution is to admit, then accept, the help that can be done to you. Gambling is addicting if you can't handle things the right way.

That is why the number of addicted gamblers has increased, along with the various conveniences that gamblers can get to gamble from anywhere. Maybe they won't become addicted to gambling right away but if they don't learn to control themselves, there's a possibility that they will get addicted to gambling after a while playing gambling. We can only recognize people addicted to gambling if we are beside them all the time and see what they are doing so that we can only tell them if they have a gambling addiction. And it's not easy because they will think we have violated their privacy.

We can do that if we get to know the people around that person closely to identify whether our friend has a gambling addiction or whether he can still gamble wisely. But most of us wouldn't because we don't know his family well. And when there is a report from his family, we will try to help him but sometimes it's too late because our friend has continued to experience gambling addiction.

It is a self-defense mechanism, if they were to admit they were addicted then they will have to take responsibility for their actions, the damage they are causing to their family and the long road ahead of them to leave their addiction behind, things are so rough that instead of accepting the facts they prefer to deny everything, but the more they refuse to accept the reality the more difficult their situation gets, which explains why the first step any person which is addicted needs to take is to accept they are addicted.