Who are the most vulnerable

[South Park]

Gambling is a lot easier to access now than before. So it is no surprise if more people find themselves gambling. Unfortunately, not a lot of us can be responsible enough to prevent ourselves from falling into deep addiction. This probes the question, who are the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction?

snip

I would put all of those people under the umbrella of those that cannot control their impulses, if someone is impulsive by nature then that person is going to suffer greatly if they gamble, since whenever they face a great loss, instead of accepting it they will try to keep gambling to recover their money, an attitude that will only bring them even greater losses, so it is my opinion that a person like that must never gamble.

[serjent05]

Gambling is a lot easier to access now than before. So it is no surprise if more people find themselves gambling. Unfortunately, not a lot of us can be responsible enough to prevent ourselves from falling into deep addiction. This probes the question, who are the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction?

The most vulnerable are the jobless ones, those that don't earn a living and with the fact that they had a one time win had urge them to go into taking gambling as a source of living and income and looking at the rate of gambling addiction the younger generations are another vulnerable person's that as turned addict while  journeying in the quest for quick money. And it seems the rate of gambling addiction keeps going higher and this has to stop cause it's resulting to alot of damages in the lives of the individuals and society.

True that, with lots of time in hand and the need to earn money, they are easily tempted to gamble what little they have to take the chance of hitting it big.  This is made worse if the person involved has a family history of gambling addiction since there is a possibility of inheriting the gambling addiction genes from their predecessors.

I also think that those people who have a high-stress job are also vulnerable to gambling addiction since these people might see gambling as lessening their stress.

[Pandu Geddon]

I am sharing this to raise awareness so more people are aware whether they fall under these categories I mentioned and may have high chances of becoming a gambling addict. Let’s keep ourselves informed and in check. Not only ourselves but our loved ones as well.

Various topics of gambling addiction are actually discussed several times here. whether it is related to age or gender, all of these criteria can indeed be reasons for gamblers to become addicted.
Those who know gambling should be people who already understand the risks and how to prevent them. not beginners. what is unfortunate is that currently the regulations are not so strict and there are still loopholes. so anyone can access it easily and no one can limit it other than the gambler himself.
So if you want to suppress gambling addiction, it is quite difficult I think when the gambler himself still sees gambling as income.

[taufik123]

I don't think this is entirely true when looking at the condition of online gambling addicts in my country Indonesia.
Those who even become addicted to online gambling are people over the age of 20 with a low economic level.

They gamble to hit big jackpots without thinking about how much capital they spend on gambling.
Though, the victory will never come because illegal online gambling sites will only play them with a system that has been set up that the bookmaker will always win.

Now the eradication of illegal online gambling sites in my country is getting more intense so that there is no opportunity to trap people into entering gambling sites that are just fraudulent sites.

Those who are very vulnerable who are under poverty and are still playing illegal online gambling, it will only make them miserable and further add to the burden of their lives.

I do not reject gambling, and I also do not fully support illegal gambling that only wants to benefit the bookmaker.
Of course, it needs balance, and honesty in a system, because Online casino sites that are licensed and have received clear regulations in a country have certainly been audited and are safe to play.

[iBaba]

I would put all of those people under the umbrella of those that cannot control their impulses, if someone is impulsive by nature then that person is going to suffer greatly if they gamble, since whenever they face a great loss, instead of accepting it they will try to keep gambling to recover their money, an attitude that will only bring them even greater losses, so it is my opinion that a person like that must never gamble.

The most vulnerable category of people whom I see as the most vulnerable in my opinion are the underaged gamblers. Children or teenagers who end up as gamblers as a result of their community influence or family. I pity them a lot because only a few of these boys could actually control their emotions and end up victims of addiction. I don't subscribe to allowing the children to participate in gambling because it is more detrimental to their lifestyles more than you could imagine.

I can also put an adult into the category of the vulnerables if they fall within those with the inability to control their emotions and ain't disciplined to hold themselves or checkmate their addiction level or reactions to gambling. I won't engage in gambling today if I discover I have that problem because just a single win could end up swaying me to the wrong path which could lead up to the level of becoming addicted to it.

[Lanatsa]

As someone who lives in a low middle income country, I'd say that low income earners are the most vulnerable. In my estimation, low income earners are the target of gambling advertising and marketing. The specific type of gambling being sports betting. Casinos are not popular here so it's mostly bet shops online and offline that you find low income earners hanging around.

Another vulnerable group are those who have low education that is, those with high school diploma and lower. In addition to this group we have those who are single, divorced, or separated. Gambling will fill in the vacuum that loneliness has left.

And yet another group are those who are retired.

All these groups I have mentioned are not from any research publications but by simply observing them in my locality.

I'm totally seeing the different situation here in our country on which local physical casinos are placed on big cities or highly urbanized ones on which they do strategically placing up their businesses into those spots on which they do know that it is much worth on putting it up on this spot than into those rural places., For online casinos then this one can't really be denied or ignored  that everyone could be a potential target doesn't matter on what your financial status would be. It's true or does really have a point that poor to middle people are getting hooked even more but not totally since there are still those rich gamblers.

Actually this is something that pertains about personal approach because if you are really that eager on making money with gambling or something you do think that this would be your solution to poverty then you are putting yourself at great danger. It is better not to be optimistic towards gambling results because this is where greed and desperation kicks in and if you won't be careful then you do end up on a disaster.

[Fortify]

Gambling is a lot easier to access now than before. So it is no surprise if more people find themselves gambling. Unfortunately, not a lot of us can be responsible enough to prevent ourselves from falling into deep addiction. This probes the question, who are the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction?

We already know that less privileged people are more prone to getting addicted to gambling with the involvement of financial reward. They are the ones chasing more wins because they actually need the money. The more money they get, the deeper they get into the addiction.

Another demographic that is more likely to get addicted to gambling are adolescents. Adolescents are aged 12-18. The rise of online casinos made way to more kids getting access into gambling. It is said that male adolescents are the ones most recorded to have ended up addicted in gambling. Their addiction is usually associated with sports  and mobile games betting.

Lastly, the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction are those already suffering from pre-existing mental conditions. About 4% of people being treated for substance use also have gambling disorder, as do nearly 7% of psychiatric inpatients and up to 7% of people with Parkinson’s disease. An estimated 96% of people with gambling problems have at least one other psychiatric disorder.

I am sharing this to raise awareness so more people are aware whether they fall under these categories I mentioned and may have high chances of becoming a gambling addict. Let’s keep ourselves informed and in check. Not only ourselves but our loved ones as well.

You have pretty much identified all the categories that are the most vulnerable. I'd maybe add in people that are otherwise fairly organized but going through a period of trauma in their lives - a breakup, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, can sometimes lead people down a path where they act out and do things they wouldn't normally consider. There are also those who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, who if they have little experience with gambling especially, are vulnerable to being sucked in if they are exposed to it in certain settings. Like being taken by friends into a casino for the first time, where they might win a bunch of times and have a brilliant experience, but in attempts to recreate that they fail and it turns into an addiction.

[alani123]

So only 4% of substance users have gambling issues. That's actually a very low percentage. Pretty sure that would be lower than the general population in most countries. 

But surely gambler's having their own issues is a thing. If you are a problem gambler surely some other issues in your life must be there. Lack of support network, no family or bad family... Many things could be wrong. Or even deep personal issues even if everything else is fine. But really if we're not solving these issues from the root cause as a society they're gonna keep growing because apparently there's a lot of money to be made in gambling by the big corporations.

[bitzizzix]

Online gambling is a phenomenon that continues to grow in popularity and will never fade, one dies a thousand grow, and only by turning off the internet can it be stopped. And ease of access is the main factor and anyone can do it in any way to be able to do it, and the most and also very vulnerable are those who have a lot of time, especially teenagers and beginners. Because time is very influential which makes teenagers continue to play and expect income from gambling which will actually make them suffer more. And the government must realize this, because they need work to earn income and if they work their time will also be limited which will limit them from gambling. And even though they will continue to gamble they will limit it by playing in their spare time or on weekends just for entertainment, even though it will not work at least some of them do it.

[arjunmujay]

~snip~
Another demographic that is more likely to get addicted to gambling are adolescents. Adolescents are aged 12-18. The rise of online casinos made way to more kids getting access into gambling. It is said that male adolescents are the ones most recorded to have ended up addicted in gambling. Their addiction is usually associated with sports  and mobile games betting.

This is indeed a big problem today. As parents, we are obliged to inform the child about the negative impacts of online gambling.
There are actually many factors that can prevent this from happening
1. The role of parents
The role of parents is very vital, because if we are careless in supervising children, especially if parents cannot keep up with the times, surely our children can fall into negative things with all the latest and easy technology.
2. Children's socializing
This is also a problem because children in that age range have a mindset to find their identity. So they will try everything they know, especially from someone they admire or can be said to be close to them. Therefore, it is important to supervise who our children socialize with.
3. The role of the government
The government also has a role that is no less important. Because only they can block online gambling sites in a country.

[Felicity_Tide]

This probes the question, who are the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction?

IMO, i believe sport watchers/followers (football in particular) are vulnerable to such addictions. In as much poverty or any other financial constraint can also be a factor, i believe there are some people who are living well that starts gambling just because they follow up with the sport well. And when the winning starts coming in, they will want to continue with it, before it becoming a full blown addiction. I'm not sure of how this addiction can be addressed other than creating awareness, but with the availability of sport and easy technology such as mobile device to accessing them, we might just be moving round in circles.

[AmoreJaz]

Online gambling is a phenomenon that continues to grow in popularity and will never fade, one dies a thousand grow, and only by turning off the internet can it be stopped. And ease of access is the main factor and anyone can do it in any way to be able to do it, and the most and also very vulnerable are those who have a lot of time, especially teenagers and beginners. Because time is very influential which makes teenagers continue to play and expect income from gambling which will actually make them suffer more. And the government must realize this, because they need work to earn income and if they work their time will also be limited which will limit them from gambling. And even though they will continue to gamble they will limit it by playing in their spare time or on weekends just for entertainment, even though it will not work at least some of them do it.

If the person has more idle time, definitely, the chance of getting addicted to any form of activity is quite high. So if an unemployed person discovered gambling, he will surely get addicted to it if he has no other tasks to attend to. Hence, all ages are vulnerable to addiction depending on their lifestyle and how they are exposed to these type of addictive games.
Give something worthwhile to these teenagers, like sports or any hobby, and they will deviate their attention to this rather than in gambling. However, it depends on his environment why he will be prone to this activity.

[uneng]

The most vulnerable are the impulsive people who can't control their desires and instincts. Besides them, the suggestible ones are also pretty vulnerable, because they are easily influenced by propaganda. Lack of educational backgrounds is also related to gamblers who lose more than they can afford to lose, because they don't understand the Maths behind it at first moment. However, lack of educational background isn't likely to be related to addiction, as it's about lack of knowledge about a specific activity, and not due to mental disorders of impulsive nature.

[m2017]

Gambling is a lot easier to access now than before. So it is no surprise if more people find themselves gambling. Unfortunately, not a lot of us can be responsible enough to prevent ourselves from falling into deep addiction. This probes the question, who are the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction?

I believe that all people are subject to gambling addiction, without restrictions on social or age groups, to one degree or another. Some a little more, others a little less. Therefore, no gambler should relax, believing that he is in a "safe and invulnerable" group. Each gambler should control his gaming process (limit time, bets and passion), so that it doesn't develop into gambling addiction, periodically distracting himself with other types of activity. In principle, as in any hobby.

[Alphakilo]

Lastly, the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction are those already suffering from pre-existing mental conditions. About 4% of people being treated for substance use also have gambling disorder, as do nearly 7% of psychiatric inpatients and up to 7% of people with Parkinson’s disease. An estimated 96% of people with gambling problems have at least one other psychiatric disorder.

As you have already mention, I don't agree with you that health issues makes one to be addicted to gambling. Some people who are having challenges with their health are unable to function mentally and cognitively, I don't expect them to be able to play any casino or gambling games. These people also could be unemployed and have no money. Of course they can't hold down a job , I also don't expect them to have the finances to be able to afford to bet on games unless they are rich.

Sick people tend to focus more on other things other than betting. If they have family members or caregivers, the last thing they would expose them to is gambling.

[acroman08]

I am not saying that these people are the most vulnerable but I think their vulnerability is up there too, anyway, I am talking about people who are genetically more prone to addiction than other people, I've read articles and studies about it in the past that there are people who are genetically more prone to addiction(not just gambling), it was surprising the first time I read about it and the more I read about it the more I believe that it is true.

[bisdak40]

~snip~
I am sharing this to raise awareness so more people are aware whether they fall under these categories I mentioned and may have high chances of becoming a gambling addict. Let’s keep ourselves informed and in check. Not only ourselves but our loved ones as well.

I completely agree that individuals with mental health issues often struggle with gambling addiction, as anxiety and depression are common symptoms. It’s unfortunate that many gamblers realize this too late, making it difficult to break free from the problem. The best we can do now is to inform our loved ones about the effects of gambling addiction and warn them against engaging in such activities.

[SamReomo]

It is said that male adolescents are the ones most recorded to have ended up addicted in gambling. Their addiction is usually associated with sports  and mobile games betting.

That's true, the young ones are highly attached to mobile games and sports and that's why their chance of getting addicted to those is way higher than the old ones. Aside from KYC there's no other step that casinos can personally take to prevent such young ones from accessing their casinos, but we all know that in this age and time it's not really hard for the young ones to fake out KYC details and thus there's no other reliable way that casinos can take to prevent such young ones from being addicts.

However, parents can surely take some good steps so their young ones may not get addicted to gambling or to those sports based betting whatsoever. The first step they can take to ensure safety of their young ones is to limit their online presence or have some privacy features enabled on the smartphones of the young ones so they won't be able to gamble at all. I believe there are some applications that allow parents to set screen time or other limitations in their young ones phones as a parent, and those could be helpful in such cases.

[Darker45]

Yeah, I think the last part is the most important. We should be sensitive to our loved ones. We should be aware of what they're going through. Should a family member, friend, or relative can't anymore redeem himself/herself from spiraling down into the abyss of gambling addiction, it should be us who come to his/her aid. Struggling as an individual is difficult. Having somebody to talk to, to release tension, or perhaps to divert attention, or to distract focus from the wrong things are a big help.

Peer pressure is a strong force. It could be used to pull out a friend from gambling addiction, refocus him/her on something else-- a new hobby, a fun sport, whatever.

[alegotardo]

Gambling is a lot easier to access now than before. So it is no surprise if more people find themselves gambling. Unfortunately, not a lot of us can be responsible enough to prevent ourselves from falling into deep addiction. This probes the question, who are the most vulnerable to falling into a gambling addiction?

People who already have a history of mental health problems are quite vulnerable, since some psychiatric conditions such as depression, addictions to other substances and even the presence of relatives with gambling addictions in the family point to a greater tendency for gambling addiction.

However, I also believe that low-income people are also among the most vulnerable to the impacts caused by irresponsible gambling.

When we analyze the population that is most at risk of developing gambling addiction, they are generally young men who are either single or recently married (for less than five years) and who do not have much commitment to a family yet, and also those who already have financial difficulties, as they believe that they can "change their lives" with gambling.