At what point does entertainment become Addiction.

[Somto9Light]

When a gambler starts to face high risk and big threat from losing, that means he is already gambling with addiction. When his behavior, emotional state and financial habits are now faced with severe consequences, that signs prove that he is already facing severe gambling addiction. The fact that his simple lifestyle has shifted into a worst and critical one, there is no denying, he is now facing the threats of addiction.

The truth is that many gamblers approach that cliff of addiction without really knowing the path they are walking, they only get to realize it when they are heavily in debt or in serious financial pressure. But whenever a gambler is treading that path, there will always be signs, and the reason most people just keep on going is because they often ignore those signs and red flags, not because they are not clear or vivid enough, but simply because they would rather follow their emotions than rational thinking.

[programmer3666]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

Well we could say at the point when you stop being in control and it starts controlling you. If you  are gambling just for fun!! you can stop anytime, you don’t spend more than you can afford and losing does not disturb your peace. But once you notice things like spending more money or time than planned, trying to win back losses, hiding it from others or feeling uncomfortable when you don’t gamble, then it is no longer just about entertainment.

[uneng]

The gambler knows itself already. But the moment he thinks he's already addicted, he becomes in denial at first and still think that he's just gambling to entertain himself. But we all know that its the gambler that recognizes first whenever there's a shift of behavior or mindset. But no one wants to get addicted and called an addict, so they will continue to argue with that case.

But whether its fate or whatsoever, time will come that they will become hopeless and helpless, and that's the time that they become highly threatened with gambling addiction. So no choice but admit it so they can ask for a help from their support system.

That is why it's important to notice the symptoms when they are still at the beginning, so the gambler can avoid reaching the final stage of getting hopeless and helpless. The sooner the issue is addressed, the lesser is going to be the damage.

I believe the first sign of addiction starts when the person keeps thinking about it too much along the day, while having difficulty to focus on daily tasks and another matters which used to be enjoying for him, due to his thoughts being focused on gambling solely.

That should be enough to light a red alert inside his mind before it's too late.

[Dave1]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

There is a thin line between the two and it's really hard to know unless the gamblers recognized it in the first place. If he sees that something is not right already. But the problem is that when we are already addicted, our visions are blur, our judges are clouded as we are in denial.

Only the person outside that is close that might see it and the individual could be the key to the gambler that is addicted. Maybe he can approach the addicted gambler to tell him that is life is getting ruin by his gambling habit already. Sometimes we need that nudge to get out of it and snap.

[Pandorak]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

I think someone who is already addicted to gambling will gamble more frequently, in other words, consistently and it’s not uncommon to find someone who gambles almost every day, no longer having a clear gambling budget, since they’re inevitably using up all their available money.

At this point, limits are no longer a concern, they don’t even listen to advice from others anymore. They only think about how to get money to gamble again, even though they only realized it was wrong and it's already gone too far, only after running out of money. But that sense of awareness will disappear as soon as they have money again. Often, a gambler will end up harming those around them, including friends and family, by taking out loans that are almost certainly impossible to repay.

[Hispo]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

Most of occasions the person who is gambling cannot tell whether they are crosaing red lines and becoming dependant of gambling, because it is a very gradual process.
So to me, one of the best way to know whether one is becoming addicted to gambling is having a third party to check on our habits and choices, so they act as a "thermometer" to measure our dependency to gambling.

The important part of that strategy is that we are supposed to take seriously whatevert at person has to tell us about our condition. It would be pointless for us to appoint someone of our trust to serve as a thermometer if we won't be willing to listen to what they have gotten to say about our habits, if we listen to them and pay attention to their comments, then we should have no problem with staying away from gambling addiction.

Just my two sats on this matter.

[LastKiss]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

I think someone who is already addicted to gambling will gamble more frequently, in other words, consistently and it’s not uncommon to find someone who gambles almost every day, no longer having a clear gambling budget, since they’re inevitably using up all their available money.

At this point, limits are no longer a concern, they don’t even listen to advice from others anymore. They only think about how to get money to gamble again, even though they only realized it was wrong and it's already gone too far, only after running out of money. But that sense of awareness will disappear as soon as they have money again. Often, a gambler will end up harming those around them, including friends and family, by taking out loans that are almost certainly impossible to repay.

I agree with this, when a gambler becomes addicted they no longer have any limits. Even if they think they are gambling just for fun, if they don't set any limits for themselves it's a sign of addiction. Whether someone gambles for fun or not, addiction doesn't care about the circumstances. In the worst case scenario when they run out of money they may do anything to get more money to gamble such as stealing, borrowing from other people or other desperate actions.

[Oasisman]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

IMO, the most common way to determine whether you're still gambling for entertainment is when you still enjoy playing or watching live betting games/sports along with your friends. Maybe once or twice a week. But, if you start to think about gambling too frequently, and you want to gamble alone just to try to keep the distractions away, I think that's one of the first signs of becoming an impulsive gambler eventually.
The troubles with your finances, relationships, peace of mind, and overall well-being will come to you unnoticed at first, and then the next thing you know is you're already deep into it.

Determining gambling addiction doesn't always start with how much money they're willing to lose. It's always been about the time they are willing to allocate to gambling, completely forgetting how to be productive daily. Poor people can be addicted too, even if it means they don't have the resources to sustain their daily gambling needs. Most of them will turn into criminals eventually, or end up dead for having an enormous amount of debt/loans.

[fighter2627]

When a gambler is addicted to gambling, of course this would not have happened if it had not started with their curiosity in trying to deposit money in any casinos. So before becoming addicted to gambling or having an addiction, there is a process that must be gone through and cannot be without it.

of course while the players are having fun here, the entry or having an addiction begins little by little to any gamblers inside the casino,
particularly in the crypto industry.

[Achalugo BTC]

When a gambler is addicted to gambling, of course this would not have happened if it had not started with their curiosity in trying to deposit money in any casinos. So before becoming addicted to gambling or having an addiction, there is a process that must be gone through and cannot be without it.

of course while the players are having fun here, the entry or having an addiction begins little by little to any gamblers inside the casino,
particularly in the crypto industry.

Being addicted in gambling its never instant and you totally right about it, of course, there is always a pathway for them to get to addiction stage, curiosity like you mentioned has made some people become addicted to the game easily, as they are so eager to know how things are being doing in gambling, at first they might enjoy the game as a fun one but once their brain keep releasing the dopamine that they can play and win, as they may believed they have understand the structure on how to win and this can make them to lose their control or discipline, as it will become a problem for them to handle and then, find themselves tangled in the cycle of addiction.

[Julien_Olynpic]

Gambling is inherently driven by the desire to get rich. In reality, people don't just play for fun. If they did, everyone would be playing free games. After all, why spend money if you're just playing for fun? Surely there are free alternatives to casino games? And the signs of gambling addiction are well-known. The most significant signs, in my opinion, are regular and senseless losses of money, which puts the player closer to financial ruin.

[Darker45]

You've already provided the answers prior to your question. If you've noticed that your behavior has changed like you're already starting to hide your gambling activities or you're already chasing losses, then be alarmed. Those are red flags.

When these are observed, there should be an immediate response like controlling your gambling time and expenses. It would help to get busier with other things. It's also helpful to share this experience along with your determination to quit gradually. Otherwise, it could only get worse.

[Japinat]

Gambling is inherently driven by the desire to get rich. In reality, people don't just play for fun. If they did, everyone would be playing free games. After all, why spend money if you're just playing for fun? Surely there are free alternatives to casino games? And the signs of gambling addiction are well-known. The most significant signs, in my opinion, are regular and senseless losses of money, which puts the player closer to financial ruin.

I never thought I would get rich from gambling, but of course I always aim to win. Not just that, I also want to win consistently because it has always been my dream to retire from work and just do gambling. As long as I can make a living from it, I think I will be living a very good life.

But that is just a dream since it is close to impossible. Sure, others make money from it, but definitely not me.
So again, I do not believe I can get rich from gambling. I just hope that someday I can use gambling as a way to survive and live a good life.

[danadc]

What I think is that people confuse fun with the obligation to win. At that point, things go to a level where they're not so good. When you reach a high level of stress because you don't achieve your goals because you're supposedly supposed to win, that's when you make a lot of mistakes, and that's not good because gaming is for fun and earning some money (only when you can). You have to accept what happens, and nevertheless, you have to take care of your money.

[Salahmu]

IMO, the most common way to determine whether you're still gambling for entertainment is when you still enjoy playing or watching live betting games/sports along with your friends. Maybe once or twice a week. But, if you start to think about gambling too frequently, and you want to gamble alone just to try to keep the distractions away, I think that's one of the first signs of becoming an impulsive gambler eventually.

Habits is the creation of everything because is the kind of habits a person have that would determined what a person would become in gambling so actually it doesn't constitute a problem if a person gamble alone or with friends because if the habits is managed there is no means a person would gamble that an addiction will get hold of them so actually if the person has a low habits of gambling neither friends or even betting alone when they're at there comfort place will pressure them into an addiction or attaching an uncontrollable feeling of gambling in them.

[Kelward]

What I think is that people confuse fun with the obligation to win. At that point, things go to a level where they're not so good. When you reach a high level of stress because you don't achieve your goals because you're supposedly supposed to win, that's when you make a lot of mistakes, and that's not good because gaming is for fun and earning some money (only when you can). You have to accept what happens, and nevertheless, you have to take care of your money.

Exactly when fun begins to turn into obligation for you as a gambler, you no longer accept loses in good faith, when you will feel obligated to recover your loses then you have shifted from gambling for entertainment into gambling for money. Anything that leads you as a gambler to feel compelled to chase loses is a sign of addiction and if you don't control it then it would consume you, before you know it you're gambling everyday with a mindset of getting revenge for your loses.

Let us remember not to take gambling like a job where we feel entitled to get paid at the end of it, gambling is 'try your luck. Use small amounts to gamble, take your wins and enjoy it but move on if you lose.

[Tetu100]

When you reach a high level of stress because you don't achieve your goals because you're supposedly supposed to win, that's when you make a lot of mistakes, and that's not good because gaming is for fun and earning some money (only when you can). You have to accept what happens, and nevertheless, you have to take care of your money.

You are right. Gambling is surposed to be meant for fun and not a die hard game. However, accepting results the way they are, are part of what keeps us safed from getting addicted or becoming stock in the game. If these can be maintain in our gambling streak then everything will be fine, but if the reverse is the case then what was initially meant for fun can in turn become a disaster in a tinkle of an eyes.

[laijsica]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

Gambling addiction starts gradually. If you can set a specific budget from the initial stage of gambling, you will be able to maintain control over your gambling. You can have any purpose in gambling, whether it is for entertainment or to make money. If you can stick to a set bankroll, you will be able to prevent addiction. Gamblers tend to take out loans if they gamble beyond their budget and become overly excited.

A gambler starts gambling for entertainment but gradually moves towards making money because he may be greedy or rushing to recover lost funds. This is the stage of gambling addiction because there is an addiction to making money or recovering money rather than getting entertainment. If a gambler says that he gambles for entertainment, he may not be right. Most gamblers gamble to make money, although they find entertainment in it and continue gambling for a long time.

[Italian Panic]

What I think is that people confuse fun with the obligation to win. At that point, things go to a level where they're not so good. When you reach a high level of stress because you don't achieve your goals because you're supposedly supposed to win, that's when you make a lot of mistakes, and that's not good because gaming is for fun and earning some money (only when you can). You have to accept what happens, and nevertheless, you have to take care of your money.

When you lose control, you’re addicted. I remember a guy at the pub I used to go to who, whenever he didn’t win at the slots or ran out of money, would get angry and start shouting and punching the machine; they even called the police once. The inability to accept defeat and the anger that follows make it clear that there’s a problem linked to the loss of enjoyment and the onset of addiction.

[shawonngp]

Most people start gambling for entertainment, fun or to try their luck but as time goes on, some people begin to spend more money and time than they expected to. Once you start hiding your gambling activities, start chasing losses, take loan to gamble or feel restless when you don’t gamble, it is a sign that gambling is now more than entertainment. The truth is that addiction does not just happen overnight. It’s start little by little until  it starts affecting your finance, relationships, and peace of mind. So my question now is. How can a person know if  he or she is still gambling for entertainment or if addiction has Started taking control over them.

This has been said over and over again here in this board and I think one thing is certain about this, no one gambles for fun instead they gamble for the money, I find it difficult to believe that people gamble for fun but later became addicted. No one is addicted to Gambling for fun, they gamble for money but with time they begin chasing win or loses.

When you are gambling for entertainment is when you are not staking real money, maybe a demo game for practice can be identified as entertainment game. But when you have started gambling with real money and can't get hold of yourself then you are addicted.

No one spends money just for fun in gambling, everyone wants to win because if you lose, it can't be considers fun to you, but I think you will not get any excitement in gambling without using real money, so gambling can be thought of as entertainment, just when you don't spend large amount of money which is unaffordable, and make small bets so that even if you lose, you don't care, when gambling seems like earning money. Then, gambling can no longer be called entertainment. But it is also true that many people start gambling for fun, but after that, they can't control themselves and spend a lot of money on gambling, and they try to recover by chasing losses.