We All Start 'Just for Entertainment',,, But When Does It Become a Problem?

[Pikiboy]

My question is not ''Am I addicted?''

My question is, do we understand at what point we cross the line between hobby and addiction?

If you are the type who gambles occasionally for entertainment and always stick to a budge you may view gambling as a hobby. Gambling becomes problematic when you start chasing after your losses, borrow money to gamble or gamble even when it causes serious problems.  At that point what you once viewed as hobby has likely crossed into addiction and you need to tackle it immediately before it get worse.

You know I have been why people do sugar coats the whole thing to be gambling for entertainment while lot of people can be seeing it as place for making additional profits while trading. Okay, those who presumed that gambling is for entertainment are also in other becoming worrisome whenever they are incurring much loses while gambling. This is the reason why people keep saying that anyone person who is gambling should always set a gambling budget where they will know there stands and how much money that should be allocated to gambling so that they won’t be spending overly and excessively.

[Floxynice]

How possible is it for a person to have gambling as a hobby without becoming addicted to gambling? A hobby is an activity you enjoy doing. In my opinion, if anyone enjoys gambling, they will be most likely to spend any of their free time gambling. It is fine if they dedicate only their free time to gambling, as it is supposed to be.It will become a problem if they can no longer regulate when they gamble. If they gamble both during their free time and during their work or study time, and every other time they are not supposed to gamble, then they should watch themselves so it doesn't get out of hand.

Majority of gamblers who are addicted right now did not just start as it being a hobby or for entertainment, they all use that excuse but really that is not what they are gambling for. Many of them started gambling because they lacked money and they thought the quickest way to get money was to gamble and that is why they are in this problem right now. A perfect time to stop gambling is when you notice you no longer have control of your gambling behaviours. The behaviours involve you over gambling and using your work time as you have said for gambling but also it involves you overspending and this involves you making use of money meant for things that are important to you for pleasure and if this continues for a long time as a result it will make you to become financially dependant on people for survival.

We have many people in this condition currently but they will not accept it instead they will keep on denying the fact that they are not addicted to gambling but still thinking they are only gambling for entertainment which is not true. If they don't tell their self the truth then they will remain in this way for a long time but anyone that is willing to change can always do that before it becomes late to stop.

One behaviour that is common among humans is greed. The poor want to make money, and the rich also want to have more money. Many may have gambled because they needed money, but some may have gambled thinking that they could control their gambling activities. Unfortunately, they got motivated by the financial rewards and gambled more than they were supposed to. Some may deceive themselves by saying that gambling is their hobby, but truly, we know that if money were not involved, they may not have found gambling interesting enough to make it their hobby in the first place.

Someone told me that they gamble every single day and that they are not addicted to gambling. When I asked why, they claimed that they are not addicted because they take gambling as a thing of fun, so because they are not fixated on the whole profit that comes with gambling, they are not addicted to it. And I was confused when I read it, because from what I have seen, you actually don't need to make it obvious that the reason you are gambling is for profits before yo get addicted to it, just gambling consistently is enough to put you at the risk of getting into gambling addiction.

This person is still in denial. Restrict him from gambling for one day and see how restless he will become. It might be that he is already addicted or is gradually walking his way into addiction. By the way, addicted people will always claim that they know what they are doing; they will never admit that they are addicted.

[Samlucky O]

• When you go beyond your budget?
• When you no longer feel excitement when you don't bet on a match or game?
• When you start hiding your losses from family or friend?
• Or when you keep looking for an excuse to make ''another bet'' to recover money you lost?

My question is not ''Am I addicted?''

My question is, do we understand at what point we cross the line between hobby and addiction?

Well you are not far from the truth, all you have said are still on point, but the number 1 and 4 are the most important one that's explains it better, because to me when it is no longer entertainment is when you start gambling above your budget and when you start taking excususe to bet again to recover your loses, it shows that you have crossed the line or limit.

[MAAManda]

When is it no longer a hobby?

• When you go beyond your budget?
• When you no longer feel excitement when you don't bet on a match or game?
• When you start hiding your losses from family or friend?
• Or when you keep looking for an excuse to make ''another bet'' to recover money you lost?

The limit for recreational gambling is whether or not the activity disrupts your habits, if it eventually interferes with your routine, it means you have crossed the line & become addicted. So, the four points you raised are boundaries that should not be crossed.

There's no reason to become addicted, I experienced it myself, but once I realized how foolish it was, I started playing only with money specifically allocated for gambling. When that allocation runs out, I don't look for any other way to keep gambling.

[Z-tight]

I am sure i have said this before, simply because similar topics have been discussed in this section a lot of times. It is not rocket science to know when gambling is now a problem, as soon as gambling becomes compulsive and you see your gambling habits controlling you, then you need to seek help immediately. The issue is, so many problem gamblers try to live in denial for a long time, until the 'condition' gets worse, or they go bankrupt.

[Gozie51]

But question is, "It's just a hobby",,, until when?

When is it no longer a hobby?

My question is not ''Am I addicted?''

My question is, do we understand at what point we cross the line between hobby and addiction?

• When you go beyond your budget?
• When you start hiding your losses from family or friend?
• Or when you keep looking for an excuse to make ''another bet'' to recover money you lost?

So I believe gambling is about attempt to increase your finance or money used to stake because if money is not involved then there won't be interest to engage in it for many people. Therefore, the act of gambling shifts from entertainment or hobby to addiction by the time a gambler finds themselves exhibiting the above tendencies.

Of course, if you begin to overshoot on your budget, it means you are losing control of your finance and it is addiction that will get you to do that. Likewise hidding your losses from people that you usually discuss your winning to. Also, when you begin to have more excuse to bet again and again, you are chasing loses. Those are the account of becoming addictive to gambling and no longer hobby.

• When you no longer feel excitement when you don't bet on a match or game?

Well, I believe you might still be in the stage of hobby here because it doesn't really mean money is involved or that you are losing money because your team might be edging or winning the other team but you are not excited with their play. Or you fear that they might lose their winning at the end from the way they are playing. That can cause you to lose excitement not necessarily that you are addicted. So you might not be excited but still enjoying the mode of hobby.

[Powerjumboo]

Many people call gambling just a hobby. We say, "I just play for fun", "Nothing more than entertainment." Tbh, most people probably start like this.

But question is, "It's just a hobby",,, until when?

When people take the opportunity to earn money from gambling, gambling is no longer enjoyable for people. Because when a person expects to earn money from gambling, he can no longer accept gambling as entertainment. Then he tries to participate in excessive gambling and tries to spend a lot of money on gambling. When he spends excessive money on gambling and participates in one gambling after another, gambling becomes risky for that person. And thus thousands of people start gambling as entertainment and return home addicted.

[Dreadboost]

They don’t set limits that why, so they get carried away along the line. Most gamblers actually gamble with what they can’t afford to loose, when they loose, they start chasing their losses and get trapped, so it becomes hard to stop. While some persons get trapped in addiction because of greed, within them, they actually believe it a better way of making money rather than just an entertainment.

Folks who set limits eventually cross over the line because of emotions.

Controlling spending habit ad time limits isn't that easy, even if self-exclusion was involved. However, most gamblers stick to it regardless of the condition they find themselves. Though they have their moment were they go against their discipline, yet they don't let it make them forget the goals they set. One way or another, the boundaries set are still maintained due to consistency in respecting the intention.

[Onyeeze]

I am sure i have said this before, simply because similar topics have been discussed in this section a lot of times. It is not rocket science to know when gambling is now a problem, as soon as gambling becomes compulsive and you see your gambling habits controlling you, then you need to seek help immediately. The issue is, so many problem gamblers try to live in denial for a long time, until the 'condition' gets worse, or they go bankrupt.

do you know that is very difficult for gamblers to detect that they are going bankrupt when gambling, there are people who their expectation deceive most in gambling and that is why most of them find it very difficult to notice when there are falling apart in gambling, and before they realize it become too late for them, so that is why I always emphasize that anyone who is into gambling supposed to have a statistics and the strategy to gamble so that it will not lose much in gambling especially when the person have a budget, one of the problems we have in gambling if you can most of all does not have a budget and then Gamble with whatever that is into their hand or any amount of money that is available to them and before they could do realize their mistakes it becomes too late.

[mirakal]

In real life, no one really tells you that ''Yes, I am an addict'' but everyone will claim that they are gambling for entertainment and some for money making, and that they see gambling as a hobby. But until the entertainment factor is replaced by the pressure to make money, that gamblers no longer feel the entertainment when there is no profitable outcome, then gambling becomes a threat and a problem for the gambler.

However, just because its now a problem more than an entertainment, then gamblers are expected now to experience bigger and unbearable losses. No, that does not work that way. Gambling losses will only be a huge problem if you allow yourself to gamble more, more than what you can afford to lose, more than your discretionary income.

[suzanne5223]

Many people call gambling just a hobby. We say, "I just play for fun", "Nothing more than entertainment." Tbh, most people probably start like this.

But question is, "It's just a hobby",,, until when?

It's a hobby when you never gamble with an amount you can't afford to lose, check your gambling psychology with bu, nd leave the game for another when you're lucky.

When is it no longer a hobby?

It's no longer a hobby when emotions have taken over, and the purpose of playing the game is to win back the lose fund.
Another one is ignoring the profitable gambling concept

[Hispo]

It simply stops being about entertainment when we start to care about money we have deposited and the possibilty of having a significant payout after a good luck streak.
Of course, gambling for the sake of money does not necessarily means a person is addicted to gambling, but it is one of the first steps which could lead a healthy gambler down a death spiral which is very difficult to escape from.

All those answers you listed are not universal, as each gambler is different in personality and situation, but it is a good enough summary.

[Darker45]

• When you no longer feel excitement when you don't bet on a match or game?

I don't think this is necessarily a sign that your gambling isn't anymore a hobby.

I'm probably guilty of this, but I'm more than sure I'm not addicted to gambling. Even my father who's not really a big fan of gambling wants to place a little bet when he watches the games of his favorite basketball league. The bet is relatively small. He doesn't increase it when he loses. And outside of it, apart from friendly card games occasionally, he's not really a gambler.

So, I don't think the lack of excitement when watching a game if there's no bet is to be taken as a sign that your betting hobby is crossing or about to cross the line toward addiction.

[yhiaali3]

It is difficult to define the line between a hobby and an addiction, but in general there are indicators such as if you exceed your budget, then it is no longer just a hobby, and also when it is repeated more than usual, it may lead to gambling addiction, and then it becomes difficult to avoid it.

Unfortunately, most gamblers start with "it's just for fun" but they don't realize how they are being drawn into addiction. If they were aware of this dividing line between fun and addiction, they could avoid it, but unfortunately, this line is only realized after it is too late.

[PERtua]

I am sure i have said this before, simply because similar topics have been discussed in this section a lot of times. It is not rocket science to know when gambling is now a problem, as soon as gambling becomes compulsive and you see your gambling habits controlling you, then you need to seek help immediately. The issue is, so many problem gamblers try to live in denial for a long time, until the 'condition' gets worse, or they go bankrupt.

do you know that is very difficult for gamblers to detect that they are going bankrupt when gambling, there are people who their expectation deceive most in gambling and that is why most of them find it very difficult to notice when there are falling apart in gambling, and before they realize it become too late for them, so that is why I always emphasize that anyone who is into gambling supposed to have a statistics and the strategy to gamble so that it will not lose much in gambling especially when the person have a budget, one of the problems we have in gambling if you can most of all does not have a budget and then Gamble with whatever that is into their hand or any amount of money that is available to them and before they could do realize their mistakes it becomes too late.

Often the single greatest challenge is denying. Many problem gamblers are not aware of the seriousness of their gambling habits because they believe that they'll eventually win enough money to make up for their losses. Hence it is crucial to have a budget in place before making your first bets. Rather than any betting strategy. While a strategy can't help you win. A budget can help you minimize the losses. You will also keep track of any deposits withdrawals and total losses. Which helps to keep you honest. When it begins to impact your finances. Your emotions or your everyday duties, gambling isn't simply a way to entertain yourself.

[Barcode_]

I believe most gamblers who got into problems with gambling is when they does not even realize that they had became addicted to gambling especially when they are always trying to ask for loans from people around them whenever they ran out of gambling funds. Gamblers would need to realize that once they are always thinking about gambling for most of their time in their mind, it meant that gambling is no longer an entertainment for them but instead it will become an activity that might destroy their life due to their addiction on gambling.

[Somegory]

Gambling becomes a problem out of nowhere, when you most expected.
90 percent of gamblers start gambling to make money, this alone is why some people lose their way.

Greediness got triggered when you start having a dream win in your head, and the only way to achieve that dream is taking more risks.
And not all dreams are well prepared for.

It's safer to know the ugly side of gambling first before anything else, because you will never forget it .
We all can't be disciplined and if you are one of them who lacks discipline it's best you do something else .

[danherbias07]

I think it's when a gambler starts to chase the losses. The revenge game. The expectation that something will be returned. If we are still betting when we are in that moment, then I think that's when we are crossing the line.

Gambling is like an invitation. It always drags you to the point that you want to play more and keep on playing until you get back what you had lost. But the truth is, there's no assurance that it will come back. The money we gambled is long gone, and we might as well accept that as soon as we lost the deposited money. It's not investment or trading. Let's face that fact. It's a very high-risk type of game that eats a lot of money if we cannot control it.

[Julien_Olynpic]

For me personally, a hobby begins with free time and ends when the desire to pursue it begins to consume, for example, work time. Let me explain my point. Each of you has time that you are forced to spend earning money. This time is critically important to you, as it provides you with the means necessary for existence (or even survival in our world). If you significantly reduce this time, you will begin to have problems. Sooner or later, this will lead to financial problems, then to financial ruin and the inevitable humiliation of an existence. These are very unpleasant things, and you will immediately understand where the line lies between a dignified life in which a hobby is present and a humiliating life in which a hobby has become an addiction.

[davis196]

Many people call gambling just a hobby. We say, "I just play for fun", "Nothing more than entertainment." Tbh, most people probably start like this.

But question is, "It's just a hobby",,, until when?

When is it no longer a hobby?

• When you go beyond your budget?
• When you no longer feel excitement when you don't bet on a match or game?
• When you start hiding your losses from family or friend?
• Or when you keep looking for an excuse to make ''another bet'' to recover money you lost?

My question is not ''Am I addicted?''

My question is, do we understand at what point we cross the line between hobby and addiction?

The "I just play for fun and entertainment" is a lie we all keep telling ourselves. I kept telling this lie to myself for years.
Gambling is definitely NOT a hobby. Hiking, reading books and painting are a hobby. Gambling is a vice. A bad habit, just like smoking, doing drugs and watching too much adult content.
We cross the line when we start excessively thinking about gambling 24/7. We cross the line when we start gambling for several hours per day.
I don't even want to talk about the money problems, caused by gambling. This is self-explanatory.
I think that I still haven't lost control over my experience with gambling and the line is still way ahead of me.