by Sage Doak

Created on: June 02, 2008

There are many types of gamblers and hence many mindsets. The most referred to are the compulsive or problem gamblers though these are the most noticeable they are only a subset of all gamblers. To create a psychological profile for all of these is a large task. I aim to provide an introduction to the mindsets within each organised group although each group has it's own subgroups.

Social/recreational gamblers
This is the largest group of gamblers. Gambling is usually infrequent although may be regular such as weekly lotto. There is no loss of control and others do not identify them as problem gamblers. These types of gamblers see gambling as a way to interact with others. There are many social forms of gambling including card games, and outings such as going to track events or the casino in a group. These people do not gamble because they need money and bet with amounts they are willing to lose. They are conscious of what they are doing and know when to stop. Lotto may not seem to be a social form of gambling but during my time working behind the counter of a lotto shop I observed that many people would meet up unintentionally when they were in a queue to buy tickets. I also got to know they regulars quite well and this promotes positive discussions about general life. The mindset based around gambling will be varied as gambling itself is rarely in the mind.

Professional gamblers

In America and Canada there is estimated to be less than 3000 professional gamblers and less than 50 who make more than $100,000 per annum. These people know there game inside out. These usually have a fairly large amount of money at their disposal and can afford to take a few losses, but over time their skill will result in them making more money than they lose. Their mind set requires them to be able to work within the mindset of others. There is no dependency but they always play/gamble to win. They will invest large amounts of time in their area outside of the time directly involved in gambling and gambling will occupy a large portion of their mind set. They know the odds but know what must be done to beat them.

Action and Escape gamblers

Both action and escape gamblers are quite different but I have lumped them together as both are strongly based on the mindset. Action gamblers get a rush out of gambling, this comes from the dopamine hit associated with winning. These people will gamble to relive the experience of previous wins. This may lead to larger bets, often with winnings being

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