by Debbie N

Created on: March 21, 2009   Last Updated: April 02, 2009

A gambling addiction is no different than any other addiction. Eating, drinking, smoking, and drug addiction can all spell danger and sometimes disaster to people who are prone to compulsive behavior. They are diseases not unlike cancer, heart disease, and diabetes and must be treated as such.

The mindset of a gambler, can be terrifying because it is a mindset of denial of the worst kind. A compulsive gambler will sit in front of a slot machine for hours on end, often without eating or drinking anything, getting up only to go to the ATM machine when the money runs out. He will lose his car payment, his electric bill and who knows what other financial necessities, making ludicrous rationalizations with each dollar lost before going home with the sickest feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The above mentioned is not the man who puts in twenty dollars and leaves when it's gone, even if it only takes ten minutes. This is the man who loses that twenty in ten minutes and puts in another twenty and another until he has lost $100. That $100 might have been what he had planned to pay his electric bill with, so he rushes off to the ATM to get another hundred out, certain that the next machine will pay better and he will win his bill money back and more.

The second trip to the ATM, the man withdraws $200; $200 because he knows he'll win it all back this time but just in case, he doesn't want to pay that expensive ATM fee again. Talk about twisted thinking. He just lost $100 and is ready to risk another $200 but doesn't want to pay a $3.00 fee more than once.

He finds a machine on the end; one that makes a lot of noise, because he knows those machines are the ones that pay the best, or so he's been told. He sits down and puts in the whole $100, heart racing with anticipation of winning the big bucks but as much with fear of losing even more. He bets the max amount because he knows that if he wins, that's how he'll win the most money. He also knows that by betting max, he can lose at a far more rapid pace, but that thought has no place in the mind of a gambler.

Praying for a bonus round, the man hits the button and gets nothing. He hits again. Nothing again. His heart starts beating faster as his car payment dwindles and then all of a sudden, bonus round; 15 free spins and an opportunity to win back what he's lost! And win he does. Once the bonus round is over, he's won $130! He's gotten his money back and even won a few extra dollars. This is the point where a normal person

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>