At least 85 percent of Americans have gambled, says the National Council on Problem Gambling. Gambling can be part of an innocent night of fun between friends, but gambling can become a serious problem if done compulsively. Just because you enjoy gambling doesn't automatically mean you are suffering from a gambling addiction. Check for the signs of gambling addiction in your own behavior, or the behavior of someone you love, to evaluate the need for professional help and eventual recovery from the addiction.
Chasing Losses
If you head to the casino to recoup losses from previous nights, you could have a gambling problem, says LifeSpan.org. For instance, if you lost $200 on Thursday, and try to gamble again in order to make up for that loss plus extra winnings, you are chasing losses and therefore have an unhealthy relationship with gambling. Chasing losses usually occurs when a gambler has gotten over her head in what she owes or has lost, and is trying to make it up in an unrealistic way--more gambling.
Becoming Secretive
When you're suffering from a gambling problem, you don't want others to know about it, which is why you may be secretive or lie about where you've been and where the money has gone. Lying about your activities is a clear sign of a gambling addition, says HelpGuide.org. If you didn't have a problem, you'd happily tell your spouse or friends that you were spending time at the casino once in a while as an exciting night out.
Increasing Risks
Perhaps you started going to the casino to play a few slots or a hand or two of blackjack. Then you find yourself taking increasing risks and playing higher hands of poker or craps. In time, you might find yourself betting on sports or racing. Each time you take a bigger risk, you delve deeper into the restrictive world of gambling, warns the Mayo Clinic. You feel like you need to take bigger risks in order to get the high that you did when you began gambling, and you are putting your money, home and family at greater risk each time.
Jeopardizing Family
There comes a point in a gambler's life when he begins forgetting about his job, family and home in order to continue the habit. Savings accounts are emptied, work is missed and the tab gets higher and higher. If you find yourself willing to jeopardize things that are important to you in order to gamble, you likely have a gambling problem, says the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.
Withdrawal
Finding yourself upset, angry or irate when you don't have the chance to gamble is a sure sign of a gambling addiction. Just like a drug addiction, you crave and need to gamble, so when you can't, you endure feelings of withdrawal, as a drug addict might. PsychCenteral.com notes that you might feel restless or irritable, which could make it hard for you to think of anything else but gambling.
