Photo by YuliiaKa
You’ve heard the saying, “the house always wins.” If you’ve heard it a couple of times this week and the last, then you might be a person who gambles or bets, and already, you’re exhibiting signs of gambling addiction.
Before anything, though, it is a fact of business for casinos that the house must always win, and for someone with a gambling addiction, this saying takes on a much darker meaning. The “house” is not just the casino you’re gambling in; it’s the addiction you’ve brought yourself into.
And the addiction always wins if you play with it.
Gambling addiction is a powerful sickness. It doesn’t just take your money. It takes your time, your peace, and your relationships.
In The Casino Down the Street, Matt Shea explains this sickness in simple terms, showing how it tricks people into believing they can win back what they have lost.
Simple Signs of Gambling Addiction
You cannot fix a problem if you do not see it. Many people with a gambling addiction hide the truth from themselves and others. That’s because they feel shame at what they’re doing, but their shame blinds them, makes them feel hope that all they need is a chance or two or several. If they win enough, it will solve everything.
Knowing the signs is the first step to breaking free.
1. Chasing Losses
This is the most common sign of having a gambling addiction. When you’re “chasing losses,” you are attempting to recoup the money you have lost.
A person in gambling debt will often think, “If I can just get that $500 back, I’ll stop.” They might win a little, but then they lose more in the long run.
The goalpost keeps moving. The chase is a trap door that leads to a deeper, darker room. You are no longer gambling to win. You are gambling to escape the pain of losing.
2. Lying and Hiding
When a person makes their gambling a secret, it is a major red flag. This includes:
- Lying about where you were or who you were with.
- Hiding bank statements, lottery tickets, or online betting accounts.
- Telling your family you were not gambling when you were.
3. Gambling with Money You Don’t Have
At first, a person might just use their disposable income, but as time goes on and they bet bigger and bigger, they then use the money that’s been set aside for bills.
Then, they might use the rent money. The addiction grows.
Soon, they are using credit cards to the limit, taking out payday loans, or even borrowing from friends and family under false pretenses. They feed the addiction with money needed for life’s basics.
4. Your Mood Depends on Gambling
When a person is winning, they are excited and happy all throughout the day. When they are losing or unable to gamble, they become irritable, restless, or depressed.
Gambling is no longer a game. It becomes the primary impetus for emotional expression.
5. It Takes Over Your Life
Gambling becomes the central focus. A person might skip family events to gamble, or they might spend all their free time studying betting odds or planning their next trip to the casino.
What they do is irrelevant.
Their thoughts are totally consumed by gambling, leaving little room for work, family, or hobbies they once enjoyed.
The Heavy Cost of a Gambling Addiction
Showing the signs of gambling addiction is like seeing warning lights on a car dashboard.
If you ignore them, the engine will eventually break down.
The effects of gambling addiction spread like a poison, touching every part of a person’s life.
Financial Ruin
The “financial freefall” that comes from being addicted to gambling is the most immediate cost. It starts with small debts and can lead to overwhelming loss.
People lose their savings, their cars, and even their homes. The stress of debt is a heavy weight that feels impossible to lift.
The Casino Down the Street shares stories of people who worked for decades, only to see their retirement funds disappear in a few months.
Broken Relationships
Trust is the first thing to go. When a person lies about money and time, it shatters the trust of their partner, children, and friends.
Arguments about money become constant. The person with the addiction may withdraw from their loved ones, choosing the false comfort of the casino over a real connection.
This often leads to separation and divorce, leaving a trail of heartbreak.
Finding a Way Out of a Gambling Addiction
Seeing the signs and feeling the effects can make you feel as though you’re trapped. But there is always a way out. Recovery is possible. It is a journey back to yourself, your family, and your peace. Here are the solutions that work.
An Honest Admission of the Problem
This is the most critical step. You must say the words out loud: “I have a gambling problem, and I need help.” This is not a sign of weakness. It is an act of great strength. “Admission is the key that unlocks the door to the prison you built for yourself.” You stop fighting the truth and start fighting the addiction.
Creating Practical Barriers
Make gambling difficult for yourself. This is a practical and robust solution.
- Surrender control of your finances to a trusted family member.
- Install website-blocking software on your computer and phone to prevent access to gambling sites.
- Self-exclude from casinos and online betting apps. This is a legal agreement that bans you from entering.
- Shred your credit cards and use cash only for essential expenses.
Reconnecting with Your Spirit
Healing your finances and relationships is crucial, but healing your spirit is what will keep you free. The emptiness you tried to fill with gambling needs to be filled with something tangible.
A Final Word of Hope
Your addiction wants you to believe you can never win. It wants you to believe you are alone and that it is too late.
This is a lie.
Your life is worth more than a bet. Your spirit is stronger than any addiction.
The path to recovery is a journey of courage and determination.
Take the first step today.
Check out The Casino Down the Street and more of Matt Shea’s works!
