Gambling: It’s a Matter of Degree Which of these is gambling? Poker games with friends Playing poker online for no money Going to the casino Church bingo.

Gambling:

It’s a Matter of Degree

Which of these is gambling?

Poker games with friendsPlaying poker online for no

moneyGoing to the casino

Church bingoFundraiser raffle

Day trading in the stock market

Risking money or something of value on the

outcome of an unpredictable event or

contest.

Definition of Gambling:

Gambling is the norm

• Gambling at some level is the norm among college students– 70% in Connecticut sample– 88% in Minnesota sample

• Most people can gamble without a problem, but a sizable percentage of college student gamble excessively and show signs of a gambling problem (3.2% - 16.4%).

those are stats…this is real:Greg Hogan was

• a 19-year-old finance and accounting major at Lehigh University

• president of his sophomore class• a cellist in the university orchestra • an employee in the school chaplain's office• the son of a Baptist minister ….and• a student with a gambling problem whose

desperation drove him to bank robbery and jail

No Gamblin

g Social Harmful /

Problem

Pathological

Levels of Involvement

Why do some people get into trouble with

gambling?3 forces work together:

Person: personality…genetics?

Games: built to compel you to play more

Environment: it’s everywhere and seen as harmless fun

HOOKEDHOOKED

Brain is affected

Tolerance develops

Loss of control

like other “addictions”

…but harder to detect

A word about the games themselves….

What are the most addictive types of

games?

Poker: luck or skill?

Can you make a living at it?

Casino gaming “tricks”

Can you name some?

Internet gambling:

• Is illegal• Accelerated rate of

play increases losses

• Free practice sites – let you win more so you think you’re skilled…when you bet with money that changes

This is your brain on gambling

How brain activity differs when we contemplate financial losses and gains.

The blue areas at left are those that become deactivated as we make decisions that will likely cause us to lose money.

The orange and red areas at right show the activation that occurs in the brain when we believe the odds are in our favor and we’ll win money.

Q: What “built” Las Vegas?

A: the Gambler’s Fallacy

…an example follows…..

Odds of winning $100 in Powerball

… are about 11 thousand to 1…but what does that mean??

Let’s say there is 1 piece of red popcorn hidden in this bag of 10,000 pieces of white popcorn

….you’d have a better chance of reaching in and grabbing the one red kernel of popcorn in this bag than you would of winning $100 on a powerball ticket

….but if your lucky numbers have “almost” come up in

the last five lottery drawings, you may believe that your

chances of winning are better than this…yet they are not

other examples of false beliefs?

If you find yourself saying, "I can't quit now, I'm on a winning streak,"

Gambler's Fallacy

If you find yourself saying, "I can't quit now, my luck's about to change,"

Gambler's Fallacy

One of our basic needs is for a sense of control, which we gain by seeking to predict the future and by attributing cause to events that occur

that are really random

Responsible gambling guidelines

• Set a money limit and stick to it.• Set a time limit and stick to it. • Make it a rule not to gamble on credit.• Consider any losses the cost of recreation • Expect to lose and treat any winnings as a bonus. • Don’t gamble as a way to cope with emotional or

physical pain.• Gambling should not interfere with or substitute

for friends, family, work, or other • worthwhile activities. • Avoid trying to win back lost money.• Become educated about the warning signs of

problem gambling.

Plays with $ that is needed or borrowed

Expects to win; keeps playing to win back losses

Pre-occupied with gambling

Frequent, or spends more time gambling

Sticks to limits of money to play with

Hopes to win butexpects to lose

Can take it or leave it

Occasional gambler

PROBLEM GAMBLINGPROBLEM GAMBLINGSOCIAL GAMBLINGSOCIAL GAMBLING

Social or Problem?

A Simple Test

1) Have you ever had to LIE to people important to you about how much you gambled?

2) Have you ever felt the need to BET more and more money?

Yes to either may indicate a problem

Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline: 1877mylimit.org