Problem Gambler help

What is gambling addiction?

A gambling addiction is when somebody continues to invest time and money in gambling despite experiencing adverse consequences. The main negative consequences are different for every gambler, but generally include:

A loss of money

A loss of control over the number and value of bets placed

Obsessive thinking over your next bet or how to Fund your next bet

having to find ways to Finance your gambling

Feeling the need to hide your gambling or gamble in secret

Gambling stimulates the brain’s rewards system just like drugs and alcohol.

Some people gamble to seek excitement, while some may use it to escape or numb feelings. For many, gambling starts as a recreational activity that slowly grows out of control. Addicted gamblers often get caught in a “chasing cycle” as the gambling mindset operates on “something for nothing” thinking. An individual can still have hope and faith that they will win big, despite how much they have already lost. The gaming industry continues to take advantage of vulnerable people knowing this human psychological tendency.

What to expect

Our committed approach is based on clinical expertise and hard-won knowledge of addiction. When you begin treatment with SBS, we'll develop an individualized treatment plan with a focus on the following:

An understanding of your personal tendencies, habits and patterns that surround self-destructive gambling behavior.

Recognizing errors of thinking about skill, luck, pride and the common gambling traps perpetuated by the industry

Discovering new ways of boosting dopamine (ie, “playing sports, not betting on them”) to counter feelings of listlessness, boredom and guilt that characterize initial abstinence from sports betting.

Comprehensive family work focusing on issues of boundary setting, addiction, shared responsibility and accountability.