Reasons To Stop Gambling
Home > Online Casinos > Casino Articles > 7 Reasons to Quit Gambling
- Reasons To Stop Gambling Losses
- Reasons To Stop Gambling Sites
- Reasons To Stop Gaming
- Reasons To Stop Gambling Addiction
- Reasons To Stop Binge Drinking
- Why To Stop Gambling
The majority of the people have been much better off before they started gambling but as soon as they were addicted to the vice they went bankrupt. If you have contemplated whether or not you should avoid gambling, read on. Listed are the top reasons to avoid gambling. Don't just read it, understand it to come out of your dangerous obsession. Reminding yourself that you can’t stop once you start can help you to deal with any urges to gamble. Identify your self-sabotage triggers. Your clean time is precious. See any urge to gambling as a temporary menace and be prepared for them to emerge before special occasions such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries or exam time.
Gambling has long served as a popular form of entertainment. And it can be a healthy way to experience thrills as long as you don't go overboard.
But some gamblers deal with problems as a result of their hobby, whether they end up being financial, emotional, or social.
If you're currently a gambler, then you should consider quitting before you experience any of these problems. And if you need some motivation to quit gambling, here are seven reasons.
1. The Casino Always Has an Edge
Outside of card counting and player vs player poker games like Texas Hold'em, the casino always holds an advantage over players.
The trick, though, is that these edges are so slim that you may not even notice until you've been playing for hours and your bankroll is gone.
Here's an example:
You're a good blackjack player who's worked the house edge down to 1.0%. If you're betting $25 per hand and playing 80 hands per hour, you'll theoretically lose $20 an hour.
The 1.0% house edge doesn't seem like much in the short term. But when you're theoretically losing $20 per hour, this really adds up.
Things only get worse when you play slots because they move at a quicker pace than table games. Each spin is decided within seconds, meaning you'll make hundreds of spins per hour.
If a slot machine has an 8% house edge and you bet $400 within an hour, that's $32 in theoretical losses. This is a lot if you're just a casual player who's passing the time with slots.
2. You'll Fall for the Gambler's Fallacy
The most frequent reason why people blow their casino bankrolls is the gambler's fallacy, or belief that past results will influence future results.
The gambler's fallacy is especially prevalent in games with even money bets like baccarat, blackjack, craps, and roulette.
Consider this example:
You lose four blackjack hands in a row. Given that you should have won at least one of these hands based on probability, you triple your next bet because you're 'due' for a win.
Are you any more likely to win this next hand? No, because your odds are the same as they were on the previous three hands.
This is where many players go wrong, though, in thinking that they can use past results to dictate a proper betting strategy. This is even more dangerous when you increase your bets because you think that you're due for a win.
3. Gambling Can Be Addicting
One reason why people enjoy gambling is because it activates dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that affects your brain's reward and pleasure centers.
Win or lose, you feel rewarded every time that you're playing slots and table games.
What's dangerous is that the more you gamble, the longer it takes for you to feel the same rewards that you got when first playing.
This is where addiction sets in and, when coupled with the casino's long term edge, will cause your finances to take a hit.
Not everybody gets to this point with gambling. But if you quit now, then you don't have to worry about becoming addicted.
4. Gambling Affects Your Mood
Gambling has more highs and lows than just about any other activity.
You feel great when you're winning and are a pleasure to be around. But when you're losing, you may feel irrational and get angry with others.
This isn't logical thinking when you refer back to the point about the house having a long term advantage. After all, if you don't want to lose then don't gamble in the first place.
Some gamblers don't think logically, though, and it affects their moods after a losing streak. This is when you start acting like a jerk to others because you had a bad session.
Even worse is when your mood is affected at the table and you make poor decisions with your bankroll and / or through strategy. Sometimes referred to as tilt, this psychological state has devastating consequences that you won't realize until after the damage is already done.
If you don't want to suffer through these wild mood swings, then spend your time on more rewarding activities like exercising or hanging out with friends.
5. Casino Visitors Are Robbery Targets
Whether or not casinos increase crime in surrounding neighborhoods is a debatable topic filled with mixed research. But one undeniable fact is that casinos visitors can be targets of robbers.
Criminals know that gamblers have money on them when they visit land based casinos. And this has led to plenty of robberies outside of casinos or even inside of them.
Poker pro Scott Montgomery was once held at knifepoint in a Bellagio bathroom and forced to hand over $2,000.
In some cases robbers stalk casinos looking for big winners. Although these winners can ask for an escort out of the casino, this doesn't stop criminals from following them to their hotel or home afterward.
If any of this terrifies you, then stop gambling so that you avoid being a robbery target. Or at the very least, stay home and gamble from the safety of your mobile device or PC.
6. Gambling Can Waste Lots of Time
If you gamble at land based casinos, chances are that you'll spend hours on slot machines and / or table games. Even if you play short sessions on your smartphone throughout the day, all of these sessions can add up to hours by the end of the week.
In the end, gambling is a huge drain on your time. And when you consider that gambling offers no reward beyond entertainment, you may come to regret all the time you've spent on it.
What's worse is if you pour hours into learning strategy and / or becoming an advantage player. The idea of beating the house as a blackjack card counter may sound appealing; but it becomes less exciting after hours and hours spent learning how to count cards.
I can think of many other fun and rewarding activities that cost little or no money, including biking, hanging out with friends, having a party, playing sports, visiting a waterpark or walking your dog.
If you're somebody who likes to take gambling trips, you should ask yourself if you can have just as much fun on the trip without gambling. By cutting out the gambling, you'll have more money for other activities on the trip.
Reasons To Stop Gambling Losses
7. Gambling Can Cause Social Problems
Earlier I discussed how gambling can affect your mood and make you more irritable. One consequence of this is that you'll start having social problems with friends and family members.
This problem is only hastened if you have an addiction that takes precedence over spending time with others. You may obsess about the next time that you can play and win back your losses while tuning out conversations with your friends / family.
Your personality will change too if you feel depression and anxiety over losses. This attitude change coupled with losses can lead to serious problems in your relationship / marriage.
Yet another downside is that you may only identify with other gamblers and ignore other people. While it's nice to make new friends, you don't want your entire circle to be filled with gambling addicts.
Conclusion
A major problem with gambling is that almost every player is destined to lose.
At times it may seem like you can overcome the house edge through good strategy and bankroll management. But unless you're an advantage player or poker pro, you'll eventually lose thanks to the casino's long term edge.
Unfortunately, many players don't consider the reality because they're caught up in the gambler's fallacy. They believe that as long as they can keep playing, they'll win back their losses and have a chance to earn a profit.
As if this isn't bad enough, gambling also takes your time and can cause social problems with your friends and family. These problems are magnified when you're stuck in a losing streak and obsessing over how you can get back on the winning track.
I encourage you to think about the 7 problems that I covered above and strongly think about if you're experiencing any of them. If so, then it's time for you to quit gambling.
Reasons To Stop Gambling Sites
A life ruined by gambling is not a great life. You will have a lot of pieces to pick up. It will take time from you, as well as money, in addition to robbing you of all of the joy that you have in your life.Gambling addiction is a horrible silent addiction that can become progressively worse. If you or someone you love has a gambling problem, an effort to stop gambling should start as soon as possible.
A severe gambling problem is usually progressive, and can become worse over time if not stopped. Slots gambling addiction, pokies, video lottery terminals (VLTs), and other forms of gambling are usually the worst forms of gambling. Many can become addicted in a very short period of time, and the financial losses can be devastating to say the least.
Gambling addiction can affect the gambler and his or her family in many ways. This addiction causes social problems, emotional problems, physical problems, psychological problems, occupational problems, family problems, and of course, financial devastation.
Problem gambling does not only affect the gambler and the family of the gambler, but can have consequences on employers of the gambler as well. Many have embezzled money to finance their gambling habit and have put companies in financial distress.
When you hear about people going to jail for a gambling addiction, it is usually a result of stealing or embezzling from ones' employer or even stealing from family members and friends.
Here are 5 reasons why gambling addiction can ruin your life and why you need to stop gambling now:
1. Gambling addiction can cause you to lose your friends and family very easily. Many divorces are caused by a gambling addiction and result from untreated addiction. A gambling problem creates tremendous social isolation since gambling seems to become the most important thing.
2. An untreated and severe gambling problem can cause the worst anxiety and depression which leads to an incredible sense of despair. This despair can lead to gambling related suicides which are not uncommon. Gambling addiction has the highest suicide rate of all addictions, hands down.
3. This addiction can cause a lack of functioning in all areas of life, including work. Many people have lost their jobs as a result of a gambling problem. This can compound the financial devastation already experienced from the addiction itself.
4. Compulsive gambling can become all encompassing. The physical health of the gambler can deteriorate rapidly. If you are struggling with this addiction yourself, you may not be eating right, exercising, visiting a doctor, or taking care of your teeth. These physical problems can truly take a serious toll on health and the neglect of the body can result in very serious consequences.
Reasons To Stop Gaming
5. Financial ruin is a direct result of this addiction and gambling debts can become so huge and insurmountable that bankruptcy seems to be the only option. Debt from gambling can also result in foreclosures, loss of savings, retirement accounts, and maxed out credit cards. The financial fallout of a gambling addiction can last long past the time that the addiction stops.
Reasons To Stop Gambling Addiction
Reasons To Stop Binge Drinking
These 5 reasons why untreated gambling disorders are just a few of the reasons why you or your loved one should stop gambling and return to a better, healthier way of life.Why To Stop Gambling
It is hoped that this article was helpful to you, and that you will do whatever it takes to get better. You will truly be happier when you stop gambling. You will have a better outlook, and more than anything, you will have hope again.