Gambling Addicts – Addictive Personality

August 20, 2019 Posted in Casino Games, Casino Reviews by No Comments

Gambling Addicts and the addictive personality

I am quite lucky that I am not one of the Gambling Addicts. I have an addictive personality but the dislike of being flat broke outweighs the thrill of the chase. So, I ended up smoking, drinking, and carrying on like any youngster but I simply never lost control at the Race Track or the Casino.

A Casino I trust to look after me – Silversands Online Casino
Gambling addicts with an addictive personality need a casino they trust will lock their account when they ask for help. I trust Silversands Casino to do this.
If you feel that you are becoming addicted to gambling, write to your online casino and ask them to lock your account. Explain that you are addicted and that they lie between you and complete disaster. You need a good casino. I have had good experiences with Silversands Online Casino. Let us know if they let you down but to date (nearly 20 years), they are still our #!1!
Addiction 20 years later

Roll on 20 or 30 years though and now I can afford to play the slots I like to play. Who really wants to play perfect blackjack strategy, only to end up 10% up on the evening? That’s like working and that is NOT for me. This is adventure time for me. Strangely enough, I now vape instead of smoking and I simply do not drink. I hate the stuff. God gave me X number of years to live and I want to get blotto and lose part of them? You think I am crazy? No way!

More to the point and on topic, I might be able to afford to gamble but the fact is that I value my money and if I am on a losing streak, I pack up and go home or I log out (if playing online).

How does an addict cope?

I actually studied a bit of Psychology and Sociology at University. That makes me dangerous because I think I am clever but I am far from being an expert! However, based on what I know, an addict copes from one moment to the next. You’re an addict for life. I learned though that as a smoker, I was never addicted to the nicotine so much as I was addicted to the habit. That’s why I vape. I have to hold something in my hand and puff. However I chose a significantly lesser evil. The same goes for drinking. I now drink fruit juices but I mix them with Sparkling Water. It is something I can sip. Good company completes the circle. I don’t need alcohol.

Gambling Habit

Therein lies the problem. I cannot think of something that would directly replace the gambling habit. At a push I can imagine that rock climbing and the like might serve to address the adrenaline rush. Maybe I can imagine that singing Karaoke might offer the head rush. But what on earth would replace standing in front of a machine for hours, dreaming of a huge win?

Warning

Be warned people. Gambling is seriously addictive. Don’t start if you have an addictive personality. No amount of wealth is safe. As a casino marketer, I have tracked players who have had patterns of depositing. I had a meeting with Casino Management and caught someone using company money to gamble. Did Mrs X not think that multiple deposits of just less than R10 000 would not raise a red flag? That’s what addiction can do. It can turn you into a monster. It has the ability to have you believing the unbelievable.

The unbelievable

So, you have R500 to spare. You log into the casino, you deposit, and the casino gives you an extra R250 as a bonus. Cool, R750 to play with. 10 minutes in and you hit a jackpot. You win R10,000. Wow, this is your lucky day. Here is what usually happens thereafter:

  • Wow I am on a hot streak. You carry on playing and win a truckload of cash. Hmm, that happens once in a blue moon. Those blue moons are either rare or extinct!
  • More likely you think you’re on a hot streak and lose the lot.
  • You think you’re on a hot streak, lose the lot, and then throw more money at it trying to win your losses back. This is pretty common.
  • The worst result though is that if you win, you often feel brave and place bigger bets. You get used to this, lose, and now run up true losses at a phenomenal rate!
More myths to trick you

Part of that process of "winning back your losses" is that you allow things to become personal. Trust me, it reads like fiction but it really happens.

  • After 20 losing spins on a slot, you increase your bet believing the machine now owes you a payout.
  • You decide to use the Martingale System at Roulette. Red, Red, Red… After a while, you are furious. It’s still not coming up red! You increase your bet wildly. Black MUST be due.
  • You hit a small jackpot on your favourite slot and then move to another slot. After all, lightning does NOT strike twice.
  • Your last spin on the Huge Jackpot revealed 2 diamonds with the other diamond peeking out of the top. Go wild, you will win any minute!

Seriously? You believe this rubbish? Want to find out why we say it’s rubbish? Read on!

Random Number Generator

It’s not super science, it’s actually quite easy. Google the term “Random Number Generator”, you will see that it is really simple to generate a random result. In the old days you simply had different numbers of symbols on spinning reels. So, you might have 3 cherries, 2 bells, but only one Diamond on a reel. Lining up 3 cherries is going to happen a lot more often than 3 diamonds. By simply programming the layout and then randomizing the result, you get a similar but digital result.

  • Now, you win the jackpot. What are the odds of winning the jackpot again on the next spin? Unlikely you say? Sure it’s unlikely. It is as unlikely as it was when you first won the jackpot. Every spin has the SAME odds of winning the jackpot!
  • The roulette wheel has yielded 10 red number in a row. According to your logic, the odds of a black number has increased. No way! Every single spin of that wheel yields the SAME odds. You could end up with 100 red numbers in a row. Good luck on trying a Martingale system on that. You will exceed the casinos betting limit and lose a fortune!
What you can count on

Games like Blackjack and Video Poker involve cards and that means you have a definitive number of results with varying payout levels (in the case of video poker). This means that there will be good and bad decisions on your part which can be calculated. These interactive games with definitive results are where you CAN use a strategy. You need to establish the exact game you are playing and then search the web for the strategy to play that game. We recommend the Wizard Of Odds as a reliable source of information for playing the odds.

You’re addicted, what now

If you are a gambling addict understand that James Bond is fiction. You don’t walk into the casino, draw down at Baccarat, win a million, and then walk off with the girl. What happens is you lose your car, your home, your job, and ultimately your family. The steps you take to arrest your fall could even lead to prison time. You are the one that can help yourself. Write to your online casino or casinos and admit your addiction. Ask them to lock you out. Go to a councilor, join gamblers anonymous. You need a support structure to take up the slack when you weaken. Remember, an addiction is for life. Don’t return, only to lose everything again. Rather step in and help others who need help.

I am an addict of sorts and I am lucky I never did drugs. Luckily my fear of being broke prevented me from becoming a gambling addict! I was addicted to cigarettes and drinking. Don’t take lightly the risk attached to addictions. If you need help, make sure you find it!

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