Are you one of many who have said, “What’s the harm in buying lottery tickets?” Have you made a few wagers on Monday night football? Did you help plan Casino night at your kids’ school? Are you constantly hoping you’ll win the lottery in order to end all your financial problems? Gambling is a problem for many people. It is an addiction that has become acceptable and mainstream in American culture.

Do you, like many people, believe there is no harm in buying lottery tickets? Perhaps you consider making a few wagers on Monday night football an innocent pursuit done in good fun. Did you help plan Casino night at your kids’ school? Do you hold out hope that you’ll win the lottery and end all your financial problems? You might feel these are ridiculous concerns. What’s the big deal? The big deal is that most addictions start out as harmless flirtations.

In his book Seducing America: Is Gambling a Good Bet? - Rex Rogers gives eight reasons why gambling is wrong. Read his book. It will open your eyes to a problem we choose not to see. Rogers says gambling is:

We know that pathological gambling often begins in late adolescence for men and later in life for women. At first, it may be viewed as entertainment. Over time, a preoccupation with the action, excitement and winning develops. The addiction takes hold and all resources are used to get money to support the habit.

Some people ravage their savings, destroy relationships and become preoccupied with gambling activities.

Others engage in illegal activities to keep a steady supply of cash and wind up with significant legal, relationship and moral problems.

A gambling addiction is a serious thing and often difficult to stop. Left untreated, a person’s life can spin seriously out of control. Compulsive gamblers lie, deny the seriousness of their problems, and become irritable when trying to quit. Like other addictions, gambling fills an empty place, covers depression, anxiety, guilt or helplessness, and allows someone to escape immediate problems.

Talk to anyone who lives with a compulsive gambler and he/she will tell you about the destructive forces at work with this type of addiction. It’s not a coincidence that the state of Ohio prints warnings on their lottery tickets that say,

Compulsive gambling can be treated.

If you have a gambling addiction, get help.

Dr. Mintle – author, professor, Approved Supervisor and Clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – is a speaker and media personality, as well as a licensed clinical social worker with twenty years in psychotherapy practice. For more articles by Dr. Linda S. Mintle, go to Counseling and Advice on the Health Channel.