Elements of gambling Essay

There are two elements of Gambling, including game of chance and gambling mentality. Chance means people cannot control the outcome of an event but with possibility of winning. Player wagers money on irreversible bet in which the outcome relies on chance. Gambling mentality means the willing to take risk. To gamble on something is to take a risk on something in which the stake is involved. Pathological Approach to problem gambling Problem gambling is defined as pathological gambling under APA DSMVI. Pathological gambling is an impulsive control disorder in which there is a chronic and progressive failure to resist impulses to gamble. The concept of addiction of gambling is similar to alcohol and drug addiction in APA model. Gambling is a kind of process addiction. Gamblers enjoy the excitement, tension and anticipation over than the outcome of a gambling event. Gamblers described having the feeling of â€Å"high† similar to that experienced form cocaine in â€Å"outer-body†. There is a dominance in which people have intense preoccupation with gambling to the exclusion of other interests. There is also a problem of tolerance. It means gamblers will eventually spend more money than they intended on gambling, they will lose track of time and control over money betted. In other words, they will gamble from simple to complex high risk and high return betting. We can also see the gamblers have withdrawal symptoms, like irritable, nervous angry and restless. Action gambler Mahjong Tends to be arrogant Desire to control Self-centered, insecure, disregard for authority Easily frustrated, impatient and demanding Highly competitive but given up on the conventional way of competition Attracted to competitive games and those required skills Likely men who started their gambling activities at an earlier state. Gambling gives them a sense of self-enhancement and self-expression Escape gambler Lack of confidence / no self-esteem due to insufficient knowledge and skills Games with no skills involved, e. g. slot machine because no one will judge them Likely to be women who began gambling much later in life than action gamblers Gambling is an emotional reaction to whatever personal or relationship issues they are trying to escape from. Later pathological explanations on problem gambling All pathological gamblers were involved in social gambling for a period of time before they lost control over gambling A significant stressor or greater exposure to gambling often precipitated the sudden onset of pathological gambling. Modern Pathological explanations on problem gambling Modern pathology theories do not argue for determinism but instead rely on the concept of probability- in the sense of â€Å"the relative frequency of occurrence†, â€Å"relative chances of happening†- explain pathological gambling. E. g. Medical Model Medical Model-BlumeAn explanation for deviant behavior that locates its source within the individual and assumes that the behavior is the result of physiological, constitutional, or organic characteristics of the person interacting with the environment. Different psychological and physiological causes of gambling:1. Genetic abnormality that provide a predisposition for disease 1 / 2 2. Mental illness- resulting from obsession or a compulsion3. Abnormal level of dopamine=/=occurrence of sickness It depends on its interaction with other risk factors e. g gender, family influence, ageSolution: Counseling and financial management Weakness: Classical -> Ambiguous judgement.