Problem Gambling

Problem Gambling

People sometimes call problem gambling ludomania. Problem gambling is an urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or personal desire to stop. Problem gambling often means that the gambler hurts other people. Severe problem gambling is clinical pathological gambling if the gambler meets certain criteria. Although the term gambling addiction is common in the recovery movement, pathological gambling is an impulse control disorder and is therefore not an addiction according to the American Psychological Association.

A study by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, called the British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007, found that approximately 0.6% of the adult population had problem gambling issues, the same percentage as in 1999. The highest prevalence of problem gambling is amongst those who participated in spread betting 14.7%, fixed odds betting terminals 11.2% and betting exchanges 9.8%.

Research by governments in Australia led to a universal definition of problem gambling, which appears to be the only research based definition not to use diagnostic criteria. Problem gambling involves many difficulties in limiting money and/or time spent on gambling which leads to adverse consequences for the gambler, others or for the community. Most other definitions of problem gambling can usually be simplified to any gambling that causes harm to the gambler or someone else in any way. However, these definitions are usually coupled with descriptions of the type of harm or the use of diagnostic criteria. According to DSM-IV, pathological gambling is separate from a manic episode. When the gambling occurs independent of other impulsive, mood or thought disorders is becomes its own diagnosis.

Available research seems to indicate that problem gambling is an internal tendency and that problem gamblers will tend to risk money on whatever game may be available, rather than a particular game being available. However, research also indicates that problem gamblers tend to risk money on fast paced games. A problem gambler is much more likely to lose a lot of money on roulette or slot machines, where rounds end quickly and there is a constant temptation to play again or increase bets, as opposed to a state lottery where the gambler must wait until the next drawing to see results.

Most treatment for problem gambling involves counseling, programs with steps to recover, self help, peer support, medication or a combination of these. However, no one treatment is most efficacious and the United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved medications for the treatment of pathological gambling.

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps reduce symptoms and urges related to gambling. This type of therapy focuses on the identification of the thought processes, mood and cognitive distortions that increase the vulnerability of the gambler. Additionally, cognitive behavioral therapy approaches frequently utilize techniques that build skills geared toward relapse prevention and assertiveness.

Roulette Wheel

PlayingRoulette

To play you place your bet or bets on numbers (any number including the zero) in the table layout or on the outside, and when everybody at the table had a chance to place their bets, the croupier starts the spin and launches the ball. Just a few moments before the ball is about to drop over the slots, the croupier says 'no more bets'. From that moment no one is allowed to place - or change - their bets until the ball drops on a slot. Only after the croupier places the 'dolly' on the winning number on the table and clears all the losing bets you can then start placing your new bets while the croupier pays the winners. The winners are those bets that are on or around the number that comes up. Also the bets on the outside of the layout win if the winning number is represented.

The house advantage
On a single zero roulette tables the house advantage is 2.7%. On a double zero roulette table it is 5.26% (7.9% on the five-number bet, 0-00-1-2-3). The house advantage is gained by paying the winners a chip or two (or a proportion of it) less than what it should have been if there was no advantage.

The payouts
A bet on one number only, called a straight-up bet, pays 35 to 1. (You collect 36. With no house advantage it should be 36 to1).
A two-number bet, called split bet, pays 17 to 1.
A three-number bet, called street bet, pays 11 to 1.
A four-number bet, called corner bet, pays 8 to 1.
A six-number bet, pays 5 to 1.
A bet on the outside dozen or column, pays 2 to 1.
A bet on the outside even money bets, pays 1 to 1.

Object of the game
To win the player needs to predict where the ball will land after each spin. This is by no means easy. In fact, luck plays an important part in this game. Some players go with the winning numbers calling them 'hot' numbers and therefore likely to come up more times. Others see which numbers did not come up for some time and bet on them believing that their turn is now due. Some players bet on many numbers to increase their chances of winning at every spin, but this way the payout is considerably reduced. Other methodical players use systems or methods.

Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.

Proposition bets are wagers made on a very specific outcome of a match. Examples include guessing the number of goals each team scores in a handball match, betting whether a player will score in a football game, or wagering that a baseball player on one team will accumulate more hits than another player on the opposing team.

Parlays involve multiple bets usually up to 12 and will reward a successful bettor with a large payout. For example, a bettor could include four different wagers in a four-team parlay, whereby he is wagering that all four bets will win. If any of the four bets fails to cover, the bettor loses the parlay, but if all four bets win, the bettor receives a substantially higher payout usually 10-1 in the case of a four-teamer than if he made the four wagers separately.

A progressive parlay involves multiple bets usually up to 12 and rewards successful bettors with a large payout, though not as large as normal parlays. However, in a progressive parlay, unlike a regular parlay, a reduced payout will still be made even should some of the bets lose.

A teaser allows the bettor to combine his bets on two or more different games. The bettor can adjust the point spreads for the two games, but realizes a lower return on the bets in the event of a win.

An if bet consists of at least two straight bets joined together by an if clause which determines the wager process. If the player’s first selection complies with the condition clause, then the second selection will have action; if the second selection complies with the condition, then the third selection will have action and so on.

Run line, puck line or goal line bets are wagers offered as alternatives to straight-up/money line prices in baseball, hockey or soccer, respectively. These bets feature a fixed point spread that usually offers a higher payout for the favorite and a lower payout for the underdog both in comparison to the money line.

While all sports wagers are by definition on future events, bets listed as futures generally have a long-term horizon measured in weeks or months; for example, a bet that a certain NFL team will win the Super Bowl for the upcoming season. Such a bet must be made before the season starts in September, and winning bets will not pay off until the conclusion of the Super Bowl in January or February although many of the losing bets will be clear well before then and can be closed out by the book . Odds for such a bet generally are expressed in a ratio of units paid to unit wagered. The team wagered upon might be 50-1 to win the Super Bowl, which means that the bet will pay 50 times the amount wagered if the team does so.

In these bets, bettor predicts competitors results against each other and not on the overall result of the event. One example are Formula One races, where you bet on two or three drivers and their placement among the others. Sometimes you can also bet a “tie”, in which one or both drivers either have the same time, drop out, or get disqualified.

In totalizators sometimes called flexible-rate bets the odds are changing in real-time according to the share of total exchange each of the possible outcomes have received taking into account the return rate of the bookmaker offering the bet. For example: If the bookmakers return percentage is 90%, 90% of the amount placed on the winning result will be given back to bettors and 10% goes to the bookmaker. Naturally the more money bet on a certain result, the smaller the odds on that outcome become. This is similar to parimutuel wagering in horse racing and dog racing.

A 2nd half Second half bet is also sometimes called a halftime bet. This bet is placed only at halftime of a particular sporting event. This bet can be placed on the spread Line or over/under. The resulting bet that is placed is won or lost only on the points scored by both teams in the second half only.