Gambling Addiction - Signs and Symptoms

If you are not sure whether you have a gambling problem, take the completely confidential self-assessment quiz, which asks you questions about your gambling habits.

Compulsive gambling has no physical symptoms and can creep up on someone relatively unnoticed, but there are several definitive behaviours that could indicate a problem:

• Being secretive about your gambling habits
• Lying about the extent to which you gamble
• Inability to stick to limits you have set yourself
• Feeling the need to gamble to help you cope with stress at home or work
• Losing the ability to quit or walk away after winning money
• Losing track of time while gambling
• Borrowing money to pay for gambling
• Stealing money or committing illegal acts to pay for gambling
• Not paying bills, rent or the mortgage due to spending money on gambling
• Neglecting family, friends and work in order to gamble

If you recognise these habits in yourself or someone close to you, then it may be time to have a frank discussion about the issue. Recognising the signs of a gambling problem is an important first step on the road to getting help, and there are strong support systems in place to provide assistance.