Gambling and, in our case, sportsbetting addiction can be a terrible disease. While most punters use sportsbetting as a hobby and others are gaining financial rewards from betting, everybody must be aware of the danger this, as any addictive-prone activity, presents. There is no professional punter that ignores this issue and that does not know how to protect himself from addiction. Dont`t let yourself fall into misery and take action if you think you may have a problem. Reading this is a great way to start.
Gamblers anonymous compiled a 20-question gambling addiction test many years ago, a test that became a standard in evaluating one`s degree of addiction. Try answering with “yes” or “no”.
- Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
- Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
- Did gambling affect your reputation?
- Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
- Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
- Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
- After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
- After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
- Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
- Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
- Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
- Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?
- Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
- Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
- Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness?
- Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
- Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
- Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
- Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
- Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?
If your response is “yes” to at least 7-8 of these questions, you might have a problem. Answer with “yes” to more than 12-13 questions, and you DO have a problem which needs help in order to be sorted out.
Act responsibly in your gambling and sportsbetting business. If you view it as a hobby, keep it at a hobby and don`t overdo things. Nobody practices a hobby 24/7. If you are, or are aspiring to be a professional punter, keep in mind the objective: profit. Don`t overreact on winnings and losses. You must be aware of the danger, and we are trying to raise the awareness level.
Remember these key gambling and sportsbetting rules:
- Do not bet more than you can afford.
- Do not bet with borrowed money.
- Do not invest all of your balance on one event.
- Do not go into debt to support your gambling activities.
If you are experiencing any kind of problems with sportsbetting addiction or gambling addiction in general, or have any concerns regarding this topic, do not hesitate to contact us. We like to think that we helped others and we would be happy to help you too. Just know that there are no miraculous, over-night solutions. You have to accept that first.