Invisible Gambling Stigmas

Invisible gambling stigmas can make one’s life bitter. Since these are the latest days of the gambling awareness month, there are still a few things we should consider. First of all, if we are talking about responsible gambling, we don’t mean to avoid gambling in general. However, we indicate to stay balanced between playing and excessive playing.

• Over 29.000 Iowans struggled with gambling addiction in 2015
• Only 600 citizen used the state’s hotline
• Experts warns about unfavorable future trends

Silent Suffering & Invisible Gambling Stigmas of Iowans 

According to a report published on Quad-City Times, there are almost 30.000 of Iowans suffered from gambling addiction in 2015. However, only 600 called for help through the state’s help line.

As the program manager of the Iowa Gambling Treatment Program, Eric Preuss expressed that’s a big imbalance. Preuss state that the likeliness of stigmas in gambling addiction are higher than in other cases. Gambling addicts are rather suffering in silence than picking up the phone. As he says, making a call requires courage.

The Industry’s Role in Shaping Gambling Stigmas 

As statistics show, 68% of Iowans have gambled in 2015. 85% of the gamblers say they have never experienced problems regarding their activity. However, the 1.2% of the population struggle with gambling addiction and they are in a big risk.

As a problem gambling counselor Blair Brown observed, addiction starts with a typical moment. A person often wants to get twice as high as he felt at the first time. Therefore, gamblers chase the next opportunity to play.

The huge expansion of casino business will not be in favor of cutting down on gambling problems. The number of casinos in Iowa have reached 22. Moreover, due to the increasing licences issued by the state, these number will increase in the near future.

Modern Tools To Diminish Gambling Addiction

There are many possibilities of smart gambling, starting with the recently launched responsible gambling software in the UK. The system offers a budgeting system to slot machine players in order to plan their expenses.

Continuing with the panic button at William Hill’s, it’s still useful for those who are prone to become addicts. However, what is useful for the customers may  not be profitable enough for the operators. Therefore, the main controlling mechanism is the gambler himself.