Is Playing the Lotto Gambling?

From the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas to the so-called convenience of betting on our laptop computer, gambling has become part of the fabric of American society. The lottery is one of the biggest branches in the gambling tree. State and regional lotteries, regularly referred to as Lotto, appeal to the dreamer in all of us. For as little as one dollar, a Lotto player can end up winning millions. Realistically, the only thing gained by the Lotto player is a few hours of hope before a winner is selected.

Function

Get into your car and listen to the radio for a few minutes or keep your eyes on the billboards as you ride the highways. You'll soon learn of your state's lottery and what the weekly prize is. Go into a convenience store, gas station and even some supermarkets. You can buy a ticket for $1, or perhaps you are willing to spend $5, $10 or $100 on a chance to become a multi-millionaire. If you beat the odds, you can change the financial aspects of your life--not through skill, but through mere chance. This is the definition of gambling.

Significance

Many people can play the lottery occasionally or even buy a few tickets every week without having any negative impact on their life. However, many indidividuals can control the money they spend on buying Lotto tickets. They start off by purchasing $10 or $20 worth of tickets and over a period of time, the amount they are spending goes up exponentially. Instead of curbing their Lotto purchases, individuals start spending more. They may hide the money from their spouses or loved ones and start lying about it. This is evidence of a full-fledged gambling addiction.

Considerations

Does gambling or the thought of gambling consume your waking hours? Do you put yourself and your family at risk in order to purchase Lotto tickets? Are you untruthful with those in your life about your spending habits when purchasing Lotto tickets? Are you taking cash advances off your credit cards in order to get money to gamble and buy Lotto tickets? If the answers to these questions are yes, you likely have a gambling problem that is interfering with your life. In order to address this problem, you can go to Gamblers Anonymous. This group has been helping problem gamblers since 1956. You don't have to be a casino gambler, horse player or sports bettor to go to a GA meeting. There are many Lotto players who go to meetings to get help.

Misconceptions

There is a school of thought that says gambling is a vice that does not hurt anyone but the individual doing the gambling. That is a very uninformed opinion. In addition to hurting the gambler's family and loved ones, those who engage in excessive gambling such as spending more money on the Lotto than the individual can afford to spend is also doing great damage to an economny. Money that could be spent on goods and services that would help to stimulate the economy is foolishly wasted on Lotto tickets. An addicted Lotto ticket buyer invariably feels regret and shame but then goes out and does it again. It is a vicious cycle and a horrifying habit that is one of the most difficult addictions to defeat.

Prevention/Solution

It is hard to get through to the compulsive Lotto player. Instead of talking about their actions and feelings, they tend to hide their activity. A friend or a loved one should not ignore any telltale signs that might indicate problem gambling. The problem Lotto player may be consumed by his gambling habit and a few well-placed questions or remarks might allow that individual to feel comfortable into revealing his problem. In that case, encourage the loved one or friend with the gambling problem to seek help before it is too late.

Resources

• Gamblers Anonymous