-
Step 1
If excessive amounts of money are being spent on gambling and the person is unable to curb those habits when confronted about reducing those amounts or begins to attempt to hide the amounts being spent, this could be a sign of a gambling addiction.
-
Step 2
Is gambling preferred over work, over spending time with family and is it replacing other hobbies that were once important? Are there frequent excuses about why appointments or responsibilities cannot be met and why a trip to the casino, a poker game or online gambling takes priority?
-
Step 3
If the gambler rushes to bet again regardless of a large windfall or despite a significant monetary loss, this could be a very clear sign of a gambling addiction.
-
Step 4
Are there excessive cash advances on credit cards, personal loans from friends or pay advances? Are household bills being paid on time and has the gambler sold or pawned any personal belongings for cash?
-
Step 5
Look for mood swings. Symptoms of insomnia or excessive dark moods may indicate an addiction that is interfering with daily life such as keeping the person up late at night to gamble and leaving them irritable when they are struggling to find more funds to finance the next game, race or poker hand as well as leaving them irritable when they are forced to refrain from gambling.
