Dr. Robert L. Cluster believes that there are three phases of gambling addiction. These include the winning phase, the losing phase, and the desperation phase. These three phases illustrate how one can go from being a social gambler to an all out gambling addict.

The Winning Phase

The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery describes the winning phase as a time when gamblers win at gambling multiple times, leaving them with an “unreasonable optimism” that they will keep on winning. Such gamblers begin to love gambling and trust that their luck will not run out. They keep on bidding and begin adding to their bids. These gamblers feel confident and comfortable, until the losing phase.

The Losing Phase

According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, during the losing phase gambling addicts begin to withdraw from friends and family. Gamblers start gambling alone and consider borrowing money by legal or illegal means. They become isolated by their gambling, and this isolation infiltrates their home lives. As these gamblers increase the quantity and amount of their gambling, their debts become a problem. The Institute claims that such gamblers start chasing their losses, wanting to return to gambling directly after a loss with the hope that they can win the money back.

The Desperation Phase

The desperation phase occurs when the gambler spends more and more time gambling. The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery claims that this excessive time spent gambling leads to these gamblers feeling guilty, blaming others for their problems, and alienating their family and friends. The gamblers may begin to engage in illegal acts in order to have gambling money. They may turn to alcohol or drugs to combat the helplessness they feel and may experience psychological and social problems such as depression, emotional collapse, divorce, suicidal ideation or attempts, divorce, or arrest.