The Gender Equation

According to The Good Gambling Guide, research shows that gender is critical in counseling and treating problem gamblers. The Good Gambling Guide claims that woman become problem gamblers as a result of loneliness, anxiety, or depression. Women tend to go for slots because they can play them alone and there is little skill involved. Slots create a world where women can exist apart from their unhappiness in broken marriages or frustrating jobs. Female problem gamblers, according to the Guide, are older, with an average age of around 45, whereas men tend to begin gambling earlier in life, at around 35. The average beginning age for men is 18, whereas women tend to start around the age of 31.

Men, however, become addicted to different kinds of gambling for different ways. Men are more likely to play games that require skill and make them feel better about themselves. They tend to want to beat the house with games such as blackjack. The male gambler becomes caught up in a whirlwind of lies and losses, struggling in debt and broken relationships. Finally, according to the Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues, gambling is simply more popular for man than it is for women.

Economic Tendencies

National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 4.2 million Americans are addicted to gambling. Out of these 4.2 million, 60 percent have incomes under $25,000 dollars a year. Gambling addiction is something that haunts the poor in America and hinders rather than helps their economic situation.

The Alcohol Effect

In addition to gender and economics, studies have shown that alcohol abuse has a great deal to do with gambling addiction. The New Mexico Coalition Against Gambling reports that those who have a problem with alcohol are 23 times more likely to have a gambling problem than those who do not have a drinking problem. There could be several reasons for this connection. One, addiction can impact many different parts of an individual’s life. If someone has an addictive personality, or if addiction runs in the family, becoming addicted to gambling is as easy as becoming addicted to alcohol. Two, inebriated individuals are much less likely to control their behavior. Focusing on how much money you are spending on gambling is harder when you are under the influence.