Signs of Gambling Addiction
November 11, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under family, finances, financial matters
Karen wrote a post a little while ago, 10 Financial Signs He’s Cheating, and it was good, but the second I read it, I noticed that the list of ten behaviors could potentially point to another bad behavior, gambling. Gambling is a serious issue in the United States. The National Council on Problem Gambling notes that annually about 3 million adults can be considered pathological gamblers while another 2-3% of adults are problem gamblers.
Having been with a gambler in the past I can honestly say that it’s JUST like cheating, only your partner’s not dating another woman they’re dating the casino or slots or what have you.
Karen’s list has some points that may mean your partner is cheating OR it could mean he’s gambling, such as…
- An unusual increase of ATM withdrawals and/or credit card cash advances.
- Failure to mention overtime, bonuses, or an increase in pay.
- A liquidation of assets such as IRAs, saving accounts, money market accounts, etc.
- Avoidance of discussing money issues, the family budget, and spending habits.
- A decrease in the amount deposited from his paycheck.
- Running out of money before the next payday.
What else points to gambling?
Honestly, after having such a bad experience with another person who gambled, I HATE any gambling, but technically, you can gamble and not be addicted to gambling. Gambling, real honest to goodness addictive gambling is considered to be gambling that disrupts your normal life or someone else’s life – i.e. your finances, your relationships, your emotions, your health, and more. Basically if gambling causes problems it’s a problem.
Following are some more signs that your partner may have a gambling problem…
- They blame you for their money problems.
- They are extremely defensive about their gambling.
- They get angry when you ask them to stop gambling or even to cut down.
- They’re gone for long unexplained periods and don’t call – many gamblers who hang at casinos loose total track of time. I’ve personally seen someone lose literally days at a casino.
- They skip work to get to the casino.
- They steal money from you, their friends, the family budget, and even from their kids.
- They may have major personality changes that vary from depressed to angry to violent.
- You feel the need to hide money from your partner.
If you notice the signs above the best thing to do in my opinion is to try and talk to your partner and if they won’t get help willingly then you need to think about you and your kids and make plans to leave. Not one person I know who have been involved with a gambler has one of those happy ending stories. It usually ends badly and will leave you financially vulnerable.
Resources:
- More signs that your partner may be a problem gambler.
- Gam-Anon for the spouse, family or close friends of compulsive gamblers.
- Support for the gambler.
Also, because I’ve often seen relationships where gambling and domestic violence go hand in hand you may be interested in basic facts of domestic violence, what intimate partner violence is, how you can assess if your relationship is abusive, plus find resource for support if you need help.
[image via stock.xchng]
