Gambling Addiction

Does my child have a gambling addiction?

Gambling addictions also occur amongst teenagers and young adults. In fact, gambling addicts often start at a young age by buying scratch cards, gambling on slot machines, playing cards with friends or playing poker or betting on sports events on the internet. Are you wondering if your child might be addicted to gambling? This list of symptoms might help.

Symptoms that might indicate a gambling addiction

• Persistent preoccupation with gambling (thinking about bets, odds, past wins or losses)
• Increasing amounts of time or money spent on gambling to achieve the same excitement
• Difficulty stopping or cutting back, despite repeated attempts
• Irritability, restlessness or low mood when unable to gamble
• Lying to parents, carers or peers about gambling behaviour
• Secrecy around online activity, devices or finances
• Chasing losses by continuing to gamble to “win back” money
• Decline in school performance, attendance or concentration
• Withdrawal from friends, hobbies or activities previously enjoyed
• Financial problems, including borrowing money, stealing, or unexplained debts
• Using gambling as a way to escape stress, anxiety, loneliness or low self-esteem
• Mood swings, anxiety or depressive symptoms linked to gambling outcomes
• Feelings of guilt, shame or hopelessness related to gambling behaviour
• Increased risk-taking behaviour, often alongside substance use or other addictions

What are the withdrawal symptoms of gambling addiction?

• Difficulties with sleeping
• Panic attacks
• Depression
• Mood disorders
• Irritation
• Stomach pains
• Headaches

When teens and young adults win games early, they are inclined to believe in a particular system. They usually attribute the failure to win to external factors, such as cheating or an uncalibrated gaming machine. Do you recognise one or more of these signs? Request an intake interview today.

Short-odds gambling games stimulate gambling addictions

The most addictive gambling games are the so-called Short-Odds gambling games (e.g. gambling machines, various lotteries). Because young players experience winning or losing immediately, it will be very tempting to try these games again. Because they will win occasionally but always unexpectedly, these kinds of gambling games are very addictive. The popularity of online gambling is increasing rapidly.
Bingo drives, poker competitions and betting on sports events may also lead to gambling addiction. Because many young people use the internet, they will be tempted to try these games. Internet gambling is especially dangerous because these games can be played virtually anonymously and unseen at home (e.g. in attics) and because there is a total absence of social control.

Gambling causes a high

For gambling addicts, the tension and excitement they experience create virtually the same kind of intoxicated feeling as a high or drunken state. This intoxicated state pushes problems to the background. As a result of gambling addiction, gamblers start to neglect their personal relationships, work or studies and accumulate debts.
Gambling addiction is often accompanied by substance addiction. This requires a lot of money. The gambling addiction solves one financial problem by creating another, until the adolescent can no longer hide the consequences from the rest of the world.

Treatment of a gambling addiction

At Yes We Can Youth Clinics we help teenagers and young adults to overcome their gambling addiction and to live and function in society in a pleasant way. We help young people with an addiction to slowly demolish the wall they have built around themselves, to leave their destructive life behind them forever and to face a bright future. Yes We Can Youth Clinics strives to reduce any medication that the teenager or young adult already receive to zero or as little as possible during the treatment.

Contact us

Yes We Can Youth Clinics can effectively treat teenagers and young adults who are suffering from a wide variety of mental health issues. If you have any questions, you can always contact us. We cannot stress enough that we are always here for you, whether you choose to receive treatment at our clinic or not. 

You can reach us by phone from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (GMT +1) via phone number: +31 (0)85 02 01 222. After business hours – weekdays after 6:00 p.m. and on the weekends – your call will be forwarded. Please note that it might take longer than usual to answer your call. If we cannot answer the call right away, please leave a message, and we will call you back as soon as possible. You can also fill in our contact form.