Gambling:

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Gambling Its a Matter of Degree
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Which of these is gambling?

• Poker games with friends
• Playing poker online for no money
• Going to the casino
• Church bingo
• Fundraiser raffle
• Day trading in the stock market

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Definition of Gambling
Risking money or something of value on the
outcome of an unpredictable event or contest.
4
Gambling is the norm

• Gambling at some level is the norm among college
  students
• 70 in Connecticut sample
• 88 in Minnesota sample
• Most people can gamble without a problem, but a
  sizable percentage of college student gamble
  excessively and show signs of a gambling problem
  (3.2 - 16.4).

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those are statsthis is realGreg Hogan was

• a 19-year-old finance and accounting major at
  Lehigh University
• president of his sophomore class
• a cellist in the university orchestra
• an employee in the school chaplain's office
• the son of a Baptist minister .and
• a student with a gambling problem whose
  desperation drove him to bank robbery and jail

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Levels of Involvement
No Gambling
Pathological
Social
Harmful / Problem
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Why do some people get into trouble with gambling?

• 3 forces work together
• Person personalitygenetics?
• Games built to compel you to play more
• Environment its everywhere and seen as
  harmless fun

8
HOOKED
like other addictions
Brain is affected Tolerance develops
Loss of control
but harder to detect
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A word about the games themselves.

• What are the most addictive types of games?

10
Poker luck or skill?

• Can you make a living at it?

11
Casino gaming tricks

• Can you name some?

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Internet gambling

• Is illegal
• Accelerated rate of play increases losses
• Free practice sites let you win more so you
  think youre skilledwhen you bet with money that
  changes

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This is your brain on gambling
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How brain activity differs when we contemplate
financial losses and gains. The blue areas at
left are those that become deactivated as we make
decisions that will likely cause us to lose
money. The orange and red areas at right show
the activation that occurs in the brain when we
believe the odds are in our favor and well win
money.
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Q What built Las Vegas?

• A the Gamblers Fallacy
• an example follows..

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Odds of winning 100 in Powerball
are about 11 thousand to 1but what does that
mean??
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Lets say there is 1 piece of red popcorn hidden
in this bag of 10,000 pieces of white popcorn
.youd have a better chance of reaching in and
grabbing the one red kernel of popcorn in this
bag than you would of winning 100 on a powerball
ticket
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.but if your lucky numbers have almost come up
in the last five lottery drawings, you may
believe that your chances of winning are better
than thisyet they are notother examples of
false beliefs?
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• If you find yourself saying, "I can't quit now,
  I'm on a winning streak," Gambler's Fallacy
• If you find yourself saying, "I can't quit now,
  my luck's about to change," Gambler's Fallacy
• One of our basic needs is for a sense of control,
  which we gain by seeking to predict the future
  and by attributing cause to events that occur
  that are really random

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Responsible gambling guidelines

• Set a money limit and stick to it.
• Set a time limit and stick to it.
• Make it a rule not to gamble on credit.
• Consider any losses the cost of recreation
• Expect to lose and treat any winnings as a bonus.
  
• Dont gamble as a way to cope with emotional or
  physical pain.
• Gambling should not interfere with or substitute
  for friends, family, work, or other
• worthwhile activities.
• Avoid trying to win back lost money.
• Become educated about the warning signs of
  problem gambling.

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Social or Problem?
Frequent, or spends more time gambling
Occasional gambler
Plays with that is needed or borrowed
Sticks to limits of money to play with
Expects to win keeps playing to win back losses
Hopes to win but expects to lose
Pre-occupied with gambling
Can take it or leave it
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A Simple Test

• 1) Have you ever had to LIE to people important
  to you about how much you gambled?
• 2) Have you ever felt the need to BET more and
  more money?
• Yes to either may indicate a problem

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Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline 1877mylimit.org