Gambling disorders can cause considerable damage to a person’s life even though they don’t have physical symptoms and triggers that are commonly linked with an addiction to drugs. Drug addictions are primarily a substance-abuse issue whereas gambling addictions are caused due to lack of proper impulse control.
An addiction to gambling is often seen in alcoholics. Basically, it’s the lack of control which defines an addictive behavior, irrespective of the activity or substance involved. Statistics related to gambling addiction show this ‘lack of ample control’ factor in an alarming and stark light.
Statistics about those having gambling addiction reveal how a problem gambling condition can mess up an individual’s life in several ways. Unlike other addictions, people who are vulnerable to gambling disorders may suffer from various other disorders as well, about which their awareness is often found lacking.
The most concerning revelation obtained from statistics related to gambling addiction are depicted in the outcomes which pan out when a gambling disorder goes untreated.
1. Gambling Trends
Like all kind of data, there are several behavioral patterns or trends that begin to form, once you analyze a population. Statistics related to gambling addiction also follow this behavior. The most concerning or widely seen gambling trends are:
- Gambling addiction vulnerability risks increase by 23 times for people who suffer from alcoholism issues.
- Over 80% of adults in the USA indulge in gambling annually.
- 3% – 5% gamblers struggle with gambling problems
- Over 750000 young people, aged between 14-21, suffer from gambling issues.
2. Criminal & Gambling Activity
When you check for links between criminal activity and gambling, statistics reveal that there’s a direct relationship between chances of committing a crime and the gambling addiction’s severity. Gambling addiction rates among criminal offenders exceed the rates found in non-offenders. When taken on an average, over 50% of people affected by various gambling issues commit crimes for supporting their addictions.
3. Gambling In A College Environment
Statistics have shown that problem gambling rates are the highest in people aged between 20 – 30.
- Around 6% of college-going students in the US suffer from gambling disorder
- Risks of developing gambling addiction increases by more than 2 times for adults in a college environment
- 75% of all college-going students report they’ve gambled in the previous year.
4. PTSD & Gambling Trends
Those affected by PTSD have to live with significant anxiety and stress levels daily. PTSD sufferers show the highest rates of developing a gambling addiction, as per statistics.
- 34% of people seeking treatment for their gambling addiction present with PTSD symptoms
- PTSD symptoms are prevalent in over 12.5 % – 29% of all problem gamblers.
5. Mental Illness & Gambling
Addictions usually alter the brain’s chemical functions, causing them to turn to self-destructive ways. Those suffering from gambling disorders have higher chances of developing certain mental disorders. Statistics related to gambling also show gambling addicts to be affected by several mental illness disorders, which include:
- Anti-social disorder
- Substance abuse issues
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression disorders
Like all other addiction disorders, gambling addictions get worse if left untreated.