Preventing addiction to gambling

The gambling area is part of life, as is food and drink. Most people are able to enjoy casino entertainment. A high percentage of all adults can play completely unconcerned and without any problems.

Not only substances can cause addiction. In recent years, we have seen an increasing number of people addicted not to drugs and alcohol, but to addictive activities. Therefore, these addictions are called "non-substance" or "process". These include, for example, communication technologies addiction, social networks addiction and, above all, pathological gambling and betting. While the addictions to Facebook, smartphone applications, or to contributing to Internet chat rooms and discussions are primarily time consuming for the people concerned, and thus affecting their close relationships, gambling addiction is motivated and determined by the greatest attraction of our time – money; by its fast, effortless and high profits. Thus, there are also cases of gambling progressing into an addiction stage in which the gamblers lose control of their rational behavior. In that case, the joy of the game is gone and the individuals may get into difficult life situations. According to the survey, there are more than 100,000 pathological gamblers living in the Czech Republic. The number of those being at the early stage of addiction is probably around 300,000.

It is hard to determine the primary influences affecting the development of the addiction. Most probably, as with other types of addictions, there is a number of coinciding biological, psychological and social factors. Those with a higher threshold of excitement, and increasingly longing for adrenaline at all costs and at higher doses, can devote themselves to extreme sports; however, they may easily become addicted to gambling as well. Also, those with the need for immediate and effortless reward coded in their psyche, and dreaming of getting rich fast, are often found in the trap of gambling addiction. The promise of an easy way to money can materialize at a slot machine or betting portal on the internet. The social situation is of importance too - those in a bad financial situation, feeling lonely and grossly dissatisfied with their reality, may see the light at the end of the tunnel while playing and betting. Like every addiction, gambling is a self-sustaining process. Pathological gambling may appear hand in hand with another substance abuse. There are frequent combinations of gambling and alcohol consumption; concurrent use of stimulant drugs, pervitin in particular, is common, too.

Pathological players, unlike drug addicts, are "spared" primary health consequences unless we count the backbone damaged from slouching over the slot machine or computer. Social risks are clearly dominating in gambling. It can be the costliest hobby of this type that can only be compared to heroin addiction. Ruining personal finances is just the beginning of the chain of problems which an addict will encounter. At the end, distraint, homelessness, hundreds of thousands or millions of debts may occur.

Both institutional regime treatment as well as outpatient treatment are available in our country for both, activities as well as "substance" addicts. The nature of addiction is similar and effective therapeutic procedures are universal to a certain extent. In gambling addicts, close attention must be paid to the regime component of the treatment; the addicts have to "re-learn" to manage their money, they often have to give someone else control of their finances and debts. Another enormous difficulty in the treatment is the acceptance of the social situation.

As a significant and respectable company, Sportgames a.s. pays attention to the above problems and tries to prevent them in their establishments. The most important thing is the satisfaction of our client, which is naturally associated with our qualities in the area of customer service and the creation of an optimal gaming environment. In the case of either emerging or developed gaming addiction, you can contact the following facilities:  

Local psychological and counseling center
At the counseling center in each city, you can ask where the nearest specialist for this kind of addiction is based.

Psychiatric Hospital Bohnice
Ústavní 91, 181 02 Praha 8
E-mail: pl@plbohnice.cz
Tel: 284 016 111
Web: http://www.plbohnice.cz/eng/
Anonymous players: Monday 18:30, pavilion 31

Psychiatric Hospital Opava
Olomoucká 88, Opava
Tel: 553 695 111
Fax: 553 713 443
Mail: plopa.hlb@coms.cz
Web: http://www.plopava.cz

Psychiatric Hospital Červený Dvůr
(About 10 km from Český Krumlov)

Specializes in the medium-term institutional treatment of addictions to substances and pathological gambling.
Červený Dvůr 1, 381 01 Český Krumlov
Tel: 380 739 131

Mail: info@cervenydvur.cz

 

Hot line
Public Service Companies - A Kluby ČR, Brno
Tel .: 545 241 301
Mail: linka.duvery@akluby.cz

 

Anonymous players: You can get information on groups across the country on tel: 224 818 247