PLAYING IT SMART by ALAN KRIGMAN

PLAYING IT SMART by ALAN KRIGMAN

Is your gambling becoming excessive? Here are some reality checks.

Some solid citizens gamble excessively. Portents of doom and details of statistics cited by gambling opponents may be dubious. Still, little doubt exists about adverse impacts on at least part the public. And, not only through casino, lottery, and friendly neighborhood gambling but in "playing the market" as well.

The experts define two classes of excessive gambling.
* Problem gambling: a state of mind that disrupts an individual's personal, occupational, and financial well-being.
* Pathological gambling: a medical condition, listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), involving loss of control, irrational thinking, continuation despite negative consequences, and fixation on the activity.

This condition may characterize folks seeking escape; these are typically slot, bingo, and lottery players who tend to be depressed and gamble to desensitize themselves to the situation. It also describes people avid for action; in the casino context this generally implies card and dice enthusiasts who are status conscious, competitive, and believe they're exercising skill.

If you enjoy gambling, you might want to verify that you're in it for the entertainment value and are not near or at the edge. Ask yourself the following questions. The California Research Bureau, a non-partisan agency that provides background information to state officials but does not take positions, says that a "yes" answer to any of them suggests you may be at risk.
* Do you ever borrow to pay for gambling?
* Have you ever sold something to pay for gambling?
* Do you have trouble sleeping due to gambling?
* Do you gamble to escape worry or trouble?
* Do letdowns or disputes make you want to gamble?
* Do you want to gamble whenever you feel good?
* Has gambling led you to want to hurt yourself?
* After a loss, do you want to continue or start over as soon as possible to win it back?
* Do you gamble to pay off other bills?
* Does your gambling money come from your everyday budget?

The DSM goes deeper into warning signs. It states that exhibiting five or more of the following indicates a gambling pathology.
* Preoccupation with gambling in such forms as re-living past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, or thinking of ways to get money for gambling.
* Need to keep raising the ante to achieve the desired excitement.
* Repeated unsuccessful tries to control, cut back, or stop.
* Restlessness or irritability when attempting to moderate or stop.
* Resort to gambling to forget problems or overcome feelings such as helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression.
* Returning to get even after losing.
* Lying to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling.
* Engaging in illegal activities such as forgery, fraud, theft, or embezzlement to finance gambling.
* Jeopardizing or losing a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling.
* Relying on others to provide money to relieve financial difficulties caused by gambling.

Most casino patrons, even "regulars," gamble responsibly and sensibly, treating it as recreation. They revel in the thrill of risk and reward. And they relish the extras -- from the posh surroundings and the comps for meals to the personal attention, the gifts of merchandise, and the exclusive club memberships -- which are now part and parcel of the experience.

But such amenities can become seductive. So it's not a bad idea to take a reality test in the privacy of your own home every so often. As the perennially-popular poetizing pundit, Sumner A Ingmark, rhymingly recommended:

When confronted with distinctions fine,
Check to see you haven't crossed the line.

(c) 2008, ICON/Information Concepts Inc

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