“Sports gamblers, who are most likely to be young men, are not only at a higher risk of becoming problem gamblers, but are more involved in gambling, have more positive views towards gambling and are more likely to believe in their own self-control and chances of winning”_ University of Guelph Study (www.ctvanews.ca)

Sports betting is a popular form of gambling in Nigeria, Africa and elsewhere in the world. While everyone seems to be concerned about the fun that goes along with sports betting, many seem to be unaware of the risk of gambling addiction associated with uncontrollable sports betting.

The study cited above did claim that sports betting in itself is not a problem, and this explains why sports betting is allowed in many countries including Nigeria. The problem therefore is, people's behaviour and personality type contribute to their risk of addiction to sports betting. This explains why people who suspect gambling addiction in themselves or others require psychological help. At this point, you need to ask yourself this question, “Do I know my behavioural tendencies and personality profile”? The answer would be most likely to be no, and this is where the danger is.

A report attributed to Nigerian Tribune which is shared on our Instagram Handle (https://www.instagram.com/psychgam/) shows that over 60 million people in Nigeria Gamble and this translates into 1 in every four Nigerian. The same applies to other parts of Africa, South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and others, depending on the type of betting that is allowed. So let’s look at the issue squarely.

Signs of Addiction to Sports Betting
When you hear people or yourself saying, "I know what I am doing", "Don't worry, I can control it" and all that, it could be an indication of an addiction. Why? Most addicts always feel they are still in control even when their last salary went into betting and they keep getting motivated by stories of those that have won millions. So how do you know that you are dealing with gambling addiction?

1. A strong urge to bet in every game: A sports betting addict wants to bet every day and possibly every time the opportunity presents. Sometimes, you are betting because you want to win but as the urge gets stronger, you find yourself betting even when you know the stakes are high. You find yourself thinking about betting often and you cannot resist the opportunity to bet even when it is not convenient. Due to addiction, you can afford to spend your last resources, sell assets and even borrow money to bet.

2. People begin to complain: Society is structured in a way that our family members, friends and loved ones serve as moral gatekeepers to put us in line when we start to derail. When people begin to complain genuinely that you don't have time, you don't associate, you always talk about betting and what you can win, then that is a red flag and you don't need to keep on living in denial. Addicted gambling becomes so pronounced that it affects the daily life, work and relationship of such persons as the addiction get worse. Most times, you find that you are unable to meet your obligation and for some students, their school fees get entangled in the web of their gambling. Whether you find yourself hiding your sports betting activity or living in denial, it's high time you do a self-reflection and find out what's going on.

3. You Cannot Give Up: Addicted gamblers cannot give up on their losses, rather, they prefer to keep trying until they eventually recoup what they have lost. Oftentimes, they see the next game as the "surest" and feel they need to catch on, but three months down the line, they are still hoping to win something big. Others are motivated by one ray of hope, probably a small win in the past and now, they want to win something big. As the quest to win fuels the incessant betting, relationships continue to fall apart, their job suffers and they will not hesitate to play pranks in the name of placing one more bet. This is so dangerous that it could begin to stimulate other mental health conditions that will negatively affect their psychological well being.

4. Escaping through Sports Betting When addicted sports bettors get frustrated, stressed, disappointed or sad by any events around them, they take to sports betting. Just like any other drug addict, sports betting addicts see gambling as a way to keep hope alive, maintain purpose and feel valued. This explains why some people continue to bet even when they lose and others feel excited about opportunities to bet. For instance, they cannot walk past a betting shop without placing one small bet but they never know that a range of mental health issues is indicated by such actions.

What Should You Do When Suspecting Gambling Addiction ?

There are different manifestations of gambling addiction, depending on the behavioural preferences and personality type among others. Therefore, beyond any information you will find online, you need to do a screening or assessment to ascertain whether it is a gambling addiction. You, therefore, need to reach out to a Clinical Psychologist or a Therapist for a structured assessment and interestingly, this can be done online or offline.


Take a Free Online Self Assessment

This simple set of Yes/No Questions has been extracted from https://www.ncpgambling.org/ to help you determine the risk and seek help appropriately. Once you have answered the question, check the assessment notes below to have an idea of the risk.

1. Have there ever been periods lasting two weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences, planning out future gambling ventures or bets, or thinking about ways of getting money to gamble with?* [Yes/No]
2. Have there ever been periods when you needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money or with larger bets than before to get the same feeling of excitement?* [Yes/No]
3. Have you ever felt restless or irritable when trying to stop, cut down, or control your gambling?* [Yes/No]
4. Have you tried and not succeeded in stopping, cutting down, or controlling your gambling three or more times in your life?* [Yes/No]
5. Have you ever gambled to escape from personal problems, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings such as guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression?* [Yes/No]
6. Has there ever been a period when, if you lost money gambling one day, you would often return another day to get even?* [Yes/No]
7. Have you lied to family members, friends, or others about how much you gamble, and/or about how much money you lost on gambling, on at least three occasions?* [Yes/No]
8. Have you ever written a bad cheque or taken money that didn't belong to you from family members, friends, or anyone else to pay for your gambling?* [Yes/No]
Has your gambling ever caused serious or repeated problems in your relationships with any of your family members or friends? Or, has your gambling ever caused you problems at work or your studies?* [Yes/No]
10. Have you ever needed to ask family members, friends, a lending institution, or anyone else to loan you money or otherwise bail you out of a desperate money situation that was largely caused by your gambling?* [Yes/No]

The assessment note for the questions are below:

If you answered between 1 and 2 questions with “yes”: this result suggests a mild risk for a gambling addiction problem.
If you answered between 3 and 4 questions with a “yes”: this result shows that there is a past or present gambling addiction.
If you answered 5 or more questions with a “yes”: this shows a high risk of pathological gambling.

Please note that the above is only for self-screening. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you reach out to the nearest centre for treatment of Gambling Addiction from a Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatrist or Psychotherapist. Better still, you can explore further conversations with our pool of Online Counsellors for support.

WhatsApp: +234-810-801-3210
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @Psychgam