Times are tough right now, and many of us turn to our old habits to keep us entertained and comforted, especially if we’re stuck in a lock down. If you’ve found yourself gambling in the past, it can be a fine line between a fun hobby, and something that spirals out of control. If you’re wondering what some key signs are to suggest that your hobby has become a problem, Consumer Law Barristers have written an article to help you figure it out. Here are my 3 signs you may have a gambling problem.
1. It’s Something You Hide From Others
If you hide your gambling from loved ones or close friends, then that’s probably the biggest sign that something is wrong. Being secretive about your financial affairs, especially hiding them from your partner, is a dangerous situation to find yourself in. Often when we find ourselves hiding our behaviours from those closet to us, there may be feelings of shame, embarrassment and even resentment. If you are gambling and feel the need to hide it from those closet to you, you should try to dig deep and find out why. If many people in your life are concerned about your gambling habits, it could be a clear sign that things have gone too far for you.
2. You Gamble What You Can’t Afford to Lose
Sometimes we find ourselves a little behind in rent, or other expenses, and gambling can seem like a quick way to make that money back and then some. But the truth is whenever you gamble, you may actually lose whatever you’re putting on the table. For that reason I always suggest only gambling money you can afford to lose. If you’re gambling money you need for bills, or living expenses, then you may have a problem. It can be easy to get sucked into the marketing tricks or lured in by the allure of the jackpot, but you’re much more likely to lose than to win, so it’s important it’s something you can afford to lose.
3. You’re Gambling to Try to Solve Money Issues
Do you have loans that are piling up? Credit card bills that you can’t seem to get ahead of? A mortgage repayment that feels never ending? Whatever your expenses that are weighing your down, gambling is not going to be a way to get out of them. It can be tempting to try to make a quick buck in order to finally get ahead, and many people who try this route end up borrowing more to have access to more money to gamble in a bid to hopefully finally get ahead. If you want to get out of debt, there are so many better and clearer paths, such as debt consolidation. There are also companies that can help give you free advice for getting out of your debt, as well as family members and friends that I’m sure would be happy to help you find a way out.
Gambling can be a lot of fun, so long as you gamble money you can afford to lose, don’t rely on it as a way to resolve your financial problems and set clear limits and respect them.