Addiction is a simple phrase that encompasses a multitude of issues. There’s smoking addictions, drinking addictions, and drug addictions. However, gambling addictions are equally among the most detrimental of the aforementioned.

What is a Gambling Addiction?

Gambling addiction is defined as “a pattern of repeated and ongoing betting and wagering that continues despite creating multiple problems in several areas of an individual’s life” (1) by the American Psychiatric Association. Additionally, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities asserts that both problem and pathological gambling are associated with suicidal tendencies and depression. For instance, it’s stated that pathological gamblers were “5 to 10 times more likely to attempt suicide than people in the general population” (2).

There are various ways for a person to gamble, such as lottery tickets or scratch-offs and the like. While in many regions there exists a minimum age at which a person can legally gamble (for example: the minimum age to gamble in the state of Georgia is 18), there exist numerous mediums online and on the app store where a person can gamble.

Connection Between Gambling Addiction and Mental Health Issues

Numerous aspects of an addiction to gambling can make one more susceptible to mental health issues. As with any other addiction, it’s generally fine in moderation. An occasional drink of alcohol doesn’t make one an alcoholic, it’s the consistency that does. The same principle applies to gambling.

According to an article by FHE Health, “financial losses, strained relationships and feelings of shame or failure are common experiences for those struggling with problem gambling” (3). When these issues combine with a preexisting mental condition, the risk of suicide goes up. Considering this fact, it’s not too hard to see why the addiction is so closely correlated with suicidality.

Additionally, it can be hard for people to see an issue with gambling at first. It can start off small: a scratch-off a week or a one-off bet, but winning once provides this rush of dopamine. Losing doesn’t help either. In the eyes of a gambler, they’re compelled to put in more money in hopes of getting it back. This is known as sunk cost fallacy: “the wrong belief that since you have paid into something, you should keep doing it no matter the result to recuperate the cost of the initial investment” (4). A single dollar spent turns into ten, then a hundred, then a thousand. Aside from not admitting that it could be a problem, they may not simply take the loss and move on. It festers into a debt that’s hard to pay off. In an attempt to compensate, they lose more until they have nothing left to give.

Gambling in the Modern Age

It was mentioned earlier that most places in the U.S. have a minimum gambling age, not dissimilar from a mandated drinking age or age of consent. However, I wanted to focus on one particular form of gambling that makes it easily accessible to kids: simulated gambling games and apps.

Games of this sort are very popular. One such example that comes to mind is the category of gacha, with games under this genre reaching a wide audience of players both young and old. For example, games such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail are widely popular with a large playerbase of active users and are available on a variety of platforms. Additionally, both won the Game Award for Best Mobile Game in 2 different years. In the games, you can ‘gacha’ or essentially gamble for characters to fight mobs within their respective virtual worlds. You also have the option to spend real-life currency that can be converted into the in-game currency to spend on said characters. What makes it particularly predatory (other than the fact kids are free to play them) is that the banners on which new characters can appear are only around for a limited time. This time-limit for how long they stick around creates the feeling of FOMO, or the fear of missing out. It’s also what may psychologically drive a person to spend real money for the character they want.

The games also have their own built-in sunk cost fallacy. The company behind the two games, Hoyoverse, was sued by the Federal Trade Commission recently for deceiving players on the odds of winning the high-rarity characters along with the true cost of obtaining them (5). As a result of this case, the company paid a $20 million fine to settle the charges and would eventually update the games to reflect the real prices of the in-game currencies. They also added the option of directly buying only one pull or one ten pull to get a character instead of leaving the player to approximate how much money they would need to spend for an amount of the game’s currency that could be converted into an unspecified number of pulls.

Alas, gacha games are not the only category of gambling games that there is. In fact, the Children and Media Australia has a Children and Gambling Watch List which compiles a plethora of apps available to or advertised to children that have elements of gambling, advertises gambling within them, or is outright characterized by its simulated gambling systems (6). Some of these apps include titles such as Clash of Clans, Cooking Fever, and even Monopoly.

Conclusion

Gambling is a detrimental addiction. Like any other addiction, it can be difficult for someone to realize that it’s a problem at first. When accompanied by any mental health issues, it can exacerbate existing conditions or even spiral into more serious issues such as suicidal ideation. Even though there’s also a certain age at which an individual can gamble, that doesn’t erase the existence of games on the market that may take advantage of a younger audience and readily advertise to that impressionable audience. Parents should keep an eye on their children and be mindful of what kind of games they play in their free time, but adults should also keep track of their own financial decisions. Don’t be too impulsive with your money and spend wisely; it’ll cost you more than just your money, but quite possibly your life.

Sources:

Psychiatry.org - What is Gambling Disorder? 

Depression, Suicide and Problem Gambling 

Gambling and Suicide: The Hidden Story | FHE Health 

Gambling Addiction & The Sunk Cost Fallacy | FHE Health 

Genshin Impact Game Developer Will be Banned from Selling Lootboxes to Teens Under 16 without Parental Consent, Pay a $20 Million Fine to Settle FTC Charges 

Children and Gambling Watch List