I was a few days ago looking out for some new online casino‘s to have a punt with and it suddenly popped into my head how if I wasn’t doing this well I could inadvertently be jeopardizing my relationship with my wife, my friends, and those around me that show me respect. How?

Well, with Gambling it can be a slippery slope. It’s well known that gambling is a high risk adventure, and with high risk comes big losses. That’s why if you have an addictive personality then you should either work on control and balance before you do anything, and if you can’t do that then you should completely stay away.

When I was a young boy I always thought I could beat the casino, I thought that my last coin would be the one that broke the bank, and I thought that I was always one step ahead of the house, always. But you see, for all that I won, the Casino eventually took back, perhaps not immediately but when I eventually came back. If you can’t see Gambling as a fun adventure then you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

You see, Gambling gets a bad reputation for the situations that it can sometimes create for its customers, but having a go on the slots is a surface level problem. It’s like anything, you don’t blame a gun for shooting someone, you blame the person behind the gun. You don’t seek to help on the surface, you dig deep into the roots. Think of it this way, if you cut a plant down it will grow back next year. But if you take it out by its roots it will never come back. The same can be said for people that gamble too much, and irresponsibly.

Addiction at its core is basically stimulating the dopamine receptors in your brain so that you get the feeling of elation. This is across the board. It’s the same with alcohol, drugs, high impact sports, anything you can think of that brings some form of excitement to your body. We become addicted because we enjoy the feelings that it brings us, and as we do it more, the more tolerance the body builds up towards the feeling. Think of it as a kid. If you gambled as a kid, then winning $10 felt like winning the lottery. Now? $6 is nothing.

As this tolerance builds up then the more and more risk you will need to take to get the feeling of elation again, and thus this is when it becomes a problem. It only becomes a problem when it interferes with your life. Like the man I knew that lost his entire house to an online casino. He hid it from his wife, and now he lives on his own, divorced, and in a lot of debt.

So, what kind of things should you look out for that could potentially set you on path to ruin relationships?

Keeping secrets.

This is a big one. If you find yourself lying to others so that you can go off and have a cheeky gamble then you might find yourself at the wrong end of a boot. Relationships and intimate relationships are built on trust, if you’re lying about where you are then people will feel that they can’t trust you, and you won’t be held in very high regard in your friendship circles.

Debt

If you find yourself borrowing money to gamble then should you really be gambling? Borrowing money could lead you on to biting off more than you can chew, and if there’s one thing that can absolutely destroy friendships then it’s money.

Cancelling at short notice

If addiction has taught me one thing it’s that when you are addicted to something, anything, then you become very unreliable. You’ll never be able to stick to any plans that you have, ever. And you’ll find yourself losing your friends and partners really fast that way.

Bad Priorities

Need food but would rather put it in the casino? Or need to pay your friend or partner back but would rather put it in the casino? Perhaps it’s time to rethink your priorities because friends and family should absolutely come way before any casino. Think properly

Thinking you have the edge

Trying to beat the casino is a losers game. The house ALWAYS wins. But you will find yourself forever trying to beat it, and in doing so you’ll most likely take on all of the above traits and their consequences. Maybe it’s time to rethink where you are in life

All in all be safe

You can absolutely gamble responsibly. Gambling at online casino’s is risky fun, but if you’re aware of the risks, and are prepared to take them whilst being financially responsible then you should be absolutely fine.