Problem gambling: how to recognise the warning signs

Gambling disorder is often referred to as the “hidden addiction”. While problems accompanying excessive substance use tend to eventually show themselves, many gamblers manage to keep their difficulties hidden, even from close family, while developing and maintaining significant gambling-related problems.

It is estimated that for every person with a gambling disorder, at least six others, such as partners, children, other family members and friends, are also adversely affected (Goodwin et al, 2017). While gambling disorder itself is unlikely to be the presenting issue for social workers, those who are most affected by the co-occurring harms and risk factors of this addiction will often come into contact with adult social care and children’s services.

Signs to look out for

The hidden nature of much gambling-related harm makes it challenging to identify, particularly for social workers who have had no training on this issue and for whom there are few screening tools or sources of guidance. But there are signs you can look out for, although none of them, individually, means there is a gambling problem. However, the combination of financial difficulties with some of these other signs should be a red flag for further exploration during any visit or assessment:

• borrowing money;
• not paying bills;
• selling possessions;
• declined credit;
• family noticing money missing from bank accounts, wallet etc;
• family, carers, local authority noticing money missing from direct payment account;
• seeming worried/agitated/upset for no apparent reason;
• financial crimes eg fraud, theft from employer;
• suicide plans/attempts;
• expression of suicidal thoughts;
• depression;
• anxiety;
• relationship breakdown;
• sleep loss/insomnia;
• loss of job or demotion;
• increased use of alcohol or drugs;
• frustration and violence towards people or objects;
• increased isolation;
• increasing amounts of time spent on screens (phones/computers);
• stress-related health problems eg headaches, stomach problems.

Many people with gambling issues overcome them and achieve a good recovery.

Change rather than stability is the norm with patterns of gambling; people move in and out of gambling in a variety of ways, sometimes with steadily increasing or decreasing use, and sometimes with binges interspersed with very little gambling.

Many do stop or cut down and an important practice point is that social support and environmental factors often play a key role, as well as formal treatment (Reith and Dobbie, 2013).

References

Goodwin, B; Browne, M; Rockloff, M and Rose, J (2017)
‘A typical problem gambler affects six others’
International Gambling Studies, Volume 17, Issue 2, pp276-89

Reith, G and Dobbie, F (2013)
‘Gambling careers: A longitudinal, qualitative study of gambling behaviour’
Addiction Research & Theory, Volume 21, Issue 5, pp376-90

If you have a Community Care Inform Adults licence, log in to access the full guide. There, you can read more on some of the typical pathways into gambling and useful screening tools.