Pathways into gambling

First, if someone in our family has gambled at harmful levels, it’s more likely that we might gamble at harmful levels too. There is some evidence that harmful gambling is equally influenced by our genes (what we get from our family) and our environment (the things around us). Some specific genes that affect how our brain releases a chemical called dopamine, which is involved in controlling movement, feeling rewarded, and learning, may play a role in harmful gambling.

One thing that is common to all pathways is people having access to places or online sites where they can gamble. People can’t develop harmful gambling if there are no opportunities to gamble.

It is also common for people across all pathways learn to link gambling with positive feelings, like happiness or excitement. They might also use gambling as a way to escape from feeling bad or sad.

As people across all pathways start to gamble more, they might start to believe things that aren’t true about gambling. For example, they might believe that previous losses increase their chances of a win in the future, overestimate their chances of winning or the influence of their skill, and selectively remember their wins and forget their losses. These beliefs often cause them to end up gambling more than they had planned to.

As people continue to gamble, they often start losing more and more money and getting into debt. It’s common for people across all pathways to try to win back their losses by gambling even more. This is called chasing their losses.

This pathway is the most common way that people experience gambling harm. In this pathway, gambling harm can start at any age and is often triggered by exposure to gambling through family members or friends. At first, people who experience this pathway gamble for social reasons and entertainment. But, over time, they can develop issues with their gambling simply because of repeated and escalated involvement in gambling which, in turn, results in gambling as a way to escape from feeling bad or sad and developing false beliefs. People experiencing this pathway may become extremely preoccupied with gambling, chase their losses, drink too much and experience anxiety and depression as a result of their gambling losses.

This pathway involves people who have experienced tough times in their childhood, like abuse or neglect. Some people may have already had mental health issues and other problems, such as having low confidence, struggling to handle stress in helpful ways, or finding it hard to solve problems effectively. These difficulties make them more likely to develop issues with gambling, which they may use as a way to escape from their problems. However, gambling can end up making their mental health issues worse. Women who play the pokies and men who gamble on multiple activities, often along with drinking problems, can experience this pathway. They usually begin gambling later in life, and their issues with gambling can rapidly develop. This is the second most common pathway.

People who experience this pathway already have certain characteristics, such as being impulsive, taking risks, and having difficulty getting along with others. They may also have other problems, like feeling bored, needing to seek out new experiences, and having trouble with relationships. Unlike people in Pathway 2, they typically don’t experience high levels of depression or anxiety before or after they start gambling. They typically gamble to cope with stress and to search for meaning and purpose. They may start gambling at a young age and harmful gambling often rapidly escalates. They tend to be more likely to binge gamble. Men who prefer gambling activities that require some level of skill are more likely to experience this pathway. This is the least common pathway.

People experiencing this pathway are usually willing to seek support and make changes to their gambling. They may benefit from tools to set limits on their gambling, like voluntary pre-commitment schemes. They may also find self-help strategies useful, but they also tend to respond well to counselling, even if it is relatively short.

People experiencing this pathway are more likely to gamble to avoid dealing with their emotions. That’s why it’s important for their support to help them manage the emotional issues that led them to gamble in the first place. They might benefit the most from longer-term therapies that have clear and specific goals. These therapies could include techniques to manage stress, solve problems, and improve self-esteem. People in this pathway are often motivated to change by external factors, such as legal problems or family pressure. However, they can also be at risk for dropping out early or relapsing because of these factors.

People experiencing this pathway might struggle with finding the motivation to change and to stick with counselling. It may be necessary to have more intensive treatment to address issues such as difficulty dealing with stress, changes in mood, problem-solving skills, and coping strategies. People in this pathway might also benefit from strategies to help them with attention and organisational difficulties. It may also be beneficial for people in this pathway to seek medical advice around ways to address impulsive behaviours.