People gamble for a whole range of reasons. While gambling moderately is not a problem, gambling can become an addiction and can be harmful to our mental health.

Problem Gambling and Poverty Several studies from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada have reported a relationship between problem gambling and poverty 7-13. Problem gambling can be defined as difficulties in limiting money and/or time spent on the activity, which leads to problems for the gambler and others. Gambling addiction is a bit different from substance addiction. This is because it does not produce the typical physical signs of an addiction problem. Similarly, its relapse may also be somewhat different. Note these features of gambling addiction relapse. The tendency to go back to the dangerous gambling activities may persist for years. Gambling addiction, also called compulsive gambling or pathological gambling, is an irrepressible urge to gamble, regardless of the negative impact that gambling may have on your personal, professional or financial well-being 1. Gambling addiction is a chronic condition, similar to alcoholism or drug addiction, according to Medline Plus 1. Gambling industry affects non-gambling industries (Binter-in-dustry competition,^ e.g., how casinos affect nearby restau-rants). Much of the work published in the 1990s argued that legalized gambling would tend to Bcannibalize^ other indus-tries. In other words, the argument was that the revenues at.

Gambling Due To Poverty Increase

Why do we gamble?

People gamble for a variety of reasons, including:

• the buzz, the excitement, and the high adrenaline release
• the competitive element - trying to beat other players, the bookie, or the dealer
• the thrill of risk taking, of placing large bets
• to solve financial problems
• a way of escaping from stress or worries.

Sensible gambling

Some people say that there is no such thing as safe gambling. Others argue that gambling is like drinking alcohol - it's safe to do as long as you follow some sensible rules.

• Keep away from high-risk forms of gambling where you can lose large sums of money very quickly.
• Limit the amount of time you gamble. This will give you time to do other, more important things with your life.
• Limit the amount you spend to the amount you can afford to lose. When you have spent this much, walk away.
• Quit while you are ahead. If you continue, you are likely to lose because the odds are always stacked against you. That's how bookies and the casinos make their money.

When gambling becomes a problem

For most of us, gambling is a harmless activity. But, for some people, gambling is a way of life, an addiction that can wreck their lives.

You may be a compulsive gambler if:

• you spend more money on gambling then you can afford. If you continue to gamble, you could get into serious debt. You could also lose your home and your possessions
• you spend so much time gambling that you neglect other important areas of your life, like your family or your work. You could lose your job or end up divorced or separated from your partner and children
• your feelings and behaviour change. For example, you may become depressed when you lose or over-excited when you win. In serious cases, you may feel that you are only really alive when you gamble
• it leads you to inappropriate or even criminal behaviour. For example, you may lie to family and friends about your gambling activities or you may steal to fund your gambling habit.

Questions to ask yourself

If you think you may have a gambling problem but are not sure, ask yourself:

• Is gambling making me unhappy at work or at home?
• Is gambling making it hard to sleep at night or concentrate during the day?
• Am I lying to other people and myself about how much I gamble?
• Am I gambling to get away from problems or worries?
• Am I gambling to get money - so that I can pay off debts or solve financial problems?
• Am I borrowing money or selling possessions so that I can gamble?
• If I have just won or just lost, do I feel I need to gamble just a little bit more?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may have a gambling problem.

What causes compulsive gambling?

All compulsive behaviours have social, psychological and biological origins. Gambling brings us into contact with others, even if we are using internet gaming rooms. This can provide a sense of community, however damaging the associated behaviours. Social meaning and acceptance by others are important to us all and for the compulsive gambler these can be found in virtual gaming rooms, real casinos, bookmakers and so on.

Gambling also changes how we feel psychologically as well as socially. It allows us to escape our normal lives and the everyday struggles we experience. During a period of gambling our mind is occupied by the odds, the bet, the race, the actions of other gamers, the run of the cards and so on. It can be all-consuming and therefore provides an engaging, exciting escape from ordinary life.

At the biological level, compulsive behaviours can have a direct effect on the brains dopamine reward system. This system regulates our responses to natural rewards like food, sex and social interaction. Repeated compulsive behaviours can act on this system with a power and persistence that changes its cells chemically and structurally. This in turn can have an overwhelming effect on our well-being. People may no longer respond normally to rewards such as food, sex and social interaction, and instead depend on gambling for their sense of reward.

Compulsive gambling can therefore develop through the social meaning and psychological relief that it offers. This is further compounded by the chemical changes in our brain that accompany these experiences. It is in fact artificial to separate these factors since they all occur simultaneously for the compulsive gambler. Social meaning, psychological relief and a fired dopamine reward system can be a difficult combination of experiences for the most hardy of individuals to resist.

Helping yourself

If you feel that you have lost control of your gambling, there are some things you can do to help yourself.

• Admitting you have a problem is the first and most important step.
• Find someone you can trust to talk to about your problem. It could be a friend, a relative or a specialist advisor.
• Avoid locations and situations where you may be tempted to gamble.
• Take control of how you spend your money, so that you don't waste it on gambling.
• If you can't do this by yourself, you may need to ask someone else to help you do this.
• Take one day at a time. Don't expect everything to improve straight away.

Living with someone who gambles

Living with someone who gambles can be just as difficult as living with someone with any other kind of addiction. It can be very stressful and it can lead to the breakdown of your relationship.

If you are not sure whether you are living with someone who has a gambling problem, ask yourself:

• Do they promise time and time again to stop gambling but carry on anyway?
• Do they disappear for long periods of time without telling you where they were?
• Do they spend large sums of money without being able to account for it?
• Do you hide money to stop them spending it?
• Do they lie to cover up or deny their gambling?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, then they may have a gambling problem.

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Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — During one of President Duterte’s recent late-night speeches, he said that those taking part in gambling and cockfights should not be afforded with financial assistance in this time of crisis. “Kayong nagsasabong at inuman, ibig sabihin may pera kayo,” the President said. “Do not expect any help from me. Sorry na lang.”

Does Gambling Lead To Poverty

His remarks sparked debate online with people making their sentiments known, going so far as saying that the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development should cease to exist. One Facebook commenter said that the 4Ps scheme just contributes to the indolence of Filipinos. Another added that many Filipinos just use the cash assistance for things like gambling, drinking, and drugs. One other user also said “it’s so disgusting” that while people like him are obeying the quarantine, some remain irresponsible, including those regularly receiving aid from the government. An anonymous user even commented that “now you’re slowly realizing what your favorite sector is doing with the alms being given to them, coming from our hard-earned taxes.”

These sentiments are unsurprising. That the poor are lazy or to be blamed for their poverty is an age-old point of view, one that goes back to the Spaniards calling the Filipinos ‘indio’ (uncivilized) or ‘Juan Tamad’ (irresponsible). These Spanish-era identifiers have remained, only modified to fit present-day language. It’s not coincidental that this kind of sentiment is due to the damage of colonial rule, one that can be traced back as the root cause of incorrigible inequality, and in effect, persistent poverty, not just in the Philippines but across the globe.

Political scientist Wonik Kim has argued that Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines inherited “extractive colonial institutions” that sustained income inequality. Kim said that in 1820, the Philippines was the richest country in East Asia while the poorest was Taiwan. Almost 200 years later, Taiwan now has a per capita income that is seven times higher than that of the Philippines. In his research, it showed that Taiwan, similar to other North Asian nations like Japan and South Korea, was able to undertake radical land reforms that equalized income in their societies, whereas the Philippines has not. The evolution of economic inequality is also anchored on land inequality. The effects of this particular inequality, propped by its landowning elites, has resulted in a longstanding unequal distribution of income. The World Bank has cited Spanish colonies, such as countries in Latin America, to have had persistent high levels of income inequality precisely because of the colonial heritage of land inequality.

Added to this history of inequality is our cultural inclination to success stories perpetrated in telenovelas, noontime shows, our biggest celebrities and politicians. It is perhaps in the overly circulated rags-to-riches stories of “successful” Filipinos like Manny Pacquiao and Isko Moreno, that Filipinos are made to feel as though being poor is a choice; that maybe if a boy from Gen San could punch his way out of his circumstance or if a good-looking basurero can charm his way to a mayoral seat, then maybe they can too. The possibility is always there, but the reality can often reveal otherwise. For anyone to escape poverty, economist Peter Temnin said, one must have 20 years of almost nothing going wrong.

This means 20 years of an almost-perfect life for Marilen and Reynaldo Domagtoy, residents of a slum community in Taguig, who I interviewed a few years ago. At that time, they had two children, ages 8 and 12. But all of them only rely on Reynaldo’s ₱13,000 salary as an aircon technician. Marilen had wanted to help earn for their family, but this meant having to hire a helper who can watch over their children. “Parang magkukuha din kami ng magbabayad, mag-aalaga sa [bata],” she said. “Mahirap kasi ‘pag hindi hatid-sundo eh. Ang daming nawawala kasi diyan na bata.”

Marilen shared that they only ate twice a day: in the morning and at night. They allot around ₱130 for food per day, ₱900 for water every month, and ₱1,495 for electricity per month. Reynaldo said that they usually borrow money before their children’s school would start because his salary simply wasn’t enough for all their needs. Marilen also added that because Reynaldo earned relatively more than their neighbors did, her family did not qualify for the 4Ps program, although she wished they were. “Kahit papano malaking tulong ‘yun kasi every three months nagpipindot sila ng ₱4,200,” she said.

Another resident in Taguig that I interviewed was Bebelyn Miranday. Her household income was at ₱5,500 per month, an amount she would budget for all of her six children. During the time of the interview, she worked as a cleaner or a labandera for different homes in a subdivision near where she lives. She shared that she would get ₱500 for doing laundry, other times ₱1,500 for fetching her employer’s children from school. When I asked her if ₱5,500 is enough, she only said that she just had no choice but to make it enough for all of them. “Kung nandiyan sa kamay ko magkano lang, ‘yun lang din ang binubudget ko,” she said.

Gambling Due To Poverty Increased

Despite the insecurity of their future, Miranday remained grateful for DSWD’s 4Ps program that has allowed his son to study electrical engineering at the Technical University of the Philippines. “Sabi ko, halimbawa, ‘pag nakatapos ka, may trabaho ka, siyempre ‘yung mga kapatid mo siyempre elementary pa, sana naman mapaaral mo din,” she said. “Sabi niya, ‘Nay wag ka mag-alala, papaaralin ko silang lahat.”

Gambling Due To Poverty Affect

Temnin suggests that education is the best gateway out of poverty, but he also warns that this can easily be upended by structural breakdowns, such as budget cuts on education, health, and other social services. Take for example how our weak public health system affects the education of our children. Because our health system cannot properly support Filipinos, if a family member is diagnosed with an illness, this family can instantly be driven into poverty. In fact, every year, one million Filipinos go into poverty because of a family member’s illness. It is already a stretch for Filipinos like Miranday and Domagtoy to have to shell out even a peso for being sick. If you are already poor and a family member needs health treatment, more often than not, the children stop going to school and find ways to earn instead. Education is no longer a gateway; it becomes a pipe dream.

Gambling Due To Poverty Affects

These complex structures and histories are important to know because it helps us understand that the poverty experienced by many is not of their own making. The people in slum communities, the ‘no work, no pay’ workers, the farmers, the fisherfolk, and the homeless, among many others, remain poor precisely because their circumstances are the product of years and years of exploitation. It is misplaced and ignorant to assume that poverty is within the control of an individual and not by how society has been shaped, or worse, designed to remain the same.