ADDICTION Forum covering ALL addictions.

If you were ever wondering if someone addicted to gambling can ever play for money without relapsing, the answer is simple. No. The first bet on the outcome for a compulsive gambler is like the first glass for an alcoholic. Sooner or later, the addicted person loses control and returns to his or her previous harmful pattern of behavior. Once a person crosses the invisible line of irresponsible and uncontrolled gambling, he or she will never be able to maintain control again. After taking a break from gambling for several months, the gamblers in our group tried to gamble at small stakes, always with unpleasant results. The old obsession inevitably returned. Our experience with Gamblers Anonymous points to an alternative: choosing the path of gambling, that is, risking the gradual disintegration of our lives, or stopping gambling and returning to a better life path.