Millions of people around the world suffer from an addiction to gambling.  What starts off as a fun past time can quickly become quite problematic and troublesome.  Individuals who are prone to addictions of whatever type will often time fall prey to a gambling addiction once they begin gambling, more readily than someone that is not. A gambling addiction can be extremely destructive and can destroy one's life. Many people end up gambling away all of their money and find themselves estranged from their family with no place to live or no job because their gambling addiction has gotten out of control.

A dependency such as this should not be downplayed or ignored because it causes a tremendous amount of havoc, trouble and pain in a person’s life.  Many people believe that online gambling has only exacerbated the problem and increased the number of gambling addicts. These persons also contend that it will likely be responsible for creating millions of more addicts.  Because it makes gambling so accessible it becomes very easy for individuals to participate in such activities that they may not otherwise have been able or for those who have struggled with addiction in the past to give into the temptation to gamble.  In times past, a person either had to drive or take a flight in order to visit a local casino. Today, they can play their favorite casino games right from their home computer or laptop. The potential for the development of a gambling addiction is partly why some politicians in the United States, along with their constituents are against online gambling. 

It is important for individuals to recognize that a gambling addiction can be on par with a drug addiction.  Individuals assume a certain amount of risk when they become addicted to gambling.  If an addict borrows money from a shady loan shark in order to cover their gambling debts or so that they can afford to gamble and are unable to pay it back, they risk physical harm or even death.

A gambling addiction can also destroy one's life, family and livelihood just as drugs can. Thankfully, there are programs available for those with gambling addictions, some which are even free.  Persons who find that they have a severe addiction which they haven’t been able to overcome even after utilizing some of the free resources available, may want to begin working with a professional gambling addiction counselor.