On Air Now

World's Best Music

1:00am - 5:30am

Know the Signs

It's important to recognize the early warning signs of problem gambling.

WOODSTOCK - The responsible gambling council was preaching moderation at the OLG Slots in Woodstock for Problem Gambling Awareness Week.

They had a booth set up at the OLG and hosted a presentation on knowing the signs of problem gambling on Sunday. Project Coordinator Heather Ly tells Heart FM mixed feelings about your gambling could be a warning sign.

"There are some early warning signs for example, if you are thinking more and more about gambling, if you are experiencing extreme highs or lows when you gamble or if you are borrowing money to gamble, and you definitely shouldn't ignore the warning the signs. Any gambling can become an issue if it's negatively impacting your finances, your relationships, your work life balance that kind of thing, so it is really important to recognize those signs and if you need help their all kinds of free resources you can take advantage of."

Ly says ignoring the signs can be financially and emotionally devastating. Early signals include:

·         Feeling guilty, anxious, frustrated or worried about your gambling

·         Thinking or talking more than usual about gambling

·         Gambling more to win back losses

·         Experiencing extreme highs from gambling wins and extreme lows from gambling losses

·        Getting irritated more easily or having less patience when dealing with normal, everyday activities

"When gambling becomes a source of worry or stress, it’s important to listen to yourself", says Jon Kelly, CEO, Responsible Gambling Council. "Ignoring changing feelings potentially puts both you and the people you care about at risk."

The good news is that paying attention to how you feel about your gambling is the first step to early detection of a potential gambling problem. For more about the emotional and behavioural signs to watch for and how to protect yourself, go tow ww.knowthesigns.ca.

More from Local News

Comments

Add a comment

Log in to the club or enter your details below.
Rating *

Weather