Gambling addiction is considered a disease that consists of the individual's inability to resist the urge to invest their money in gambling, for example, in sports betting. Which brings with it a whole series of disastrous consequences for the person who suffers from it and for everyone around them, since it is something chronic and progresses progressively. The psychologist Miguel Roa addressed this issue through a campaign by the Spanish Confederation of Student Parents' Associations (CEAPA), financed by the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare. Gambling addiction is the most treated non-substance addiction in health centers, according to the specialist.
In the particular case of sports betting, psychologist Adhara Monzó explains that, when gambling is a hobby, the individual bets as another form of entertainment, moderately and enjoying without taking considerable risks. But when it becomes an addiction, pathological gamblers lose control and enter a complex spiral of personal, work, economic and social problems.
Adhara Monzó states that people who have a sports betting addiction have a series of common symptoms. Such as the need to bet increasingly large amounts of money, the inability to suppress the impulse to gamble, being irritable at the idea of interrupting or stopping the game, deceiving family members or those around you and asking them for financial support, mainly with the intention of being able to maintain their betting pace.
However, there is another series of signs that tend to set off alarm bells for parents with children who are addicted to sports betting. One of the most frequent has to do with a drop in academic or work performance. They also have problems concentrating, drowsiness during the day, muscle contractures, fatigue, dry eyes and a lack of attention to body hygiene, the psychologist lists.
Parents have a relevant role in preventing their child from becoming addicted to sports betting, according to expert Miguel Roa.
