Gender Personalities of Problematic Gamblers
Different personalities of problematic gamblers are presented based on their gender. Both male and female gamblers have gambling personality differences that delineate similarities of reason and expression of gambling problems.
The male gamblers are usually branded as the action gamblers. This gender gambler is a typical male who possesses high IQ scores, generally intellectual who started his gambling activities since teenage years. Male gamblers have an eye for gambling endeavors requiring skills such as blackjack, sports betting, poker, stock market, bonds and other activities that cause a sense of euphoria. The male gambler is ego centered, sociable, feels the need to be affirmed and approved, and a risk taker.
Male gamblers are believed to possess a very low self-esteem and hungers for approval and attention. With long-term gambling problem, they jeopardize their family, job and personal values and most likely to express denial and can be manipulative. They are often irrational, defensive and argumentative.
Male gamblers are typically addicted to gambling and most likely to run after their money with excessive uncontrolled spending. Their addiction to gambling requires higher dose of spending and oftentimes will deny this addiction. Male gamblers will experience withdrawal symptoms as would an alcoholic and chain smokers in an attempt to abruptly stop their gambling habits. In worst scenarios, male gamblers are the ones with high suicidal tendency because of low coping mechanism with their addiction. They are also the ones likely to commit criminal acts as theft, fraud, embezzlement and illegal activities to finance their gambling actuations. Male gamblers would resort to borrowing money from relatives and friends, even with mounting credits from other sources. Recovery rate from gamblers for this gender is around 2% in the first year of treatment.
The female gamblers on the other hand are those branded as the escape gamblers. Their personalities are far from the addiction expressed by male gamblers. Gambling problems usually commence later in life at the age of 30 or older. The problem with female gamblers can be traced to co-dependent behavior. Female gamblers used to observe a moral and responsible living. But their life's experiences are tainted with physical and verbal abuse.
The female gamblers feel the need of empowerment and in despair to gain it in other ways which lead them to resort to gambling activities. They see gambling as a way to escape their present problem. Escape gamblers usually play games that require little to no skills such as bingo, lottery and slots. Their gambling personality usually exhibits devoid of feelings and usually on a hypnotic trance. Gambling gives them the feeling of relief from emotional turmoil and pain. Female gamblers have higher rate of cure from gambling problems through abstinence.
