Most people who gamble don’t wind up having any serious problems with that pastime, but about 6% of those who roll the dice will develop at least some problem, and an even smaller number will have serious issues.
Serious enough, East Tennessee State University (ETSU) clinical psychology professor Meredith Ginley said, to break up families or lead to job loss, bankruptcy or worse.
“This is something people don’t talk about,” said Ginley, who specializes in treating gambling problems through counseling. “You’ve done damage to your family, you’ve done damage to your finances, maybe you’ve lost your house because of this – and (people will say) ‘it was just a slot machine, didn’t you know the odds, how were you so stupid’ – there’s a lot of stigma there.”
