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Gambling becomes sickness when thrill of winning or losing is so great, you can't stop, even if you lose everything.

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Losing touch with Reality

Pathological gamblers risk much more than financial losses
19/06/2012
Sukhumaporn Laiyok

At a small restaurant where young adults gather to discreetly place bets on football matches, Nui*, a 31-year-old betting agent, sat with a smile of satisfaction as Ukraine finally scored another goal to secure their 2-1 victory over Sweden in the first round match of 2012 European Football Championship.

"As an agent, I can earn money easier than being a bettor," said Nui, who was once a bettor. "I just use my knowledge of football games and instinct for the world of sports."

He explained he can make money without having to put any from his pocket on the bet because he bets on both teams in a match based on the odds computed by different sources.

"I can make business from football games. If there are enough clients, the chance of earning is big," he said.

While Pom*, a serious gambler who had lost more than 100,000 baht when he was still a university student, admitted that now bets with smaller sums of money.
 
"My mother insists that she will not clear my debts," said the 27-year-old, who started gambling on football at high school.

Before a match, Pom told Life that he spends hours collecting football data, studying match statistics and planning with friends who helped analyse why a team would win or lose.

"By selecting one of two available choices, I have a 50% of chance to win," he said. "I just love to take risks. The ups and downs of the game make me feel exhilarated when I have a bet on a game.

Pom began gambling with just hundreds of baht on a game in the hope of earning extra money the easy way.

Over time, he wagered more frequently at higher amounts and on more games. He admitted he loses more than wins and repeated losses build up debts.

"I upped my bet to 20,000 baht in a bid to win back my lost money. And I once lost about 60,000 baht in a single night," he said."For a while I was in pretty deep, I bet almost every day on every game. When I was in over my head financially, I lied to my mother to get extra money. I told her that it was for special classes.

"Once you start gambling, it's hard to walk away. Now, I bet not what I want to win, but what I can afford to lose," Pom said.

Just like to Pom, most people start placing bets on sports in order to add excitement to a game and make a little income out of it.

Problem gambling, however, may occur when a "little fun" crosses the line and becomes a compulsive need that causes many adverse consequences.

"The feeling of excitement for someone can be seductive and alluring," said Dr Apichat Jariyavilas, a psychiatrist at Vejthani Hospital.

When they cannot resist the temptation, they may become an addict.

Medically speaking, Dr Apichat said gambling addiction is called pathological gambling, a type of impulse control disorder that is very similar to substance addictions.

Studies show that many pathological gamblers have an increased level of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps control reward and pleasure centres, but have a decreased level of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate sleep patterns, stress levels and overall disposition. To this end, they are susceptible to developing the compulsive behaviour.

"When dopamine is released, it gives people the feeling of pleasure or satisfaction. These feelings become desire and the person will develop a desire for the satisfaction," the doctor explained.

Studies have found that one third of compulsive gamblers are female.

A poll by the Business Research Centre at Assumption University of 1,000 women in Bangkok and its environs a few days before the 2012 European Championships discovered that 62.5% of the respondents admitted they gamble even though they are aware it is illegal and could create social problems. About 40.6% of those saying they gamble are under 20 and 75% are not in formal employment.

About 54% of respondents said they regard football gambling as a social norm in Thailand. About one-quarter of those polled said that they had laid bets in the past 12 months.

Last but not least, about 55.2% of them said they gamble for fun, while only 0.6% said they hope to get rich... [Read the rest of the article here].

(Source: Bangkok Post, Losing touch with Reality, Pathological gamblers risk much more than financial losses, 19/06/2012, Sukhumaporn Laiyok, link) 

Gambling Addiction Vocabulary

gambling - the activity of betting money, for example in a game or on a horse race การพนัน (See Wikipedia)
gamble (verb)
gambler (noun)

gamble for fun
hope to get rich from gambling

serious gambling
serious gambler

addiction - a strong need that you cannot control (See Wikipedia)
addict - a person who can't stop doing something (example: can't stop using a drug)

behavioural addiction - a strong need to do some activity which you cannot control (sex addict, coffee addict, exercise addict)(See Wikipedia)

problem gambling - when gambling becomes a problem and destroys your life (See Wikipedia)
gambling addiction - Same as "problem gambling"

drug addiction - Same as "substance addiction"
substance addiction - drug addiction, when a person uses a drug and can't stop using the drug, "a drug user's compulsive need to use controlled substances in order to function normally. When such substances are unobtainable, the user suffers from substance withdrawal," also called "substance dependence" (See Wikipedia)

pathology (noun) - the study of diseases, how they are caused and how they affect people (See Wikipedia)
pathological (adjective) -

pathological gambling
pathological gamblers

lose touch - not be involved in some activity; not know what is happening
reality - what is actually happening in the world ความเป็นจริง
losing touch with reality - not knowing what is really happening in the world

risk (noun) - the possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant might happen ความเสี่ยง
risk (verb)

pathological gamblers risk much more than financial losses

bet (noun) - the money risked in gambling
bet (verb) - gamble
bettor - a person who gambles or bets

betting - the activity of gambling, activity of making bets
betting agent - bookee, the person who receives a persons bets (See Wikipedia)

place bets - gamble (by risking losing money if certain does or does not happen)
place bets on football matches

discreet (adjective) - อย่างสุขุมรอบคอบ, อย่างระมัดระวัง
discreetly (adverb)  
discreetly place bets

satisfaction - the happy feeling when you do something good (or achieve something or get something)
smile of satisfaction

secure - get something that is difficult to get ได้มาซึ่ง , ทำให้ได้ผล
secure a victory

instinct - the way people or animals naturally react or behave สัญชาตญาณ

odds - 1. the chances of something happening; 2. the chances of some event happening computed for gambling (to set the amount you win if the event happens)
compute odds

he bets on both teams in a match based on the odds computed by different sources

clients - (formal) customer ลูกค้า

chance - possibility of something happening
the chance of earning is big  - very likely to get money

At a small restaurant where young adults gather to discreetly place bets on football matches, Nui*, a 31-year-old betting agent, sat with a smile of satisfaction as Ukraine finally scored another goal to secure their 2-1 victory over Sweden in the first round match of 2012 European Football Championship. "As an agent, I can earn money easier than being a bettor," said Nui, who was once a bettor. "I just use my knowledge of football games and instinct for the world of sports."  He explained he can make money without having to put any from his pocket on the bet because he bets on both teams in a match based on the odds computed by different sources.  "I can make business from football games. If there are enough clients, the chance of earning is big," he said.

admitted - accept and say that is something is true (even though it is difficult to accept as true, don't really want to accept as true)
insists - say firmly that something is true

clear my debts - paying back money to lender (so that there is no more debt)

While Pom*, a serious gambler who had lost more than 100,000 baht when he was still a university student, admitted that now bets with smaller sums of money. "My mother insists that she will not clear my debts," said the 27-year-old, who started gambling on football at high school.

data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
football data

statistics - facts about something, described by counting them สถิติ
match - football match, football game
match statistics  

analyse - to study or look at something in detail to understand or explain it
analyse why a team would win or lose

Before a match, Pom told Life that he spends hours collecting football data, studying match statistics and planning with friends who helped analyse why a team would win or lose.

exhilarated - excited
I love to take risks

"By selecting one of two available choices, I have a 50% of chance to win," he said. "I just love to take risks. The ups and downs of the game make me feel exhilarated when I have a bet on a game.  

wager - gamble
wagered more frequently

build up - accumulate (add to over time so something grows bigger and bigger)
build up debts

Pom began gambling with just hundreds of baht on a game in the hope of earning extra money the easy way.  Over time, he wagered more frequently at higher amounts and on more games. He admitted he loses more than wins and repeated losses build up debts.

up a bet - increase a bet, increase the amount gambled 
upped my bet to 20,000

bid - an attempt to do something ความพยายาม
in a bid to ... - attempting to ... , trying to ...
in a bid to win back my lost money - attempting to ... , trying to ...

I was in pretty deep - meaning: borrowed a lot of money (difficult to pay back)
in over my head - meaning: borrowed a lot of money; debts very large (so large cannot pay back)

hard to walk away - difficult to stop gambling (have gambling addiction)

afford - 1. to not have to worry or think about something สามารถทำได้; 2. to have enough money to be able to pay for something มีเงินพอจับจ่าย ซื้อหา มีเงิน/ทุนพอ

I can afford to lose

"I upped my bet to 20,000 baht in a bid to win back my lost money. And I once lost about 60,000 baht in a single night," he said."For a while I was in pretty deep, I bet almost every day on every game. When I was in over my head financially, I lied to my mother to get extra money. I told her that it was for special classes.  "Once you start gambling, it's hard to walk away. Now, I bet not what I want to win, but what I can afford to lose," Pom said.

excitement - being very happy and full of energy because of something that is happening or will happen in the future ความตื่นเต้น, ความกระตือรือร้น
income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings

crosses the line - to go too far; to do more of something than you should

compulsion (noun) - a very strong feeling that you want to do something, an uncontrollable feeling
compulsive (adjective) - being a strong and uncontrollable feeling  ที่ต้องทำเพราะถูกบังคับ
compulsive need - a strong and uncontrollable need

adverse - negative, not favourable, hurting not benefiting; having a negative or harmful effect on something ในทางลบ, เป็นผลร้าย adverse - unfavourable to you ในทางตรงข้าม ในทางลบ

consequences - results of some actions or events; the things that happen as a result of a decision or event
adverse consequences - bad things that can happen as a result of an event or action

Just like to Pom, most people start placing bets on sports in order to add excitement to a game and make a little income out of it.  Problem gambling, however, may occur when a "little fun" crosses the line and becomes a compulsive need that causes many adverse consequences.

seductive - very attractive; likely to make you do something harmful or wrong that you may later regret
alluring - attractive in an exciting way

psychiatrist - a doctor who treats people with mental illnesses จิตแพทย์

"The feeling of excitement for someone can be seductive and alluring," said Dr Apichat Jariyavilas, a psychiatrist at Vejthani Hospital.

temptation - something that you may like to do, but shouldn't

resist - to oppose or fight against someone or something ต่อต้าน
resist the temptation - stop and not do something (that you really want to do but know is bad)

When they cannot resist the temptation, they may become an addict.

medically speaking, ... - according to medicine (the subject that doctors study of fighting disease) ... 

impulse - a sudden desire to do something แรงผลักดัน แรงกระตุ้น
impulse control disorder - a problem with controlling your behaviour (when a sudden feeling makes you do something)

Medically speaking, Dr Apichat said gambling addiction is called pathological gambling, a type of impulse control disorder that is very similar to substance addictions.

neurotransmitter - (See Wikipedia)
serotonin - (See Wikipedia)
dopamine - (See Wikipedia)

reward - something given in exchange for good behaviour or good work, etc รางวัล
pleasure - a feeling of happiness and enjoyment
reward and pleasure centres

sleep patterns - a person passes through many different phases or stages each night as they sleep, some of these stages are important for their health (See Wikipedia)

regulate - to control an activity officially by using rules ควบคุม
regulate sleep patterns

stress - a feeling of worry and tension from difficulties in life; when you worry and think too much about problems; difficulties or pressures that could cause failure
stress levels

disposition - the way that a person normally thinks and behaves that shows what kind of a person they are
overall disposition

susceptible - easily affected or influenced by something

compulsive behaviour
susceptible to developing the compulsive behaviour

Studies show that many pathological gamblers have an increased level of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps control reward and pleasure centres, but have a decreased level of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate sleep patterns, stress levels and overall disposition. To this end, they are susceptible to developing the compulsive behaviour.

dopamine released
compulsive gamblers
female - of a woman สำหรับผู้หญิง

"When dopamine is released, it gives people the feeling of pleasure or satisfaction. These feelings become desire and the person will develop a desire for the satisfaction," the doctor explained. Studies have found that one third of compulsive gamblers are female.


poll - an occasion when a lot of people are asked about what they feel about something
respondents

environs -
regard - to consider or have an opinion about something or someone เห็นว่า,ถือว่า

aware - knowing that something exists, or having knowledge or experience of a particular thing ทราบ
illegal - against the law ผิดกฎหมาย, นอกกฎหมาย

employment - having a paid job
formal employment

norm - a situation or type of behavior that is expected and considered to be typical มาตรฐาน
social norm - what is accepted and expected in a society (See Wikipedia)

A poll by the Business Research Centre at Assumption University of 1,000 women in Bangkok and its environs a few days before the 2012 European Championships discovered that 62.5% of the respondents admitted they gamble even though they are aware it is illegal and could create social problems. About 40.6% of those saying they gamble are under 20 and 75% are not in formal employment. About 54% of respondents said they regard football gambling as a social norm in Thailand. About one-quarter of those polled said that they had laid bets in the past 12 months. Last but not least, about 55.2% of them said they gamble for fun, while only 0.6% said they hope to get rich.

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