Gambling Today

Gambling was once lotteries, local charity raffles, 50/50 draws, and bingo. Today, gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry providing a wide variety of products for consumers. Gambling is neither good nor bad. It is a legal past-time made acceptable through heavy advertising and promotion.

The site is divided into three sections. One for people who want to make changes around their gambling, one for the friends and family members of a gambler, and one for professionals who may have regular contact with a problem gambler– healthcare professionals, clergy and financial advisors for example.

Not all gambling is created equal. Faster types of gambling with on-going play and more immediate results have a higher level of risk. No matter the type of gambling, anyone can develop problems for a number of reasons, including:

• having places or chances to gamble easily
• viewing gambling as only a game without knowing the real risks
• spending a lot of time gambling for fun or to cope with stress
• not paying attention to the amount of money spent gambling

It's important to remember that we're talking about problem behaviour, not problem people. This website will provide you with the most recent information on causes and signs of problem gambling, as well as practical strategies for changing gambling behaviours.