Staying in Control

Gamblers Anonymous Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Most compulsive gamblers answer yes to at least 7 questions.

• 1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
• 2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
• 3. Did gambling affect your reputation?
• 4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
• 5. Did you ever gamble in order to pay debts or solve financial difficulties?
• 6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
• 7. After losing, do you feel an urgency to immediately win back your losses?
• 8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
• 9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
• 10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
• 11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
• 12. Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?
• 13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
• 14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
• 15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?
• 16. Have you thought about or committed an illegal act to finance gambling?
• 17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
• 18. Do life's frustrations create an urge within you to gamble?
• 19. Does gambling sound like a good way to celebrate good fortune?
• 20. Have you ever considered suicide as a result of your gambling?

Managing Your Playing

For players who enjoy gambling frequently, it is not uncommon to overspend their budget some of the time. We advise that specific budget plans be made to ensure your gambling expenditure is affordable.

For those needing some basic guidance, try these tips from the Responsible Gambling Council

For many people gambling is exciting and entertaining. They make careful decisions about spending time and money, where to go and how to have fun.

Here is how most people gamble responsibly:

• Decide on a loss limit ahead of time and stick to it
• Never borrow money to gamble
• Set a time limit
• Take frequent breaks
• Balance gambling with other activities
• Don't gamble when highly stressed, depressed or troubled in any way
• Only gamble with money set aside specifically for entertainment

Back to Responsible Gaming.