If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re a gambling addict, I’ve got some good news and some hard truth. There’s a simple test: 20 questions designed to help you figure it out. If you answer “yes” to 7 or more, you’re considered to have a gambling problem.
When I first came across these questions, I told myself, There’s no way I’d say yes to that many.
Turns out, I was wrong.
What follows is my brutally honest answers to each question—what it looked like in my life, how gambling seeped into every corner, and how I justified it at the time. Maybe you’ll see yourself in some of these. If you do, I hope it’s the nudge you need to start making a change.
1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
Yes. I gambled first thing in the morning, usually on soccer. Before I even left for work, I’d be placing bets. Once I got to work, I’d check my wagers—if I won, I’d roll that into a midday game: baseball, soccer, whatever was on. Before leaving for home, I’d place bets for basketball or hockey. Technically, I was “at work,” but mentally, I was gambling.
2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
Yes. If I won, I was “happy” in a fake, adrenaline-fueled way. But if I lost, my temper was short. It didn’t take much to set me off. I was moody, irritable, and disconnected from the people I cared about.
3. Did gambling affect your reputation?
No—or at least not publicly. I hid my gambling so well that no one knew the extent of it. But in hiding it, I was being selfish. I didn’t want people to think less of me, even though I was destroying myself behind closed doors.
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
Yes. Almost every time. The rush would fade, and I’d be left with the sinking feeling of, Why did I do that again?
5. Did you ever gamble to get money to pay debts or solve financial problems?
Yes. I convinced myself gambling could “save me.” If I could just win big enough, I’d pay off my credit cards and get ahead. Spoiler: it never worked.
6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
Yes. My drive for anything outside gambling fell apart. I stopped pursuing hobbies, stopped caring about work growth, stopped chasing life. My whole world became a screen, odds, and a bet slip.
7. After losing, did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
Yes. The infamous “chasing losses” cycle. I couldn’t accept losing. I had to win it back, even though deep down, I knew I was digging a deeper hole.
8. After a win, did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
Yes. A win was never enough. It wasn’t satisfaction—it was fuel to gamble more.
9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
Yes. I can’t count the number of times I ran my bankroll down to $0.00. There was no “quit while you’re ahead” in my vocabulary.
10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
Yes. Personal loans are dangerously easy to get. I took them out to pay off credit cards… then used the freed-up cards to gamble again. Looking back, I wish there were more safeguards in place to prevent that cycle.
11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
No. I never sold possessions—but I didn’t need to. My credit cards and loans were my lifeline, and I used them recklessly.
12. Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenses?
Yes. Buying groceries felt like a waste because “that money could be used for betting.” Even necessities took a back seat.
13. Did gambling make you careless about the welfare of yourself or your family?
Yes. I stopped caring about my health. I stopped working out. My relationships suffered. Gambling numbed me to the things that actually mattered.
14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
Yes. I’d swear I wasn’t going to gamble that day, and then—“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”
15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?
Yes. Gambling was my escape hatch. Anxiety? Arguments? Stress? I’d just place a bet and lose myself in the game.
16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
No. I never crossed that line—but the thought of how close addiction can push people is terrifying.
17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty sleeping?
Yes. If I lost big, my mind would race all night replaying every bet. Sometimes I’d stay up until the West Coast games ended, hoping to “save” my night.
18. Do arguments, disappointments, or frustrations create an urge to gamble?
Yes. I hate confrontation. I’d retreat to another room, isolate myself, and gamble instead of facing my problems.
19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate good fortune by gambling?
Yes. Promotions at work, birthday money, tax refunds—it all found its way into my sportsbook account eventually.
20. Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide because of your gambling?
No. But I know others who have or have considered doing so. Gambling addiction can take you there if you let it. That’s why this conversation matters.
My Score: 16 Out of 20
The test says if you answer “yes” to at least 7, you have a gambling problem. I doubled that.
When I first read these questions, I thought they were too extreme—something for “other people” who had “real problems.” But the truth is, gambling addiction looks a lot like regular life… until you step back and realize you’ve been living for the next bet instead of living your life.
If you see yourself in these answers—even just a few—please don’t ignore it. Talk to someone. Find a support group. Block the betting apps. I promise, life on the other side of gambling is better than you can imagine.
