Butuhwin - Online gambling is a game that is usually in the form of cards in an application or website. Through this game, players put up a guarantee of money to be used as a bet and hope to get a lot of profit. Although tempting, playing online gambling has a big impact that is often not realized by its players.
Initially, gambling could only be followed directly in casinos. Along with technological advances and ease of transactions, gambling can also be accessed online anywhere and by anyone, including children. Online gambling is packaged in the form of card, chess, or dice games that are fun and challenging.
Due to the ease of access and the excitement of the game, many people are addicted to playing online gambling, either consciously or unconsciously. In fact, gamblers may no longer care about profit or loss in terms of finances. At this stage, online gambling addiction or pathological gambling will have an impact on the player's life as a whole.
Usually, online gambling games are easy to trap and make people addicted because they create high hopes of getting a lot of money instantly. In addition, someone who feels stressed in their life, who has great ambitions and has high adrenaline, is also susceptible to the effects of online gambling addiction.
Various Dangers of Online Gambling
Not only is it detrimental to yourself, often playing online gambling can also cause someone to act criminally against others. Here are some of the dangers of online gambling that often occur, both in terms of mental, physical, financial, and social health:
1. Addiction
Playing gambling, both online and conventionally, will affect the way the nervous system works in the brain, just like drugs and alcohol. At first, someone might just try it, but over time they will be absorbed in the online gambling scheme until they are finally addicted.
Online gambling games usually have features to trick the brain into thinking that defeat is actually a victory. For example, online gambling slot machines display celebratory music, sounds, and lights with a return of Rp. 500,000 for a bet of Rp. 2,000,000.
Research shows that the sympathetic nervous system in the brain responds to defeat celebrated as victory in the same way as it responds to actual victory. Because of this, online gambling can be addictive, even though the player has actually lost many times.
2. Financial losses
Even though they lose many times, players who are addicted to online gambling will usually continue to bet money or make deposits until they experience financial losses. When their money runs out, online gambling players often do not hesitate to go into debt or get online loans.
3. Mental and physical health disorders
Another danger of online gambling that will also occur is mental and physical health disorders. Online gambling makes its players tend to have high emotional pressure, be aggressive, easily stressed, and easily angry. This is usually the result of frustration due to defeat in gambling.
4. Abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs
Losing in online gambling can encourage players to consume alcohol excessively, even using drugs to relieve stress and disappointment. This will later have an impact on physical health, such as short-term memory loss, obesity, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart damage, liver problems, and fertility disorders.
5. Getting caught up in a legal case
Article 303 of the Criminal Code and 303 bis of the Criminal Code concerning Gambling states that organizers of gambling games, including online gambling, are threatened with a maximum imprisonment of 10 years or a maximum fine of 25 million rupiah. Meanwhile, online gambling players can be subject to a maximum imprisonment of 4 years and/or a maximum fine of 10 million rupiah.
In addition, if they are in debt, online gambling addicts can do anything to pay off their debts and meet their needs in gambling again, such as cheating, robbing, and even stealing.
Playing online gambling is also a criminal act which is also regulated in Article 45 paragraph 2 of the ITE Law. In this article, online gambling players can be sentenced to a maximum of 6 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of 1 billion rupiah.
Characteristics of Online Gambling Addiction
If someone is already addicted to online gambling or pathological gambling, it will be difficult for someone to control their desire to gamble, even though they are aware of its negative impacts. The following are the characteristics of people who are addicted to online gambling:
Feeling the need to gamble with a large amount of money because the more money they play, the happier they feel
Continuing to chase bets until they drain their savings which results in financial losses
Prioritizing the money they get for gambling over their living needs
Often playing online gambling when stressed
Feeling restless and irritable when they can't gamble because they run out of money
Relying on other people to give them money, for example by going into debt or through online loans, because their financial condition is ruined by gambling
If they lose in gambling, they will try to get their money back by gambling even more
Not feeling a problem if they lose their job, skip school, or lie to other people in order to gamble
The Right Therapy Options to Get Rid of Online Gambling
Getting rid of online gambling addiction is not an easy task. This condition requires help from a mental health professional or psychologist. Without proper treatment, quitting online gambling is usually only temporary.
There are several therapy options that are usually recommended to deal with cases of online gambling addiction, including:
Cognitive behavioral therapy
The first thing that needs to be done in dealing with online gambling is that the sufferer needs to realize and admit that he is trapped in gambling. After that, a psychologist can provide cognitive behavioral therapy.
Through this therapy, sufferers are taught to identify erroneous thoughts and behaviors, such as "I will definitely win in online gambling, after losing many times". After that, sufferers will be trained in skills to change the wrong mindset and replace it with the right way of thinking.
Medication
As explained, playing online gambling can be caused by stress, depression, or anxiety. In this condition, antidepressants are usually prescribed to help reduce online gambling addiction behavior.
In addition, opioid antagonist drugs are also usually given for cases of online gambling due to the side effects of drug abuse.
Support from friends and family
In all processes of handling the dangers of online gambling, support from the people around you is very much needed. This support can start from small things, such as listening to their complaints, eliminating online gambling access, encouraging them to do positive things, or helping them find new hobbies, such as sports.
That way, people who are addicted to online gambling also have a strong motivation to get out of the online gambling circle and become a better person in order to realize a peaceful life.
If people around you or you yourself feel unable to get away from online gambling, do not hesitate to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist. Consultations can be done via Chat with a Doctor and your confidentiality is guaranteed