The idea behind this infographic is to enable people to identify some of the most obvious early signs of gambling addiction.
The main influence for the design, was the visual language used for warning signs. A brief explanation for each of the icons above is listed here:
Life signs
1. Deals frequently with any form of gambling
2. Thinks of gambling as a way to escape from daily pressure, anxiety or emotional disorder
3. Plays for the money
4. Skips work very often
5. Neglects his personal needs
6. His vacations take place in areas where gambling is very accessible
Interpersonal signs
1. Always thinks of gambling and talks to others about his winnings
1. Always thinks of gambling and talks to others about his winnings
2. Denies that gambling has became a problem for him and the people that surround him
3. Loses easily his patience very easily
4. Lies about the time and money he has spend on gambling
3. Loses easily his patience very easily
4. Lies about the time and money he has spend on gambling
5. Neglects his friends and family
Money signs
1. Has unpaid bills and debts
2. Borrows money or sells his possessions in order to collect more money for gambling
3. Becomes a thief in order to fund his gambling
4. Things that used to belong to people close to the gambler, begin to disappear
Gambling signs
1. Spends more and more money on gambling
2. The person visits ATM machines very often
3. Chases his loses; therefore he loses even his last dollar
4. Can't concentrate while he is playing
The idea here is to present the problem of gambling addiction by depicting the addiction process also known as the addiction cycle of compulsive gambling (gambling addiction cycle). During this cycle the addicted person passes through four main stages: the winning stage, the losing stage, the desperation stage and finally the hopelessness stage.
