Proofset AcademyModule 3 · Risky practices and preventionLesson 3.1Free · 20 min

Recognising when gambling becomes a problem

Gambling can remain a pastime. It can also, little by little, take up a place you no longer control. This slide is rarely sudden: it happens in stages, often without you realising it. This lesson teaches you to recognise the signs, in yourself as well as in someone close to you.

Part 1

A recognised illness

The World Health Organization recognises gambling addiction as an illness. It is neither a lack of willpower nor a character flaw: it can be treated, with the help of professionals. Sports betting is concerned in the same way as other forms of gambling.

What it is not

It is not limited to those who “gamble a lot”. It is not a matter of intelligence or of knowledge of the sport: a real tennis expert can be affected.

What it is

A gradual loss of control over gambling, which ends up affecting daily life: finances, mood, family, work.

Part 2

The signs to know

Here are the signs listed by public health services. A single sign does not mean “addiction”. But each one deserves attention.

Finding it hard to stop gambling.

Money difficulties, which can go as far as over-indebtedness.

Feeling unwell in yourself, anxiety.

Family conflicts, or isolation.

Believing that a bet depends mainly on your skill, and not on chance.

The last sign directly concerns sports bettors. Knowing tennis helps you understand a match, but it does not remove the uncertainty of the result. Module 2 showed it: without more information than the market, no bet makes sense.

Part 3 · Animation

The escalation, step by step

The slide often follows the same path. Click “Next step” to go through it.

Part 4 · For yourself

Three questions to ask yourself

These three questions are a simple guide, not a medical test. No one but you sees your answers: they are neither saved nor sent.

Do I bet money that I need for something else?
Do I hide my bets from those close to me?
Do I increase my stakes after a loss?
Answer all three questions.
Part 5

The signs in someone close to you

What you may notice

Absences or lateness, a phone always in hand during matches, irritability after a result, requests for money, vague explanations about spending.

What you can do

Talk about it calmly, without judging or accusing. Say what you observe and how you feel. And contact the gambling support service in your country yourself (see the box): family and friends can be helped too (lesson 3.5).

Key points

  • The slide is gradual. You do not go from pastime to problem in a day: you get there in stages.
  • A single “yes” is enough to talk about it with someone: someone close to you, a professional, or the gambling support service in your country (see the box).
  • Knowing the sport does not protect you. The result of a match remains uncertain, whatever you know.
Part 6

Test yourself

6 questions. You need 5 correct answers to pass the lesson.

0 / 6