There are 7 casinos in a small city of Akhalkalaki which has a population of 8 000 people. Casinos can be seen here from every part of the town.
Gambling addiction is one of the plagues of the 21st century. Its scale and harm to society is not smaller than that inflicted by drug addiction. Compulsive gambling is characterized by the classic manifestations of drug addiction, namely physical and psychological addiction, which leads to a sickening longing for gambling.Gambling addiction can lead to many problems such as property loss, family breakdown, and even suicide.
The story that Armen (name has been changed) tells us with its gravity and harsh reality clearly shows what a disaster it is to be addicted to the gambling for the player and his family.
“It was like pulling me. I’d take money from home, lend from someone, then from another. The feeling was that I wanted to get back the money I lost, but I was getting deeper and deeper, and never better” - looking back to the time he was addicted, says Armen.
Gambling has a long history in Georgia. Various sources say that in the 19th century there was a certain type of gambling institution in Georgia, which was often visited by Georgian elites.
During the Soviet Union, gambling was banned in its member states, only lotteries were allowed. The ban was extended to Georgia as well. Since 1992, there has been an attempt in our country to regulate gambling by law, which has become the prerogative of the Ministry of Finance.
Everyone who has visited a casino has noticed bright colours and bright lights. Moreover, most casinos attract beautiful waitresses who are always nice and polite. All these things are cleverly thought out with the idea to make people have a good experience at the casino. Offering a good surrounding will make you feel comfortable and you will more likely keep on relaxing, meaning playing.
Armen’s wife mentions the fact that he’d leave the house at 10 in the morning and be back at around 5-6 o’clock next morning. Sometimes he wouldn’t return home at all. “It was like pulling me and not letting me go. I wanted to get back the money I lost, but it was getting deeper and deeper.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, which will replace the current 10th revision from 2022 added gaming addiction, or gaming disorder, as well as gambling problem to the list of mental disorders as one of the forms addictions,
Many organizations, including televisions, depend on casino’s advertising revenues. They do not arrange for a reduction in income. In such a situation, the steps taken since January 1, 2020 are welcoming - gambling advertising on the Georgian Public Broadcaster has been banned. The decision was preceded by the suicide of a 29-year-old TV employee. But, city banners still invite into online and physical casinos.
A psychologist Rusudan Zaalishvili explains that this is a biopsychological model - everything is formed in terms of treatment. We need to consider human’ biological, psychological and social risk factors.
Of course, biological factors are important but social factors are more specific.
“Every risk factor for gambling addiction is spiking right now, and the same is true for the Internet and gaming addiction,” said Keith Whyte, executive director at the National Council on Problem Gambling. “There could be a wave of addiction, quite a big wave.”
The people who gamble regularly online are doing so just as often or more frequently during the coronavirus lockdown, despite the lack of sporting fixtures, according to the first significant survey of betting habits during the crisis The Guardian reports.
The findings, in a Survation poll, will fuel concerns that a broader fall in part-time gambling is masking more intense betting among problem gamblers, or a move towards riskier products, such as online casino games.
Overall, respondents in the survey of more than 1,000 people, were more likely to have reduced their gambling since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has forced the cancellation of sports such as football and horse racing.
According to the article 32 of the “Law of Georgia on Arrangement of Lotteries, Gambling and Gaming”
For people under 21 it is prohibited to enter a casino and / or gambling club, and for people under age 18 - to enter a slot machine salon and arrange a winning game (except for incentive raffle) and / or to participate in games (including system-electronically organised gambling).
Despite the regulations, it is very common among the children under 18 to gamble online. And it’s very easy to create an account in an online casino.
Armen has quit gambling for two years already. He is now home due to the pandemic. Looking back he regrets the time wasted without family, without three children who he calls his joy.
If there is such a person, I can say I felt this on my skin, I have seen that, I have played for 12 years and I haven't gotten any result. I don’t advise anyone to go to these “doors”. If you have money - eat, have fun with your family, children, relatives, and don’t get addiction instead. It’s not a joy, it is sickness.