Overview
More than 80 percent of adults gamble at least once a year and, for most, it is a harmless form of entertainment. For 1 percent of the population, though, gambling isn’t an enjoyment. It’s a serious problem.

Problem gambling is defined as gambling that begins to interfere and harm any major area of life including psychological, physical, social or vocational. There are seven main warning signs that a person may have a gambling disorder but an accurate diagnosis can only be made by a trained professional.

Many problem gamblers begin gambling during their youth but gambling addictions, like drug and alcohol addictions, affect people from every race, economic background and sex. A problem gambler will wager on whatever game is available, sometimes even creating bets on ordinary, everyday activities.
What are the warning signs of addictive gambling?
1 - Preoccupation
A constant fixation on gambling is one of the easiest ways to notice a gambling addiction. Reliving past gambling triumphs or failures, always planning the next excursion, and continuously thinking of how to get more money to gamble are a few examples of preoccupation.
2 - Escalation
Problem gamblers experience an actual physical reaction that is similar to a drug stimulated ‘high.’ Symptoms from this high can be an increased heart rate, dissociation from reality, among others. Also like a drug high, a tolerance to the amount of money gambled will develop.

To achieve this ‘high’, a problem gambler will need to wager increasingly larger amounts of money to attain the desired effect.

People with a gambling disorder will play until their last dollar is spent. Many problem gamblers end up in dire financial straits and need to rely on others to provide money for their gambling addiction. In severe cases, problem gamblers will break the law to finance their habit.
3 - Trying to Stop
A problem gambler may, unsuccessfully, try to control or stop their gambling. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to stop are a warning sign of a disorder.

Gambling addicts, similar to narcotic addicts, will become restless, irritable and angry during the periods when they try to control or stop their gambling habits.
4 - Escape
Although it may seem that a gambling addiction is a type of pleasure-seeking behavior, the origin of an addiction is to compensate or cover for some type of loss or pain. A problem gambler will use the addiction as a way to forget or escape from the pain.

Emotional pain can also cause a person to feel numb and block out other emotions in the process. Gambling and other addictive behaviors cause a rush of excitement and pleasure that allows the person to get a rush and escape from numbness.
5 - Chasing
If someone is constantly trying to win back losses with more gambling, this is considered ‘chasing.’ A problem gambler will become fixated on trying to win back the money they have lost which often leads to severe monetary problems.
6 - Lying
Lying to friends and family about the amount of time and money spent gambling is a definite warning sign of a gambling disorder.

Problem gamblers will sometimes feel guilty about lying where they have been or how they have spent the money. The guilt adds to the emotional pain and can, in turn, lead to even more gambling to assuage the guilt.
7 - Alienation
When gambling begins to alienate a person’s friends, family or career, this is clear sign that someone is in trouble. Problem gamblers continue to gamble despite risking or losing significant relationships or aspects, like school or career, of their lives.
Ways to break a gambling addiction
Stopping a gambling disorder
The National Council on Problem Gambling provides a ten-question test to self evaluate whether a person may or may not have a gambling disorder. The test is not a substitute for a face to face consultation with a trained professional but can help a person realize that he or she may need to consult a professional.

Like any addiction, problem gambling can be stopped. There are an array of options for help and support, depending on the level of treatment a person needs. Counseling, group therapy and inpatient treatment programs are a few of the traditional means of support. Alternative treatments include residential, private-care facilities, psychotherapy and hypnosis.

The first step in breaking the addiction is acknowledging the problem and seeking help.

To take the self-evaluation quiz, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling
Further Resources for Problem Gambling
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ - A 12-step program that assists people with gambling disorders.

http://gamblinghelper.com/ - An online support community with articles and forums for problem gamblers.

http://www.gamblingproblem.net/ - An institute that addresses the study, prevention and treatment of gambling addictions.

What is the importance of the number 777? It has been considered a special number and even a holy number for centuries by religions and cultures that attribute it with magical supernatural powers. Some say it is simply lucky. So what meaning does the number 777 has in our world?

777 and Christianity

Before we get to the lucky connotation of the number 777 and the countless slots players who became instantly rich after seeing it appear on their machine, let’s dig a bit into our world’s history:

Did you know that a well known Benedictine monastery was built in Austria in the year 777? Tassilo III, who was at the time the Duke of Bavaria, founded the Kremsmunster Abbey monastery in the very same location that his son Gunther was supposed to have been killed by a boar.

The church fell and recovered both in its infrastructure and its prestige over the years and saw many foreign overseers managing its affairs. Today the monastery is home to one of the great libraries of Austria. The three-century-old library contains more than 160,000 volumes and 1700 manuscripts in its shelves.
Fly Away With 777

If you’ve recently been on any trip to Europe or any cross-continental destination, you must have been amazed when you saw that giant bird wheel into the direction of your departure gate. That incredible machine is Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Boeing 777 twin-engine airliner. With its noticeable wide body, this air vehicle caries up to 550 passengers and can fly nearly 10,000 nautical miles without refueling.

The Chicago-based company’s most prized possession made its debut in 1994 with its maiden flight taking off in June of that year. Since then, the company has sold the model to airline companies ranging from Singapore to the United Arab Emirates. The 777 can carry more luggage than any other commercial carrier and moves around on the largest tires ever fixed unto a commercial carrier.
To Contact the Editor…

If you lived, or have ever visited in Toronto, you may have noticed the popular newspaper, The Toronto Star line most of the newsstands. The “Star” is the most popular Daily paper in all of Canada and has been a permanent staple in all of the district of Ontario for almost a century.

If you happen to see any errors in the newspaper while having your morning coffee, you are more than welcomed and even encouraged, to call the editor’s desk and report what you see. The area code (416) of the area you don’t need to know if you’re calling from local phone. The rest of the number? You guessed it - all sevens! 777-7777. Seems like the star assured itself luck in the journalism world way back when the office received its phone number.
Up For Some Black Magic?

Edward Alexander Crowley, or as he was better known, Aleister Crowley, was once called “The Wickedest Man in the World”. Born in the later part of the 19th century, Crowley proved himself very early on in his life to be a gifted thinker, author, scientist and more. Throughout his expansive lifetime, Crowley’s writings and ideas became very influential inspirations for many cults involved in freemasonry and black magic.

Crowley composed a “hidden law” instructional book for his students titled 777. In it, he laid out for them some self-mutilating methods by which they can control their thoughts and actions. These methods involved some very painful and dangerous techniques for one to completely step out of his person and behave in completely different ways. Needless to say, a young follower picking up the book 777 those days would certainly see his life change before his eyes.
Ok, We’ll Get to the Casino

If you’ve read up your slots rules, then you know how much players are hungry for those three sevens to appear before them after they pull that lever. This often means that the entire weekend at the casino was more than worth it and that they just may be able to pay off the rest of that mortgage.

The Japanese slot machines are known to be the ones with the best statistical odds to produce a 777. They use their own brand of computer chips inside the machines that guide the frequency in which the different symbols and number appear. If Vegas is not the end of your world and if your passport has not expired, a trip to Japan in search of the 777 could be a fun adventure.

However you look at it, 777 shows itself well beyond the floors of the casino and reappears throughout human history in a myriad of forms. Almost every culture finds some significance in it. If the number 666 is universally considered to be an “evil” number, then 777 could be its opposite as the universally “good” number. Perhaps it’s just a number or perhaps it’s magical; maybe it’s plain or maybe it’s lucky. Will you find out the answer? You bet it!