Topic: ADHD People Cannot Be A Gambler What If You Know One? (Read 286 times)

There's nothing like coming from one who has ADHD in the family; thank you for contributing to this discussion, yes ADHD is manageable even if there's no cure; it's the family of people with ADHD that can help them manage their ADHD, its better for families to check their children for signs of ADHD so they can give them meds and guidance on how to manage their ADHD at their early age.

https://psychcentral.com/adhd/can-adhd-be-cured

Locking this thread, thank you to all who participated, and we'll go on to the next discussion.

In this case, it is better ADHD persons are exempted from gambling, once anyone notices such strange behaviour from any gambler in a physical casino, such gambler should be reported to the casino operators so the ADHD person can be prevented from gambling.

There is no 'but' about it, it is very risky for ADHD persons to gamble so, it is safer for them not to try to gamble at all and it will be the collective effort of everyone to ensure that these set of people live healthy lifestyles that suits their health statuses. If left for ADHD persons alone to handle it, a lot of them might become too defensive and even reject offers of help.

First and foremost, don't self diagnose, even you think you have few symptoms of ADHD, there's no proof if you're an ADHD when you not seek for professional help.

If there's an ADHD person gamble in front of you, you can pay attention with his gambling session, if he show something weird, you can warn him.

People with ADHD still able to become a gambler, but it's quite risky if they can't control themselves when their impulsivity weren't controlled.

They have medication for people with ADHD that help them especially with being able to focus and concentrate. I have a kid who has ADHD and has been taking meds for years. Once we got him on meds he went from a kid who showed no interest in school to a kid who started getting all As and Bs and graduated this year and starts college next month.

I think with the proper medication, anyone with ADHD can gamble just fine. All gamblers have impulse issues IMO, not just people with ADHD.

I think you have made a nice observation from op but I think this health condition won't deprive you from other things and achieving great thinks and future for yourself. Then as we know most of the circumstances in life be it health challenge like the ADHD would deteriorate with age if not properly managed and the names that were called had most of their achievements during their prime and young age, so it might not have been a bigger problem to manage during the young age and moreover with medication it can be quit controlled. Therefore, their gambling addiction due to ADHD might not have affected their achievements and progress especially where such person is from a home that can provide support, medication and care to the person.

You know ADHD is a spectrum. Some have it worse and some did not even got to be diagnosed until they were well into adult life and that’s because the symptoms were barely noticeable.

So it will depend on where they fall on the spectrum. I will try my best to get some professional help to convince someone even more if they seem to be struggling with gambling due to their ADHD.

I'm hearing of ADHD for the first time in this thread and I thank the OP for sharing information about it. It is good to advise our family and friends who have it to quit gambling for their own good, so that they don't get too emotionally attached to it and the effect can not be good, especially getting emotional and losing all their money. Beyond gambling they should also be be cautioned when they're engaging in other activities that can affect their mental health. Although I'm quite confused that it's mentioned in the OP that great minds like Bill Gates and Disney, also suffer this condition, yet they where able to make great decisions and impacts despite their conditions.

If I know that person, I will asks him to quit gambling and asks him to follows me to go to some place to distract his minds not tells him to return to casino. I will not tells how much they already lost their money in gabling but I will tells him to join with me to have some fun in other activities. I know that he may not accepts his lost in gambling because he may wants to keeps playing gambling.

But I can take a normal breath because I don't have relatives or family members who had ADHD and I hopes I will not meet that in the future. Maybe that will difficult for me to explain what happens to him but I will try not to lets him to playing gambling because he can gets big risks from gambling. It feels sad if we meet someone that we knows had ADHD and we can't helps him.

Answering your question, I will say that if I see someone with a similar diagnosis gambling, then I will definitely say about it (what you say in this article), but I will not and cannot insist and I have no idea that's right. Will I say this? Necessarily? Will I insist? No. After all, every person has the right to choose what to do, even if he has a medical diagnosis. After all, ADHD does not mean that a person will necessarily be unsuccessful at gambling. There are people who do not have such a diagnosis and are completely unsuccessful in gambling.

I personally have an attention deficit diagnosis and was even on meds younger.
Honestly the meds are far from perfect and won't help everyone, for some they make it even worse.

So I would say people with attention deficit disorders should generally get also therapy from a psychologist to deal with the effects of their disorder that affect them in many ways as young people currently learning the world.

As a principle I would say ALL young people under 25 need to abstain from gambling. It's a bad habbit to acquire before you have gotten out there to get a job and manage your finances. People have their brain growing still until late twenties! So better avoid such things in general while young. Anyone can have impulses not just people with ADHD!

Help can be rendered to someone who wants it and agrees to accept it. If you offer help to someone whom you think needs it but the person doesn't accept that they need help, then all your effort will be futile. According to that article, it is easy to identify someone with ADHD because of the symptoms. 

If I see someone with such a disorder, I will talk to them and explain what ADHD disorder is and how I feel it's affecting them. I will also explain to them the symptoms they are exhibiting that clearly show they are having this disorder, and then I will clearly advise them to stop gambling because of their condition. It is left for the person to take my advice or not; I can't force the person to stop gambling.

I agree with you but "in vivo" exposure is also sometimes an efficient therapy to treat or at least to help people to overcome or to manage their disorders to some extent. Systematically avoiding all triggers and difficulties can sometimes make the patient's condition worse because it can make him more fragile in the face of even weaker stimuli. Brain needs to be trained like a muscle for some mental disorders in order to be able to resist more efficiently. A bit of stress exposure is not always a bad thing IMO.

Would definitely try to stop him. But I guess it depends on how impulsive they are? Sorry, not really familiar with ADHD people have impulsivity maxed out or if they can control it or not or something. But if they can, then feel free imo. If they have someone to help them manage the funds they use to gamble then even better imo. Would definitely advise them to stop, but it stops with advising, similar to what I'd do with most addicts I meet.

That, or just help them replace gambling with something else. Something safer or less expensive or something. I reckon there's a lot of methods out there, ADHD has been a disorder known for a long time after all.

I guess even a close friend will still be a serious matter because I do care for the future of my friends. Advices from family and friends should be a must, but if that won't be enough knowing their level of understanding is quite different from us, then calling a medical practitioner is the last key. I'm sure they have encountered same cases like this and it will be easy for them to approach an ADHD individual and make him completely understand the risks that this gambling will bring to him not just at the present but more likely in the future.

If a person with ADHD tells me that he is not harming himself with the way he gambles, it means he is not aware of the dangers of gambling to those with ADHD. This would be an opportunity to thoroughly sensitise the people about ADHD and some activities that might be dangerous for those with ADHD and how they should stay away from them.

If should take a more drastic approach, I would block all online gambling platforms from their devices or self exclude them from some gambling sites. The environment they find themselves is a very big factor to be taken seriously and I must make sure they are not exposed to further gambling opportunities in their social environment.

It is my responsibility to protect a loved one around me who is going astray and I must do that in love.

There could certainly be psychological ties between gambling addictions and ADHD, cause in my experience with people who have this I can say that one of their striking characteristics is that they constantly need to be stimulated, and will be bored to find the next indulgence if they couldn't get it in this one, which means that ADHD people who gamble may fall deeper and faster into addiction than regular blokes because they will constantly and more quickly push for higher boundaries to beat. And they are easily agitated by obstacles as well, with the most common action taken being beating said obstacle into submission, this connotes that gamblers with ADHD are more prone to revenge gambling, not only because they want to gain the money they lost but also because they wanted to "beat" the loss streak.

So yeah, I completely agree with ADHD people being more prone to gambling addiction, at least based on my observation and a couple of studies I read about it after the fact. Now this doesn't mean that ADHD people should be banned from gambling outright, I think everyone deserves to find their indulgence even if it is gambling we're talking about. I just meant to say that as a person with ADHD, it is your responsibility to keep a closer eye upon yourself, so you don't end up falling for cheap tricks your brain and the casino is playing on you.

It is good to hear from someone who has ADHD here and how he approach his gambling activity. It goes to show that a person with ADHD can also contain his addiction if he will practice self-control. And with the awareness that you need to stop when you feel you are losing the grip of what's going on in front of you, you can still manage yourself in front of your games. That is, if you have strong determination to follow your limits on this very addictive activity. Do remember, even persons without ADHD can't control gambling impulses. How much more for people who have ADHD? I guess, it takes a lot of effort and sheer will to keep up with your boundaries.

I've never felt a huge relief as though i ran a thousand miles to escape a panting lion.... Is there a way you could concentrate on something atleast? I mean, that's perfect.!!. When I discovered what ADHD was, a thought of a boy's iris, moving in frenzy due to albinism kept playing back in my head over and over again.
I guess it's just different when you're trying to be focused on something serious; something that needs alot of attention to solve, recreate of repeat a routine. Addiction is never better way to suppress it eitherway.

I think the major challenge of ADHD is having that impulse to get out of the addiction. It is like the usual kind of addiction where it becomes difficult for a gambler to stop, so likewise in such situation. The families of such gamblers have much to do to ensure that they don't get into such addiction.

Also, some other health condition disorder also have that inability to control emotion. However I have not really seen such gambler.

If after hearing the evidence and my advice they refuse to stop gambling, then there is not much I can do except hoping for the best, after all it is their money and their life so they can do as they wish, however people really need to think about their strengths and about their weaknesses before they do something, so there are things in which they will have an advantage due to their nature, and there will be other things that could be harmful to them as well, so once you realize this you should play to your strengths while avoiding that in which you are weak, so without a doubt someone that has problems with the control of their actions and emotions should remain away from gambling.

I have ADHD and I can confirm that when I was gambling, I was laser-focused on the casino game, particularly to live blackjack, it made me feel happy and in the zone. This sounds like addicting but there is a truth in your thread's title, I didn't get addicted to gambling because I find everything boring. While it comes with its pros, the negative side is that I find it very hard to focus on my job, on my profession and my career but when it comes to addiction, self-control plays a huge role. You should understand that you have to stop if you lose self-control because in such cases, even having ADHD can't help you because gambling releases dopamine in your brain and makes you focused on the game with elevated mood.

but betting on sports without considering the outcome can be like betting on a luck-based game.  Actually, anyone can make a bet without concentrating or studying the competing teams. Betting in any form of gambling is not complex but trying to win one is.

It is not the winning or losing in gambling that ADHD people have to avoid gambling.  It is the nature of the problems of ADHD, the lack of control over their impulses may have a huge possibility of losing their control over their urge to gamble.  That in turn can be developed to gambling addiction.

I wonder how can one detect a person who is suffering from ADHD any sign that tells a person is suffering from such illness?  It would be good if the family can detect the problem early and monitor the patient's daily activities.  It would be late and way harder to cure/guide if the family found out that one of their members is already addicted to gambling due to having ADHD.

Depends on the severity I guess. If they are on high levels then it is not only gambling that they won't be able to do "properly" but everything. I also doubt they would be focused of gambling given that these people in such condition are having problem with attention retention. Haven't known one but I think it is safe to assume that things won't work well on his/her gambling journey if that's the case.
Another reason why people living with conditions, should be away from gambling is because of stress with the possible outcome that may contribute to their condition (in most instances). Whether it is instant rewards or not, difficulties with coming out victorious is most likely a challenge to them. Much better of course is to have yourself be treated by professionals regarding certain drives like gambling.

There have always been one golden rule for all gamblers across the globe, which is to gamble what you can always afford to lose, which in a single word can be sum up into "to gamble responsibly". So if by any chance I happen to have someone who has got "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" (ADHD) and also a gambler, the best advice I could give and best way to handle it will be to approach the person in a friendly manner, so as to elaborate to him the needs for responsible gambling, and why he must moderate his activity as someone who has got a Hyperactivity Disorder, of which if he fails to set clear boundaries, and practise relaxation, he will likely be doing himself more harm than good.

However, every disorder has solutions or control measures, and as such, as a concern individual, that will be my next step so as to make sure he effectively manage his/herself while gambling responsibly.

Some of the world’s greatest achievers with ADHD include Richard Branson, Bill Gates and Walt Disney[/quote] I haven't known any close person with any form of disorder but, I'd like to ask - Does anyone have an idea how Gates and Walt managed to make it that far in such creativity that requires utmost focus and attention with ADHD? ^{[I think I've learnt something new today - resilience.]}

Personally, I don't know anyone like that... I wouldn't also wanna bodyshame anyone for a little deficiency that's obviously not their fault; gambling is a game of choice.. if they decide to do it in a modest way, as long as they don't spend too much that it becomes a problem, i think ill just let 'em be.

It seems to me that gambling is far from the most important thing that such people should not do. At least from what I've read. For example, own a weapon, drive a car, etc. Maybe this disorder does not affect people’s behavior as much as you might think if you read its description? I don’t think that every person with a similar disorder gets into a casino and immediately goes all-in, and if he doesn’t win, he’ll take out a loan and try again.
If I knew someone with a similar disorder, I would not dissuade him from gambling, but on the contrary, I would watch with interest how he engages in it 

ADHD is a pandemic nowadays. It seems everyone having issues to display some self control skills is immediately diagnosed with ADHD. I know it's a serious mental disorder, but why the intensity we find this disorder nowadays has grown so much compared to past decades and generations? I guess it's easier to use a disorder as "crutches" than taking responsability for their own acts.

It's easier and convenient to blame on the disorder, which is something out their control, than accepting the consequences for their acts. That is how the modern human being acts regards everything by rule. If I'm an addicted to gambling, it's because nature and biology have made me this way. People don't have the mindset to shape and mould their personalities in more functional ways. They just accept their flaws and want everyone around to do the same.

Then we have a whole society full of weak, pathetic and sick people addicted to drugs which theoretically keep their impulses under control, because they aren't interest in developing self-knowledge to find the solutions for their internal issues through natural means, which involve deep reflexions, thoughts and why not some pain.

There are many people who have these mental health condition but do not know and are active gamblers or individuals who are already considering to start gambling.
If many people know their mental health condition or the state of their mental health, I'm very sure that they would not want to gamble because health is something some people take very importantly but unfortunately many people are not aware of their mental health state.
If there was a way for people to know their mental health state, it could be a way to tackle addiction to gambling that is becoming more common.

I agree that people who have mental disorders should not play gambling, especially having impulsivity that will make him continue to be triggered and triggered, and yes we know that in the end such people will definitely lose more money than what might be thought, chasing defeat, addiction and mental disorders because they do not believe that those with diseases such as can be assumed to be a little crazy, there is in my neighborhood someone who has a mental illness, not so severe but after gambling, and addiction then losing more money to excessive depression makes him like a crazy person today.

Maybe it has a different effect on that person even though the illness is the same, although I totally agree that people who have mental illnesses definitely have more severe adverse effects.

I agree people suffering from this disorder should avoid certain types of gambling activities, but I don't think they should avoid everything they enjoy in their life just because it could be "dangerous". Everything can be dangerous, life is dangerous actually. Live betting, and gambling games with instant outcomes are certainly not recommended for them I agree. But lotteries, and pre-match betting should be allowed to them IMO, because they don't provide instant rewards. It could even help them to overcome some of their symptoms, if they gamble responsibly I think.

ADHD is primarily neurodevelopmental, meaning that your brain actually functions in a different way. According to the American Psychiatric Association, ADHD meets certain criteria to be classified as a mental illness, but it's not often referred to as a disorder. I believe that such subjects are quite delicate and intricate matters, and we shouldn't be too quick to jump to conclusions, as we're not experts by any means, every case is different, and we cannot be so absolute and claim that someone with ADHD is unable to gamble.

Edit: @Zlantann, as I mentioned earlier, ADHD is neurological, thus, there's no "permanent" cure, but there is available medication that battles the symptoms.

The first problem will be the ability to identify a gambler who is suffering from Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is because the symptoms of this disorder can also be exhibited by some people who are not suffering from the disorder. Nevertheless, if I observe and am convinced that someone close to me is suffering from ADHD, I will have to do more research on this topic and present this fact to him. In most cases, they will never accept that this disorder is hurting them so I will have to monitor their gambling activities and come up with facts that they need to quit gambling.


There are known permanent cures for this disorder but the symptoms can be managed or controlled. The management process can include counseling, medication, behavioral control classes, etc.  

Apart from conducting a medical examination the only means is through observation. You just have to observe the person's behavior to ascertain if he is exhibiting some of the symptoms which is very difficult. You also conduct some informal tests to evaluate the person's behavior.

People with mental health problems shouldn't come near gambling... maybe they can bet on sports if they like to watch it and have some fun, but all other gambling games have so many triggers for them. Maybe even flashing lights in some games can be stressful for them. People with weak hearts should also not gamble, or at least do it very cautiously.

Of course, this is on an individual level, everyone "bears" their illness in a different way, so those who are sick in any way should also know what they can and can't do.

I do not really think your position is entirely correct because it all depends on the type of gambling activities involved. If it is luck based games, you don't need to be paying too much attention, just set the amount, bet and allow the computer decide your fate. There is no much analysis involved in such luck based games, everything is based entirely on luck and even without paying too much attention, which you described as ADHD, one can still make good winning.

On the contrary, skill based games requires attention and serious concentration to be able to navigate the gambling process and come out successful so in this case those suffering from attention deficit have little chances of being successful here, hence the need they have to stay away.

ADHD is à serious mental illness even if it is something you can live with regardless, but in some cases it could be a barrier to complete many activities.

As you mentioned and the article mentioned, someone with ADHD won't be able to gamble properly because of the impulsivity deficit that the illness gives. Gambling sometimes also requires attention and concentration which can't be possible if you have ADHD, if you take random decisions without thinking of the consequences you're certainly not able to gamble.

I personally know few people with ADHD but not someone who gambles as far as I know. I think if an ADHD gambles it would be so obvious as we will notice his bank account going down. If I had a close person with ADHD and I knew he gambles I would definitely try to stop him, because it could be very harmful for them, I think that people with mental illnesses shouldn't be doing such activities like gambling unless they have someone who helps them with it.

First, let me say thank you to you for bringing up such an important thing to discuss about mental health and gambling, it's actually my very first time coming across a mental health with such title.

And to answer your question, there is actually no two ways about this, if it happens that I come across a relative, a friend, or just any body with this a mental health like this, (there should be a way for me to prove it to them, since some of them might not even want to agree that they have it.) it is to tell them to stop gambling completely, if not for any thing, for their own good and the good of their finances, since as I understand it, persons with this disorder can use abnormal amounts of money to gamble without thinking of the possible problems they might get their self into if the money is lost - confirm if I am right.

So, the best is to advice them to quit gambling, but then, I have some personal questions though.
1. Can this be cured?
2. Is there a way to know who has this disorder aside from going for a test in the hospital, there are some physical symptoms to look out for? (sorry I've not gone through the article to see if this questions are addressed there, and this is because we are already discussing about the disorder here).

This is a sensitive issue, so you don't tell a gambler who you know with ADHD that he cannot gamble because you read it on the internet; the family should be involved because the family is the first to know their family's disorder, if they do not know that he involve in gambling, you should make them aware of the risks in case they do not and advice them to consult to their physician.
People with disorders trust their family more than their acquaintances, so its better to involve the family.

Mental health situations should best be dealt with by a mental health expert. ADHD is a spectrum all with different symptoms and it comes in different types for children and adults, to reach a decision one will need to know the exact medical history of the patient with special focus on their ability to control their inhibitions.
If after consultation it is necessary for them to quit gambling, there will also be steps suggested to reach that goal and not any random approach which the family decides to take.

Never make medical decisions off what you read on the Internet, there are lots of research available for different situations and permutations, so you should always seek proper medical advice on how to interpret and apply relevant medial knowledge

They are capable of thinking and most likely they know what they are doing as well. So if normal people can think of quitting gambling, they too can do it.  ADHD also is often mixed with other disorders and sometimes they are just focused only to one thing but can't focus on another.  This is I believe still under the Autism spectrum and some of them are even savant.

Not really, its fine for people with ADHD to gamble and plenty of them so it responsibly. If someone is good with finance and/or assessing risk, then they may be able to easily control their playing habits because they know it can result in losing money. Some people choose to hide behind labels like this, even though everyone may have light forms of it and pretend that it is the root of their problems, however it is usually not. You can have ADHD and still practice self control, especially when playing these games are less than spontaneous. Most people with the extreme forms of it will often be on medication as well which can nullify the worst effects.

this is news to me, I've read articles talking about people being more prone to gambling addiction because of their genetics but this is the first time I reading that people with ADHD are at higher risk of falling victim to gambling addiction. thanks for sharing.

the best thing you can do is inform them about what you have read. what they will do about that information is up to them, you already warn them about the possible disaster if they continue gambling.

From the information that you provided on ADHD patients and gambling, it is impossible for them to gamble without causing disasters due to lack of impulse to control their emotions. This means that if you know anyone with ADHD that is gambling, you will simply know if he is harming himself or not.

This is because he will not be able to hide the violence in him when gambling and a lot of people will know this. The best thing is to call for medical expert or keep him away from gambling entirely.

It's a serious concern if he is part of a family I will have to talk to every member of the family for help and consult with his physician on the next course of action; mere advising will not work because we all know ADHD has a character very different from us.

We have to understand his disorder and, at the same time, help him not to get trapped in something that will be too hard for him because of his disorder.

Why I started This Topic :
I was helping my nephew do his assignment about mental health when I stumbled an article about ADHD and gambling.

What is an ADHD

You can still live the fullest life even if you have ADHD it will not hinder your capacity to live the life that you want
But if there's one thing that a person with ADHD cannot do, and that is to gamble.
https://kindbridge.com/gambling/adhd-and-gambling/

So, if, after reading this article or any other article about ADHD and gambling, you know someone close to you who is gambling, how will you react? How will you approach them even if they tell you that they are not harming themselves with how they gamble?

Note: I will be locking this thread after 40 replies or 4 days to avoid the topic becoming redundant