It’s a common phenomenon among individuals who recognize that they have a potential addiction to a substance or problematic relationship with an activity. Before proceeding with a self-imposed pledge to quit, they rationalize one last go-around before sending their unhealthy habit or compulsion packing. People might feel this urge for a variety of reasons, which include the following:
- Desire for a final experience: The thought of quitting is daunting for someone with an overwhelming urge for consumption or engagement. Consequently, one may feel the need for a final hit before making a change.
- Desire for closure and finality: Participating in one final experience may feel like a way to say goodbye and close the chapter on a habit or compulsion.
- Impulsivity: Someone who scores higher than average for impulsive behavior, or more severe Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), may seek a final hit as a way to temporarily relieve anxiety or stress.
There is risk involved in this manner of thinking, particularly when a substance or activity is generally considered harmful to an individual. It’s easy to identify this risk for some more than others. For instance, one last hit of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and MDMA could lead to death due to the presence of illegal fentanyl. Or, someone with a compulsion towards criminality may attempt one last score, which can lead to arrest and incarceration. In these examples the argument against “one more” is clear.
But what about a problematic relationship with legal casino gaming or sports betting? Does it not seem fair to allow a participant a ceremonial send-off before getting help to quit? Not quite. Please read ahead for a look at why just one more time gambling is a bad idea.
Why Someone with a Gambling Problem Who Plans to Quit Should Avoid the Temptation to “Roll the Dice” One More Time
You Are NOT on the Verge of One Last Big Win
An analysis of online search volume occurring from within the United States shows that thousands of gamblers per state suspect that one last windfall is around the corner. Specifically, there is a false statistic circulating that 90 percent of gamblers quit before they win big. Following that supposed logic, quitting without at least taking one last swing would rob a habitual gambler of a high-probability payoff. Coupled with gambling’s fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) phenomenon, this manner of thinking fosters rationalization for one more wager. The reality, however, is an opposite result. Not only is there zero data to support that making one last wager increases the odds of walking away a winner, there is data showing that continued participation increases the odds of a net loss. Click here to view more on the lie being told to habitual gamblers.
You Could be on the Verge of Losing EVERYTHING
Someone who has the intent of quitting after “one last hurrah” may have a tendency to binge when compared against their average habit of consumption. In the context of gambling, binging equates betting big. This is logically problematic because given that the house always wins, a large wager can cripple someone financially. And if this occurs, they may attempt to borrow (further) or steal to make yet another wager to crawl out of the newly dug hole. Recent data regarding debt and gambling (view here) indicates that more than 50% of sports bettors are willing to wager $10,000 for a chance to win $1,000,000, which is a rationale that aligns with an average problem gambler debt load of between $55,000 and $90,000. For financial reasons alone there is no justifying one more time gambling.
Losing Track of Time
There is a flow state – or dark flow state – involved in gambling among those who have a problematic relationship with the activity. One characteristic of this dark flow is deep immersion to the point that a gambler gets so captivated in the flow that they lose track of time. Minutes can become hours without the participant taking notice. Someone who intends to have one last gambling experience before quitting may have entered a casino or online gaming/betting environment for a quick hit, and find themselves stuck in a deep dark flow that compromises their mental and physical wellbeing. View more on the dark flow psychology of problem gambling.
Dark Pattern Design to Keep You Gambling
A gambler may have every intent of quitting after one last wager, but online casinos and sportsbooks (namely in the unregulated market) have been designed to keep this from occurring. For example, a player’s final shot at gambling may involve claiming a potentially lucrative promotional bonus being offered by an operator. These bonuses are nearly always tied to a rollover requirement, which enforces a rule regarding the number of times a player must wager or play using funds before they can withdraw them. So even if the gambler wins in their final at-bat, they need to keep gambling in order to get their payout. Other examples of this nature include maximum withdrawal limits, hard-to-find account closure and unsubscribe functions, and persistent player reengagement campaigns that occur when operators have been alerted about a player’s attempt to leave their platform. View more on the dark patten design in unregulated gambling.
When Headed in the Wrong Direction, Why Keep Going?
There’s an analogy that we like to use when people set a specific date to make a positive change in their lives, especially when that change involves leaving behind a harmful habit. If you were driving on the highway en-route to an exciting new destination, and quickly realized that you were headed in the wrong direction, would you continue driving passed available turnarounds for one more hour? Certainly not! Doing so would take you further away from your correct course and make it that much harder to get you where you need to be. That’s what making one more wager at the table or on a game does – it places you further away from your goal of positive change.
Turn things around immediately by resisting the urge for one more hit and instead connect to a Kindbridge care coordinator. You will be provided with a FREE assessment to establish where you stand with respect to problematic gambling behavior. From there, you can decide how you choose to proceed from a variety of options (view here). Get started with a quick call or email, or tap the banner below to use our easy booking form.
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