Pathological Gambling
For many people, betting and gambling are a form of entertainment. They participate without it leading to any problems for themselves or others. For some people, however, participating in gambling can lead to serious issues. Current statistics about this can be found in the prevalence section.
Pathological gambling has been recognised as a mental disorder in international classification systems since 1980. For those affected, the consequences can be severe, impacting their finances, health, emotions, and relationships.
The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) classifies gambling disorders as belonging to the category of addiction-related disorders for the first time. A person is considered to suffer from such disorders when at least four of the following criteria have been observed repeatedly or persistently within a twelve-month period:
- Higher stakes when gambling to achieve the desired excitement/thrill.
- Restlessness and irritability when attempting to cut down on or stop gambling.
- Repeated unsuccessful attempts to control, cut back, or stop gambling.
- Strong preoccupation with gambling (e.g. constantly reliving past gambling experiences, avoiding or planning the next gambling venture, or thinking of ways to get money to gamble).
- Gambling when stressed (e.g. when feeling helpless, guilty, anxious, or depressed).
- Attempting to chase losses.
- Lying to others to conceal the extent of involvement in gambling.
- Jeopardising or losing a significant relationship, job, educational, or career opportunity due to gambling.
- Financial dependence and relying on others to overcome the financial hardship caused by gambling.
Advice
Tip:
Do not take out loans or borrow money for betting or gambling.
Prevalence
Prevalence rates indicate how many people have engaged in a certain activity within a specific time period.
The gambling survey conducted by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research (ISD) in 2023 summarises the following key findings:
- 36.5% of the population participated in some form of gambling in the past 12 months.
- This rate is higher among men than women (40.4% vs. 32.7%).
- 12.2% of all respondents gamble at least weekly.
- 2.4% of the population aged 18 to 70 are affected by a gambling-related disorder as defined by DSM-5 criteria.
While gambling-related problems can occur regardless of gender, age, or social background, the German Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) identifies sociodemographic factors that may increase the individual risk of gambling-related problems. These include, among others: being under the age of 25, being male, having lower levels of formal education, and having a migration background.
Am I at Risk?
If you have concerns about your gambling behaviour, you can take the we offer. It consists of just nine questions and is designed to help you reflect on your own gambling habits. It is essential that you consider your gambling activities over the past twelve months and are completely honest with yourself in this regard. Your answers are anonymous and will not be stored after completing the self-test.
The information on this website is not intended for use in diagnosis, treatment, or care. For any such purposes, please consult a doctor or an addiction counselling service.
Professional Help
Our Player Protection Team is always available to assist you with any concerns related to player protection. You can contact our Player Protection Team here.
If you are seeking professional help, we recommend the following counselling services, which offer anonymous counselling for gambling addiction and related issues:
Counselling for gamblers at IFT Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung
Nationwide counselling for players who have developed problems related to gambling, as well as for their family members.
This counselling service is independent of Tipico, free of charge, and can be accessed anonymously without providing a name. The staff of the gambling counselling service are bound by confidentiality.
Tel: +49 89 36080493
Nationwide initiative against gambling addiction (Germany):
www.bundesweit-gegen-gluecksspielsucht.de
Check your game (Germany)
www.check-dein-spiel.de
You can find additional local support and counselling services here.
Concerned Family Members
If you are worried about family members, you can find guidance and advice here on what you can do.
If you want to prevent your underage children from accessing online gambling lineups or if you fear that they may have already come into contact with gambling, you will find useful information in the “Minors” section. Additional details, especially about blocking access to gambling sites, can also be found under “Filter software”.
If, on the other hand, you are worried about a family member who is a Tipico customer and may be showing signs of problematic gambling behaviour, we ask you to inform us immediately.
Generally, we are not allowed to share customer information with third parties without authorisation. However, we take any information provided to us very seriously and will thoroughly investigate all reports. It is therefore very important that you provide as much concrete evidence as possible, demonstrating that the customer’s gambling behaviour is putting them or others at risk.
If your concerns are substantiated, we will contact the customer and try to work with them to find a solution. If this is not possible, we will take appropriate measures to protect the customer.
Professional help is not only for those addicted to gambling. We also recommend that relatives and friends of affected individuals seek counselling from a support organisation.
