Online betting is a form of behavioral addiction

A member of the scientific committee of the Congress of Addiction Science said: From a clinical point of view, gambling disorder is not simply an excessive interest in betting or a weakness of willpower, but a behavioral addiction disorder that the online space has increased this risk.

According to Ambassador Arjan Ramin Radfer, on the eve of the 19th Addiction Science Congress, he added: "In facing the phenomenon of gambling, we face the same familiar cycle of other addictions, such as mental preoccupation, gradual increase in spending money or taking risks, unsuccessful attempts to stop, chasing losses to make up for it, concealment, and in severe stages, we face serious financial, family, and psychiatric problems.

Pointing out that today, a person can bet twenty-four hours a day on a mobile phone without anyone around noticing, he noted: on the other hand, digital payments, indirect advertising and the design of some games make the line between games, entertainment, investment and gambling not always clear for teenagers or even adults.

A member of the scientific committee of the 19th Addiction Science Congress, in response to the question that with the expansion of online betting sites and platforms, to what extent gambling addiction has become a health issue in Iran, said: Gambling and betting, including in cyberspace, are illegal in Iran; The law also explicitly considers betting and financial winnings and losses in real and virtual space as a crime. But legal prohibition does not mean that this behavior does not exist. Incidentally, when a behavior is both illegal and stigmatized, the affected person may seek help later and as a result, an important part of the problem remains hidden from the health system.

Pointing out that one of our problems in the field of gambling in Iran is its "low visibility", he clarified: Because we do not have a proper national study in this field in the country and the available data based on which the prevalence of gambling disorder can be declared in the entire population is still limited, it is not possible to comment accurately in this field. However, the available evidence cannot be ignored.

Radfar added: In a study on more than 3,200 Iranian users of social networks, about 8.9 percent of people had a history of online gambling, and among these people, more than a quarter showed moderate to severe problems related to gambling in the screening tool.

He reminded: In this study, sports betting and so-called Crash games were also reported as common forms. Of course, these figures are related to social network users and should not be generalized to the entire population of Iran.

A member of the scientific committee of the 19th Addiction Science Congress also stated: "The issue of teenagers is also worrying." In a study on 2,390 Iranian teenagers, a significant group had a "problem gambling" pattern, and in some of them, this problem was seen along with problematic use of social networks.

He continued: Although this study was not designed to estimate the national prevalence, it shows that the issue cannot be considered only for adults.

In response to the question of how problematic the tendency to bet has become in the country and how many people are involved in it without receiving proper medical services, Radfar said: To answer this question, we need national studies to screen gambling disorders in mental health and addiction services, educate families and teenagers, and create a clear treatment path in the country. Legal treatment of gambling sites is one issue, but treating a person with gambling disorder is a health issue and should not be confused with criminalization.

The 19th Addiction Knowledge Congress, with the aim of promoting specialized knowledge, exchanging scientific experiences and presenting the latest research findings in the field of addiction prevention, treatment and policy, will be held by the Iran University of Medical Sciences in cooperation with the International Association of Addiction Medicine (ISAM), the Ministry of Health, the Welfare Organization, the Anti-Narcotics Headquarters, and several domestic and international organizations and institutions from October 29 to November 1, 1405 at the Razi Conference Center of Iran University of Medical Sciences.