A Psychosocial Perspective on Gambling Addiction by Prof. Dr. Demet Karakartal
- 8 July 2025
Prof. Dr. Demet Karakartal, Head of the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling at the American University of Cyprus (KAU), made important warnings by approaching the casino discussions that have recently been on the agenda of the public opinion in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from an academic perspective. In her article, Karakartal pointed out that gambling addiction is not an individual but a social threat and emphasized that preventive steps should be taken urgently, especially to protect young people.
Karakartal defined gambling addiction as “a behavioral addiction and impulse control disorder characterized by the individual’s continuation of gambling behavior despite its negative consequences”. He stated that this type of addiction threatens the psychosocial health of not only the individual, but also his/her family, environment and society as a whole.
According to Prof. Dr. Karakartal, gambling addiction can lead to depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, failures in school and work life, family conflicts and divorce. At the societal level, it is noted that this addiction leads to serious consequences such as loss of reputation, debt, turning to illegal behavior and social exclusion.
Karakartal, who also emphasized the importance of preventive approaches in his article, stated that not only therapeutic but also preventive policies should be developed in the fight against gambling addiction. In this context, he stated that it is essential to raise awareness of society about behavioral addictions and made the following suggestions:
- School-based prevention programs should be prepared for young people.
- Seminars, workshops and training activities on behavioral addictions should be organized in schools.
- Psychological counselors and non-governmental organizations should work together to raise awareness in society.
- The media and public institutions should support information campaigns on gambling addiction.
- With this academic evaluation published at a time when the number of casinos in the TRNC is increasing and the discussions on the regulations in this area are intensifying, Prof. Dr. Karakartal called on decision makers to develop systematic and long-term prevention strategies on this issue.
