Good day folks.

So this has been sort of bothering me lately and I kind of want to see what people think.

So my family is big on gambling; every time there is a social event there is some form of gambling game going on or we talk about gambling. About 3 years ago my grandfather took me to a casino that is somewhat close to where I live (if you consider 1 hour away close). I enjoyed going there because it was something fun, I could mingle with other gamblers without having to worry about saying something stupid, and I enjoyed the traveling.

So recently (about last New Years Eve), I've gone up to the casino about 3 times now. Here are the results (kind of important depending on your opinion of what is a gambling problem).

New Years Eve- Won $1,200
Sometime around Saint Patrick's day- lost 400 (300 was my own money, 100 was from my father)
End of June- Won $24

So I've been think about going back up July 4th if my family doesn't have any sort of events going on. I don't really do anything on July 4th and I work on the weekends so I won't be able to do any sort of traveling. But I'm sort of worried that my parents might start to say I have a gambling problem (more of my mother as my father would say that if I'm using my own money, then its my choice). My mother doesn't like it when I go up to the casino and she always ends up calling my grandfather to "tattle" (I say this loosely). And after I go up, I get a call from him that usually ends up in a talk (even thou my grandfather has a bigger gambling problem, but that is another issue).

I know that going up 4 times out of a year might be troublesome, but I don't have the "compulsive" need to gamble (I put aside me having fun to concentrate on school). But even then out of the 3 times I went up, I'm still up $800 for the entire year and I always check my monetary position before I plan a gambling trip. So like some people say...its only a problem if your losing (of course the people who say that most likely have gambling problems). I just really don't want to get into an argument with the family and them having to stage a small "intervention" to discuss my gambling problems.

So with that said: Do I have a gambling problem? or is it just my family having an issue with a not so good habit?

Oldschool41 : I would be careful. Don't lose to much at a time, and don't gain to much at a time. Set a limit before you walk into the casino of how much you are willing to lose, and only bring that amount of money (in cash so as to not tempt yourself to get any more from a machine). Also, set a limit to how much you are willing to win. This may sound stupid, but winning is just as dangerous as losing when it comes to casinos. Essentially, cut your losses or quit while your ahead. I also suggest finding a less dangerous/addicting hobby sometime down the road, to avoid the dangers of gambling. In the meantime, follow those rules and enjoy yourself at the casino. From what I understand, if you can afford it and you go very rarely, you should not have a problem

All I can say is, it's alright to gamble once in a while, but know when to back out. If you're not careful, you could lose more money than you can afford. If you're on a winning streak, keep on going as long as you feel confident, but if you start losing too much, that's when you should back away.
And honestly, you don't have gambling problem. There are people with a even worse problem, who might gamble 20 times a year, or more. Four times a year is not a problem, so I believe you're alright when it comes to gambling, just know when to play or not.