When attempting to cut down or stop gambling, you may find that certain situations or feelings make it difficult for you to stick to your goal. It is important to identify these triggers so that you can learn ways to best cope with them. While each individual may have their own set of personal triggers, some of the more common ones are listed below. They may occur in isolation, or, more commonly, in varying combinations.

when you experience negative emotions such as frustration, sadness, irritability, loneliness, or anger, you may want to gamble because you think it will make you feel better. Conversely, when you're feeling particular happy, you may want to 'celebrate' by gambling.

e.g., there's a gaming venue nearby, friends are getting together to play poker, etc.

e.g., you always gamble on your way home from work, on a particular day of the week, whenever you're alone, whenever you get together with particular friends, etc.

e.g., an unexpected positive event - perhaps you've found some money or something positive happened at work - may make you feel particularly 'lucky' or that a win is eminent

i.e., feeling that you can 'handle' a gambling situation that has previously been problematic.

e.g., you can't pay your bills; you want to win back money you've lost, etc.

you want to 'fit in' with friends who are gambling

e.g., problems at work, financial difficulties, strained relationships, and other stressful situations may make you feel like gambling as a way to escape

you feel there is nothing else to do or you want some 'excitement'