Dr. Crystal Fulton:

Yes, either initiated by the gambler or their family. Gambling is so secretive that it can take a long time for a problem to surface and there is usually a crisis. For example, a mortgage bill that has not been paid for several months is intercepted or a bailiff comes to the door wanting the keys to the house, the car, or whatever. There is some sort of financial and emotional crisis point. Spouses of recovering gamblers in our study talked about thinking that they had a marital problem because they did not realise what their partner was doing. Their partner was leading a double life. A gambling problem comes to light in different ways and over time.