In the past few years there has been an increase of media coverage of a number of poker tournaments and people have started seeing it as a sport rather than a game. The tournaments that are shown on TV have very high stakes and several sports channels like Fox Sports and ESPN have aired poker tournaments.

The World Series of Poker is a hot favorite for many viewers because it is played by the major poker players in the world. It has aroused a lot of interest among the masses, firstly because the pay out for the winner is high, and also because regular people from different professions can become winners in the tournament.

When a person gets addicted to gambling, it is like any other addiction and can be treated like an illness.  The mind of the gambler is weak, because he has succumbed himself to gambling, thinking and hoping that he will hit the jackpot the very next time. 

Unfortunately the mind of the gambler is working towards making more and more money, but losing it all at the same time.  Along with it come the growing and continuing problems in his financial and even personal life, which have been mainly caused by gambling.

It is very difficult for a compulsive gambler to stop gambling.  Only if he is willing to accept that he is in the grip of a progressive illness, and has a desire to get well, can he be helped by doctors, counselors, family members or programs like the Gamblers Anonymous. A compulsive gambler will only turn to anybody for help, when his life becomes unbearable and the terrifying experiences bring about a slow and subtle deterioration of his life.

It is often difficult to rehabilitate a gambler, because the slightest opportunity will make a gambler resort to his old habits.  Gamblers just lack the will power to stop or abstain from gambling, because they cannot recognize the lack of this power.  Very often spiritual principles may help in solving the problems, rather than self-knowledge and will power.