"Sir" Charles Barkley won about $700,000 over Super Bowl weekend. In an ESPN interview in May 2006, Barkley estimated he'd lost about $10 million gambling over the years, including $2.5 million in just a six-hour period.

Australian magazine owner Kerry Packer became known as a high-stakes gambler when he won $26 million playing blackjack at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He once lost $l6.5 million at a casino in London.

Adam Bernard, a senior in the College of Communication, won $2,000 betting on a college sports team. Three days later, it was all gone.

The gambling industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past 25 years. Gambling is no longer confined to casinos in Las Vegas or Atlantic City; it's everywhere – the Internet, state lotteries, bingo, race tracks and sporting events. What is so unique about the current gambling situation is the speed at which it has gone from a hush-hush hobby to a high-profile, socially recognized activity.

Sometimes you win; typically, and in most cases, you don't. Despite losing hundreds to thousands to millions of dollars, the thrill of winning big keeps people coming back for more.

Your money, baby

The majority of people that gamble or use sports betting promo codes will never have a problem – they are social gamblers.

"Social gamblers are able to set limits," said Rose Gruber, executive director of the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling. "After $20 or $50 is gone, they go home. They can afford to spend it, or rather to lose it. But they're able to walk away."

Social gambling is just like going out to dinner or seeing a movie. Most of the little old ladies you find in bingo halls after cashing their Social Security checks don't have gambling problems; they're there having fun with their friends.

Gambling is enticing because of the possibility of winning a large sum of money. Only after you see the lottery numbers, play the slots or roll the dice and come up empty do you question what the heck you were thinking betting in the first place.

After an initial big win, it's easy to get hooked off the high from that win. The prospect of winning even more than you already have is appealing. "The whole thing with gambling is if you win you want to keep on winning, and if you lose you want to win it back," Bernard said. "You're never satisfied."

Potawatomi Casino, 1721 W. Canal St., attracts more than 4 million people each year. Apart from the gambling, Potawatomi offers three specialty restaurants, big screen televisions and a 500-seat theater.

"A big thing about our casino is that we offer a variety of entertainment and lots of options for our customers," said Ryan Amundson, external communications specialist for Potawatomi Casino. "Here at the casino, people have a lot of fun. Tons of people come every year and always have a good time doing it."

The casino is a popular destination for locals, tourists and tour groups. Slots, roulette, craps, Texas hold'em, poker, blackjack and bingo are major attractions for a younger crowd.

According to Amundson, Potawatomi broke ground on several new additions late last summer. The $240 million expansion project will triple the size of the casino. Two new restaurants will be added, while making the current three bigger. More gaming with be added and the slot machines will be doubled.

Despite the high chance of losing, people continue to gamble.

"I like the action" of gambling, said Bernard.

Getting lucky at your own risk

Gambling can start easily enough as an innocent hobby, but it can turn into a full-blown addiction. Compulsive gambling becomes all-consuming; its takes over people's lives and can have a devastating effect.

"Compulsive gamblers are out of control," Gruber said. "They can't stop no matter what. When they run out of legal ways to get money, they turn to illegal means."

A gambling addiction can negatively impact every aspect of life, from learning and school performance, to mental and physical health. It can lead to criminal activity and is paired with fighting, alcohol and drug use.

"It's an impulse control disorder," Gruber said. "It's not even always about the money. It's about the high they feel while doing the activity."

Just like any other addiction, there are often clear warning signs of a gambling problem: unexplained need for money, impatience with family and friends, absenteeism and tardiness at work, neglect responsibility, wide mood swings and money or possessions missing from the home.

According to Gruber, there are several groups that are at high risk of developing a gambling problem. People who win big have a higher chance of addiction, as do people who are recovering from another addiction or have compulsive gambling run in the family. Adolescents and older adults have a higher risk because of their age.

"We try to emphasize gambling as strictly entertainment," Amundson said. "We realize that a small percentage of our guests have what are deemed gambling problems, and the casino has the resources to help combat those problems."

Despite the small risks of developing an addiction, most people that gamble will never have a problem. Most just remember the joys of gambling and the thrill of winning, and try to forget about their losses.

As Paul Newman said in "The Color of Money," "A dollar won is twice as sweet as a dollar earned."

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