By comparison, online self-exclusion is considered less likely to result in shame. Episodes of relapse were reported to worsen self-stigma, eliciting feelings of shame and self-loathing. Survey respondents who had relapsed had significantly higher levels of self-stigma compared to those who had not relapsed. The most common self-stigmatising beliefs held by people with gambling problems include feeling disappointed in themselves, ashamed, embarrassed, guilty, stupid, weak and a failure.
The community is generally more likely to pity a person with a gambling problem than they are to feel anger or fear. However, a minority reported feeling annoyed, apprehensive, angry or uncomfortable. The stigma attached to problem gambling is higher than for sub-clinical distress or gambling in general, but lower than for alcohol use disorder or schizophrenia. Recent problem gamblers believed their condition to be more publicly stigmatised than alcoholism, obesity, schizophrenia, depression, cancer, bankruptcy and recreational gambling, but not more so than drug addiction.
They also perceived greater stigma from others than was actually the case. Most recent problem gamblers perceived being negatively judged by others because of their gambling, although direct experiences of demeaning and discriminatory behaviours were rare, possibly due to many being reluctant to disclose their gambling problem. Expectations and fear of being devalued and discriminated against were strong deterrents to problem gambling disclosure and help seeking.